Writing Spaces

I spend my summers trying to stay sane by focusing on writing.  When I'm not writing, brainstorming, or revising, I'm "studying" other writers' writing habits... and by "studying," I mean stalking via social media, because with Facebook, blogs, and Twitter, you're only looking at things those people chose to post on their own accord, and therefore me hunting them down like some kind of crazy/obsessed investigative journalist isn't technically "creeping," right?

Is it strange that I know that Kristin Cashore is left-handed, drafts long-hand and types it up later using voice recognition software, and before investing in a safe used to keep her manuscripts in her refrigerator because she was paranoid about her house burning down and losing all of her work?  Yeah, I'm not creepy at all :)

I also spend a ridiculous amount of time on Pinterest, finding little bits and pieces of my dream office that I hope to have some day.  Because, you know, it's summer.  What else am I going to do?

So since this is technically a blog about writing, and I haven't posted anything writing or otherwise on here in forever (because, you know, it's summer.  What do I have to say?), I thought I'd show you my writing space!

Unlike Kristin Cashore, I do my drafting on the computer.  I can type faster than I write, so as far as keeping up with my brain, it's just better off this way.  I do most of my brainstorming on the computer as well, with lots of lists and tables and stuff that I doubt anybody else could possibly make any sense of.  They contain terms such as "jerk-face" as opposed to "antagonist," if that's any indication.  There are also a lot of dot-dot-dots followed by "Oh crap, but this has to happen first!"

Revisions on the other hand I have to do with a pen.  I just can't get around a document fast enough if I'm not holding it in my hands.  I can't flip around if I can't mark three places with my fingers at the same time.

But sometimes while I'm revising, I end up axing entire scenes... leading to pages covered with a highlighter X with the word "Obsolete" written over it.  When that happens, it's pretty much like drafting again, which means I put the manuscript aside and turn back to the computer.

Then there's the occasional hunting down of a scene from an older draft, flipping through various prewrites, and then later on comparing feedback from beta readers.  So when I'm revising, it usually requires more physical space than drafting.  Which is how I end up more like this:

This is usually how homework happens as well.  There is typically a cat somewhere in there.

So now when I tell you that I'm writing, you know what it looks like!  Well, what my writing space looks like at least.  Here's what a typical revising session looks like on paper:

Well, that's what my summer looks like!  Thanks for reading!  Now, if you'll excuse me, it's time to sprawl out on the living room floor and beat some fairies into submission.  Happy summer to you all: may this infuriating void of a season be over soon!