Having
just finished cutting the backyard, I was ready to cool off. So I
poured some iced coffee and retreated to my writing room. I not only
met the assignment deadline, I also got more comfortable.
While
I've written about how economically you can equip your writing place,
I've neglected the importance of creating a place you can comfortably
stay on task.
For
me, temperature is a big concern. The basement location for my
writing place offers a great solution. In summer, it stays many
degrees cooler than our main floor. In winter, its location near the
furnace maintains a shirt-sleeve temperature.
A
bookcase to my immediate right holds needed resources within arm's
reach. A double-wide file drawer to the left secures all my hard
copies and holds my printer and spinning mini bookcase. An electric
cup warmer beside my monitor maintains my coffee at an ideal
temperature. I've installed decent speakers beside of my desk so I
can pipe in assignment-suited music from a turntable in the next
room.
It
took me awhile to get all the adjustment levers on my desk chair to
suit my frame. The chair may no longer look beautiful, but it fits
like an old chair.
Writing
remains hard work, except for those moments when everything comes
together and I feel the joy of the process. Today— as I listened to
some of Michael Martin Murphey's early vocals and enjoyed the cool
comfort of my writing nest—was one of those days.
When
I came downstairs I hadn't planned to write this piece. But rather
than have to go back upstairs, writing it gave me an excuse to remain
a little longer in my nest.
I
hope yours also does its job.
