Writer's Nook: Josin L. McQuien

Today I have Josin L. McQuien on A Dream of Books, as part of my Writer's Nook feature.  Josin's debut novel 'Arclight' was published by Electric Monkey on 5th August 2013.  You'll be able to read my review and find out what I thought of it very soon.

Writer's Nook explores a writer's space and the objects they like to have around them for inspiration, pleasure or just general enjoyment.

A writer’s nook is a great idea, in theory, but it’s the kind of thing that gets looked at more than it gets used. The closest thing I have is a kitchen table, where my (ancient and sticker-encrusted) desktop sits. My laptop’s on a plain glass desk in my bedroom, and the netbook lands where it lands.

This is going to sound so boring, but there’s really nothing special to the space, at all. No photos, no good luck charms, just the computer. I can’t stand having things around my hands while I’m working. I’ll make an exception for pages, if I’m editing, and maybe a bottle of water, but even that’s iffy. I’m too prone to spilling things on my keyboard. (I’m on my fourth one with the desktop.)

The actual most important thing in my writing space is the USB drive. That way, I can take my files and move to my laptop or netbook and get away from the kitchen table – which I do all the time. I’ll move from room to room, chair to chair, and even sit on the floor now and then.

I’m a “cocoon writer,” meaning that I can’t have noise, or even music while I’m writing. It interferes with me being to process my thoughts. My poor dogs are probably tired of being sent out of the room for trying to get my attention while I’m working.

However, if I were to build my own writer’s nook, it would probably be a separate building, like a garden shed, with dimmer-lights so I can control the amount of glare on my screen, and a door I can close to make sure everyone stays outside while I’m working. I’d have a fan for “white noise” to cut the distractions, and it would be cold. I live in Texas, where the summer heat will put you to sleep; I think better when it’s freezing. ABSOLUTELY NO INTERNET ACCESS. It’s a miracle any books ever get written with so much wi-fi swimming around to grab my attention without notice. It’s not exactly exotic or glamorous, but I’ll happily settle for functional.

Writer's Nook - Sarah Alderson

Today on Writer's Nook I'd like to welcome Sarah Alderson, whose new book 'The Sound' is published by Simon and Schuster on 1st August.  Writer's Nook explores a writer's space and the objects they like to have around them for inspiration, pleasure or just general enjoyment.

From London to Bali via India and California

I am from London but now I live in Bali in Indonesia. I wrote Hunting Lila while I still lived in London and worked full time for a non-profit. I would write it on a borrowed laptop in my bed after my daughter was asleep!

I wrote the sequel Losing Lila on Patnem beach in Goa, India. I would sit drinking chai and with my toes buried in the sand. It was heaven.

I started Fated sitting at the kitchen table of the legendary author T.C Boyle (a family friend). His house in Montecito, California (where Oprah lives) is one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever stayed.

My studio

Now we’re settled in Bali and I write at my desk in my studio. It overlooks our garden and the rice paddies beyond. My husband and I share the desk which is a piece of reclaimed Tamarind wood that we found on the side of the road and had sanded and polished. I love it – it’s about 10 feet long.

One wall of the studio is painted with blackboard paint. I use it to plot out books and screenplays.

I write up to 6000 words a day and I have a bad back so my chair is the most important piece of furniture I own. I found this squashy, spinny leather chair in the only real furniture store in Bali and dragged it off the showroom floor. It has not let me down.

 

 On my desk

- A cup of coffee

- A bottle of coconut water (at a safe distance – I knocked one over about six months ago and fried my computer)

- A photograph of my daughter

- A photograph of the three of us.

- A stack of my books!

- Two bookends – both picked up at Brooklyn Flea Market. One says ‘Be Kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle’ and the other is of Brooklyn Bridge (I love Brooklyn and NY!).

- A wooden artist’s model that my husband has annotated and drawn all over – it was an anniversary present.

- A stack of recycled scrap paper – for notes and to do lists

- A jar of pens (I’m always running out)

- Bug spray (there are lots of mosquitos around at night)

On the walls

- Photographs of my niece and nephews

- Framed pictures I’ve drawn

- A painting I bought from a year 12 Balinese student at Green School. The Balinese are very talented artists so I’m hoping one day it will be worth gazillions. J

- Notes from my daughter

- Post it notes with quotes from books and the Buddha including my favourite: ‘This too will pass.’

Writer's Nook - C.J. Flood

Today I'd like to welcome C.J Flood, author of 'Infinite Sky' to A Dream of Books for my feature Writer's Nook.  This explores a writer's space and the objects they like to have around them for inspiration, pleasure or just general enjoyment.

I wrote Infinite Sky in bits and pieces before I was a full time writer, which meant I worked in lots of different places: libraries, cafes, living rooms and bedrooms in Derby, Norwich and Spain.

Since becoming a writer full time, I have a much more established writing routine, and a proper place in which to write. Sort of. Okay, it’s a corner of my bedroom, but it does the trick.

 My bookshelves are above me, which means I can find inspiration from great writers or read a little about story structure when I get stuck – which is very, very often.

There are pictures of my mum, dad and brother when they were a lot younger than today: on a camel, at my graduation, looking miserable on a holiday, as well as various cards and trinkets that people have given me. A favourite of which is the delicate white cup on the second shelf up. My friend made it for me. On it, is a three-headed, moustachioed man-monster-thing that she’s painted. In the frame to the left is a poem an old boyfriend wrote for me. And then there’s my table tennis bat, which teases me constantly.

Another object I like to have near me as I write is this zine I made. I really like it. It reminds me that it’s easy to make things besides books, and makes me laugh whenever I look through it, because it’s so stupid. Don’t tell my editors that I made it when I should have been writing Book Two. The front cover alone took an hour, and look at the state of it! It’s such a scrappy little thing, but sometimes I think it’s the best thing I’ve ever made.

And finally, the most recent addition to the Objects Collection is this kitten-y fella. I bought him for my beloved best friend, but haven’t been able to part with him yet. He watches over me with just enough quizzical curiosity not to put me under pressure as I write.

Writer's Nook: Sophie McKenzie

Writer's Nook is a new feature at A Dream of Books where authors talk about their personal writing space and the objects or inspirational things they like to keep around them. 

I'm thrilled to welcome Sophie McKenzie to the blog for the very first Writer's Nook.

I love writing stories and, wherever I go, I tend to carry sections of my work in progress with me. I might be writing, editing or planning – and I might be carrying the relevant chapters on my laptop or as printed out pages. The point is, it’s all portable. 

Having said that, my favourite place to work is definitely at home at my desk, sitting down in front of my iMac. I like the big screen on this computer. It means I can see more of my manuscript – the one on the screen in the picture is part of the sequel to Split Second (pub. Sept 2013) - than if I’m working on my laptop. I also like having all the editing functions – from word search to cutting and pasting – at my fingertips.

To be honest, most of the surrounding area isn’t that important to me. Looking at my desk today, I can see it’s really a bit of a mess. There are probably a load of things here I could throw away. However, the following items are really important:

The router. Easy internet access means that if I want to find out something I can usually research it in a matter of minutes. For Casting Shadows, there’s a scene at the start where River and her dad are birthing lambs. Once upon a time I’d have had to wait for the right time of year then visit a farm to see a lamb being born to find out what that would involve. But all I had to do the other day was a quick search on the net.

The sharpies. Kindly provided by my publishers and handy for signing books.

The pen pot. Full of pens for when I’m editing or annotating a print out.

The ‘to do’ list. To help me remember all the writing and promotional work I’m supposed to be doing.
The cup of tea. To sustain me through the writing day.

The little Buddha. To help me keep everything in perspective when the story I’m writing isn’t going well.

The row of previously published books next to my printer. To remind me as I write that if I did it before, I can do it again!