by Galley 'Ho Santa

A few years ago several writers posted pictures of where their muses called home. Most had offices. It makes sense.  In the business world, everyone has some form of an office. A space they call their own where every pad and pencil can be accounted for. It may be a corner office with a view of the cityscape. It may be a cubicle similar to every other one from one end of the football field of an office to the other. Yet, each has the earmark of its owner. That special pen. The stress ball the company gave out last year in lew of a raise. Pictures of your kids, your best friend’s kids or in the case of my critique partner – 22 pictures of her new kitten.

I don’t remember the names of all the authors who posted but I have had extreme writer’s office envy ever since then. Who could blame me? Some had fire places with rich burgundy leather couches with toasty throws to throw off the chill of a muse’s cold shoulder. Sigh. Just like out of MY FAIR LADY. It’s Liza’s room far away from the cold night air. Others had gorgeous views out over the ocean or rolling hills peppered with paper mache’ dogwood trees. How could you not be motivated with such vistas?

What, do you ask, does my office look like? Some days a laundry mat.  Some days a research facility for googling information on bugs, owls, and Italian verbs. Other days it’s the quiet library overlooking the Hudson. And still others days it’s a noisy coffee shop where first time dates are held.  If you haven’t guessed by now, I really don’t have my own office. I do have a laptop and can go pretty much wherever I can find a plug.

I guess for me, it really doesn’t matter where I write, so long as I am writing. Once I set myself up I can go for hours and most places don’t mind that I am there for hours at a time. I also find that I can write at all hours of the day or night. Witness this blog. I finished and sent it off in the wee hours of the morning but that’s when it seems everything comes together for me.

Where do you write? Coffeehouse? Library? Far corner of the basement? Your desk at work? Do you think where you write has a direct influence on what or how you write?