I may have touched on the subject of space before, and if I have, please forgive my repetition. It’s something that’s affected me quite a lot over the past five or six months and helped me realize how important it really is.
Yes, we all need the time to write, but we also need the space. Whether it’s your own office, a cordoned off corner of the living room, or a comfy chair at the local Barnes & Noble, it’s imperitive – at least for me – to have someplace to write. This has become very clear to me recently, as Bonnie and I have spent nearly six months living with my 90-year-old grandmother.
Don’t get me wrong; Grandma has been absolutely wonderful. She couldn’t have been more wonderful. But after fifteen years together, we just have a hard time being crammed into a small space. We have two rooms upstairs. One is our bedroom. The second encompasses pretty much everything else we brought with us that wasn’t relegated to the storage unit: desk, computer, clothes, books, files, and miscellaneous other crap. We did really well for a couple months, but now we’re bumping into each other, feeling crowded, having trouble finding things, and worst of all, I’m not writing.
I’m not hurting for ideas, and maybe that’s the worst part. I’ve got new inspirations…a short story and two new novel ideas rolling around in my noggin. I just can’t seem to put them down on paper (or keyboard) and that’s because I feel smothered. I don’t feel like I can breathe in the same room with all my clothes, my toiletries, and countless pieces of junk that belong elsewhere. I’m not claustrophobic, but it kind of feels that way.
Maybe I’m being stupid. Maybe you’re thinking, “My god, Georgia, suck it up. Quit your whining and just write.” But my head doesn’t work that way. If my body feels trapped, so does my mind and things just back up to the point of being completely clogged. Luckily, we’ll be moving into our new house in less than two weeks and I’ll have a room all to myself, just for writing. It has two windows (I know several writers who write in dark little cramped cubbies and like it that way, but I prefer natural light…and plants) and lots of room for shelves of books, and it’s ALL MINE! I can’t describe what a relief it is. I honestly thought I’d be fine in the interim, but not being able to write has really made me cranky. Just ask Bonnie. It’s time to pull the plug and finally let the ideas flow right out. I can hardly wait.
What about the rest of you? Can you write anywhere or are there circumstances you need to have in order the get the creative juices flowing? Tell me I’m not alone. Please.
Women and Words
Jove Belle
Andi Marquette
Clifford Henderson
Georgia Beers
Sandra Barret
You are definitely not alone, Georgia. I always thought I could write anywhere, anytime, I wanted, until our home status changed. My problem isn’t space as much as it is state of mind. But I’ve always needed my own little spot where I could hide from all the distractions. Not getting that space, or quiet, can totally shut down the urge to create.
Good luck to you!
I think I can write anywhere, cramped or not, but if that “anywhere” isn’t quiet, I’m pretty much doomed.
GOod luck with the news digs. YOu’ll have to let us know about your new space.
For me it’s not so much the physical space (I can write anywhere) as it is the mental space. It’s impossible for me to write anything even remotely sexy with my kids bouncing up and down on me (imagine that). All I crave when trying to write is some peace and quiet. I usually find that at the local Barnes & Noble. Anywhere in my own home and I run the risk of small children needing attention.
Jove: I’ve been wanting to give Barnes & Noble a try (I need to fix my laptop first). There’s something about being surrounded by books that really does help the creative process for me. Last time I was in there, I felt this incredible urge to sit down and write (and was, of course, too busy to do so)…it gave me hope. I find the local library has the same effect. Now, if I could just learn to use it…
If your cramped living conditions and lack of writing space is what produced your novella in “Outsiders”, I am hereby requesting my fellow readers to sign the Let’s-Incarcerate-Georgia-Beers-In-Her-Grandma’s-Pantry petition.
From my review on the Lesbian Fiction Forum:
“For me, the stand-out story was Georgia Beers’s “Balance”: well-written, with a strong, distinctive, first-person voice reminiscent of Heinlein, and an unusual storyline. The romance is very subtle and understated, and is simply reflected in the narrator’s ongoing appreciation of the love and support she gets from her partner. The story itself is urban fantasy, but the characters and setting are so clear, so well-grounded, so realistic, that the appearance of magical Post-It notes doesn’t cause so much as a blip in the reader’s suspension of disbelief…..”
Seriously, y’all. Buy this collection if only for the Beers novella: it’s well worth the entry price. And do whatever it takes to make Ms Beers write more stories like this for us to enjoy.
I can write anywhere, but I can’t write well anywhere. If I’m not in my studio, getting the words on paper is painfully slow. The distractions in the rest of the house loom large when I sit down to write. I suddenly feel the need to clean, do laundry, or tackle obscure projects. I don’t have distractions in my studio, just creature comforts – books, cool pens, notebooks, tiny fridge with my favorite snacks and drinks. Plus I have lots of room to spread out notecards with plot points or hang large sheets of paper on the wall to map out strategy.
I am totally jealous of your studio. Every bit of room in my house is taken up with children of varying ages.
Fran: thank you so much for that awesome review blurb! I’m so flattered and grateful and psyched that you liked the story so much. (And incidentally, I haven’t forgotten that I owe YOU a blurb…well, that’s not entirely true…I DID forget for a little while, but now I’ve remembered again. Please forgive my scattered-ness…)