My Writing Corner

Writing isn't easy. The only people who think writing is easy haven't actually sat in front of their word processor or a blank piece of paper. I have friends who say they're going to write a novel--they have the perfect story to tell. I smile and encourage them, knowing it will never happen. At the very least, writing takes discipline, time, energy and a creative mind.

It's taken me years to figure out that there is a right time and a place to write, and forcing myself to write during other times or in other places doesn't work.


I need a cozy spot to write, which happens to be my home office. It's a small room on the second floor of our house, painted Wedgwood blue. Some of my favorite things are kept there, among them, a large print of Monet's water lilies, an antique French rug that I carried home from the Antique Market in Toronto twenty-five years ago on the subway, incense burners, stones, candles and feathers I've collected over the years and a marble urn containing my father's ashes. I like to think he's encouraging me now as he did when he was alive. Of course there are several book shelves and a comfortable wing-back chair for reading.

The best time for me to write is in the afternoon at my desk under a window overlooking the backyard. I love the sound of birds singing in the trees, but I will only get off my chair to admire the blue jays and cardinals. I'll write for a few hours, make supper, walk the dog and settle down in the guest room beside the office. With the TV on, I'll plot out the next scene of my novel on paper with a pen or pencil. The next morning, first thing, I'll sit down at the desk and review the chapter I wrote the day before. Editing seems to work best for me early in the morning and it puts me back in the writing groove.

I get more writing done when I stick with this format. I like to write a fairly decent first draft. Other writers brag that they write 20 pages a day and can finish a first-draft in a month, but I'd rather write 4 to 6 pages that require minimal revisions, than 10 to 20 pages slapped down in an undecipherable mess that will take me just as long to revise.

The next time you find yourself writing something that flows effortlessly, make a note of the time and place. It might just be the best time and place for you to write.

As for blogging, I prefer late Sunday afternoons, while the dog and hubby nap in the living room. I'll tiptoe upstairs with a glass of wine and a plate of grapes and cheese and type my feelings and thoughts to people who understand the art of writing.

Where is your favorite place to write?