Thursday, October 9, 2008

Writing Spaces

Tip of the Day: (Disclaimer: This is not my tip but one snagged from the October issue of Writer’s Digest because I found it amusing.) If you want to escape the slush pile, “Be Hot”. As in, look GOOD people. Get the hair and teeth bleached, get on the tread mill, slather on the Proactiv and take some glam shots to send in with your submission. And you thought you just had to write well. :-)

You know how the first wedding anniversary is paper? And the sixth is iron and so on? Well guess what the ninth is?


Yep. Door.

As in, my husband gave me a door for our anniversary! I’m positively giddy let me tell you!

I’ll explain why. A couple of years ago my husband deemed our then den/dumping room for all random things in the house as my official office. He even bought me floor to ceiling bookshelves for the entire one wall for that Mother’s Day, which I quickly filled with all of my books and knick knacks. (Side note: Aren’t book shelves just one of the best things in the world? I’ve always loved them).

Anyway, he thought with this I was all set up and I would have many many hours of writing in this room. But it didn’t happen. The problem? No door. This was the one room in the whole house that the builder didn’t put a door on and with no door, the kids were in there every two seconds with “He hit me” and “She’s eating ketchup again” and “Her head is stuck under the bed frame.” How could I possibly enter another world to do my writing with all that going on? It just wasn’t happening. So I’ve always written in cafes.

But that all ends now! My husband installed my new door and now I have a quiet place to write in. And I’m going to try it out soon I swear. I’m just a little nervous. Like, after all of my husband’s hard work (did I mention he stained the door too?), what if I sit down to write and I still can’t get anything done? Like just physically being in my house will make me want to do laundry or go check on the baby one more time.

For those of you that write from home how do you do it? How do you not get sidetracked with all the never-ending life stuff?

Kristina, Miss Soon-to-Pub

5 comments:

DeenaML said...

Yay for doors! Good luck!!!

Anonymous said...

Congratulations on the door!!

Does it come with a lock? :)

Lisa Schroeder said...

Awesome gift! You'll have to let us know if it helps.

Mostly I write in the early mornings when I'm too tired to do anything else, and everyone is sleeping so I have to be quiet. I wish I could put a door on the internet - that's my biggest time suck!

Stella said...

That door is awfully pretty, but it has windows and for me that would be a distraction. Maybe put a shade on the door or hang curtains over the glass.

When my kids were young, I wrote during soccer practice, orchestra rehearsal, Boy Scout meetings, violin and cello lessons and wrestling meets.

It's a lovely gift. Now that my boys are finally out of the house, my biggest nemesis is the tv and the endless yak yak yak.

Stella

Kristina Springer said...

Thanks everyone. Yes it does come with a lock and I said the same thing about the windows! I'm going to put something in them-- not sure what.