Thursday, June 19, 2008

The Writing Life

I’ve learned a great deal about writers and the writing life when I have taken time to watch Book Television. (I can’t believe I just wrote that sentence.)

Especially the program called “The Writing Life” in which different authors, many somewhat introverted just like me, tell how, where and when they write and how they deal with the difficulties of writing.

Anyway, now you know another deep dark secret about me, yes I watch Book Television.

But the other writing life visual that I enjoy is seeing where writers like to do their writing. What stimulates them, what hides them away, what does their writing space look like.

And last night as I was thinking about this again I remembered a post Jordon had done about the places writers write. He had caught an article in The Guardian which showed the writing places of some better known writers.

I went back and found the link and looked again at the places people write.

You know how some people look at food and go, ooh and aah, or some people look at new houses and go ooh and aah? For that matter, you can fill in your own blank over what makes you go ooh and aah. But that’s what I do when I look at these writing rooms. I ooh and aah and wish and dream.

 

Raymond Briggs. A bit too cluttered for me, but the breathtaking view…

 

Martin Amis. A quiet private space with leaves covering the windowed ceiling.

 

Colm Toibin. Cave like, surrounded by books with a clear writing space and good lamp.

 

Yeah. Lots to ooh and aah over, and dream and think about.

4 comments:

  1. I really like the first one. It is bright and I love the big window. I am not a renowned writer but, I do like to write. Where? In my dining room beside my picture window. I come up with a lot of ideas just by looking out the window and viewing the same old scenery day after day. Really, I am inspired by this.

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  2. As you know, I have the window view, and the space, but nowadays, instead of drooling over these writing retreats I recognise that I haven't got the staff to match them. Who does the filing to keep those desks so clear ? Who keeps the dust off of all those books ? And who is keeping the rest of the house under control so the great writer can do their thing ?

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  3. The Great Writers Manservant, Jeeves of course.

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  4. So those fantasies about life in England are still going strong ?!

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