Week of May 12, 2013 - Redefining My Writer's Office Space

Happy Mother's Day

By Joan Whetzel

I've been feeling cooped up in my office lately and it has made the writing process boring, like I'm stuck in a rut. In an effort to shake things up, I have begun looking for other places to call "office." I think may be working, because things are beginning to loosing things up.

What Is A Writing Office?

For me, my writing office is the place where my main writing computer - desktop model - resides. Along with my computer desk and my writing-by-hand desk, my writing materials like pens and papers, my writer's vertical files, my files of published works, and my research library. This room is the center of my universe.

What Is Causing the Rut?

My rut has been caused by spending 10 to 12 hours a day in this room, with no change in the routine. Don't get me wrong. I love this room, the colors suit me, I'm surrounded with music and  artwork, and I love the view out my window. It's just that the scenery never changes. I haven't been getting information or creative input from anywhere but inside this room.

Where Else Can I Call Office?

I've found that transferring my files to a thumb drive and using my laptop, I can call anyplace in the world my office. Simply moving to the living room, dining room or my bedroom with the TV and a movie can be enough to shake things up a bit. Sometimes I need to take it outside on the deck out back or to the local park - using paper and colorful gel pens. The last few weeks, I've been taking my office to my parents house so I can sit with my dad while mom runs errands.

Making the Office Portable

Having a portable office makes writing on the go possible. I pack everything up in my computer bag: my laptop, a portable mouse, a thumb drive with all the items and pictures I'm working on, a wi-fi connection at home and my parents house (or the local coffee shop), some tablets of paper, colored gel pens, manila envelopes with background information for specific stories I'm writing, and my cell phone or my digital camera so I can take more pictures.

It's broken me out of my rut. At some point I may go back to just my office. We'll see. But for now, I like the different "offices" because it's changes up the scenery. Which, in turn, changes the way my mind thinks.