In another Sunday human RAM dump, I thought I’d take a break from opinions on creating your own worlds and instead focus on a topic that makes the difference in how you write: your environment and your kit.
The writing environment, in my mind, would be a workstation of sorts. I say workstation because it is the formal location where your writing take place, also because I have no other word for it. Everyone has their own place or nook where their thoughts flow, from the table of a Starbucks coffee shop, to a formal office-like setup, to looking out over a hill and onto a landscape for inspiration and ideas. It is where we feel most comfortable, a place where we feel where we can work to our best ability to deliver literary satisfaction.
Of course, wherever you write, you have a kit with all the things you need. If you ask the question “What’s in your kit?,” you will get a varied array of answers, and that is down to the unique personality of the individual. To get the ball rolling, I’ll share with you what I have at home.
My Setup
Because of my day-to-day life is always changing with dynamic work schedules, it is hard for me to have an ideal setup, especially at home, as many distractions cause me to lose focus. Thus, I carry a lot of my work with me. That being said, I have a “permanent” workstation, if you will. Otherwise, I’m with my laptop, a fountain pen, and a notebook, usually at a Starbucks drinking coffee after a shift at my real job.
But, some people, such as myself, need a base of operations. That workstation setup includes:
- L-shape desk: Plenty of space to work with.
- Laptop: Because of my fluctuating schedule, I need to take my work on the road. A cheap, dedicated laptop to all things electronic does the trick.
- USB sticks: Backing up is always a good idea, especially if your work is purely electronic. If your hard drive crashes, and all your data is lost, then so is all the hard work you have done (if you haven’t backed it up elsewhere), and that would be a real shame.
- Two letter trays, portrait-style, stacked: One to hold any items for manual editing (I dislike editing electronically, hurts the eyes, and you can’t write as well on the screen), and the other for incoming things to go through.
- Bits and bobs tray: A small thing to fit next to my trays to hold things like sticky notes, paper clips, etc.
- Pencil cup: Of course a pencil cup. This holds my fountain pens, ballpoint marking pens (red ones for editing), highlighters, etc.; whatever I need to assist me in editing.
- Letter sorter: Keep documents organized.
- IBM Model M keyboard and mouse: I say Model M, it’s the Unicomp brand Model M clone. It is a classic buckling-spring keyboard, is massive, and weighs seven pounds. It makes a satisfying sound whenever I type on it. Also it saves the keyboard on the laptop for when I’m on the road.
- An OED: Always good to have a dictionary at hand. In this case, it’s the Oxford English Dictionary.
- Spare Rhodia notebooks: I use Rhodia spiral-bound A4 notebooks for nearly all of my writing of base drafts or concepts. Rhodia notebooks have excellent paper quality, especially when it comes to fountain pens: they don’t bleed, minimal feathering involved, the ink doesn’t pool, nor does it show up on the other side of the paper.
It seems like a lot, especially when I factor in the desk, but it’s really not that much. Keeping organized is essential. Along with that setup, I have a file cabinet to organize documents even further, and I have a hutch on my desk. It’s fair to say not everyone has the space for such a thing, but this is my setup. Others are perfectly fine with just a simple table and a pencil drawer. Anything like writing or drawing can be minimal or complex. It is purely your choice.
There are other things in my office-style setup that I have that are not entirely essential, but are worth it, if you have the space and the money:
- 36×48″ whiteboard, a set of coloured dry-erase markers, and an eraser: I am a visual and partly audible person; and by that I mean I work better when I plan out things on surfaces like a white or chalkboard, which is then paired with the sound of gypsum going against the chalkboard, or the squeak and taps of the felt of the dry-erase marker going across the board. It’s a fantastic way of visually fleshing out details, because you can just erase things and start again. Also, it can stay there for reference, especially if its in line of sight where you write.
- Personal library: I wrote about this in mid-November. Aside from your own works and works of your favourite authors, I’d like to amend that list to include some reference books or other books that assist you in getting into the right frame of mind. I do have a bookcase, but I also have a hutch with a few items on it as well. Mainly mailing labels and my wax seal kit.
- Sketch book: Although I do plan on putting little drawings for things like The Severis Tales and other media on my website, sketching out or drawing your settings, characters, or whatever does have its positives. The best thing about having something to sketch on is that it is all private—if you suck at sketching or drawing, no one will need to know.
Do You Need All of That?
No.
I happen to be able to be in a position to have a home writing environment like this. Not everyone has that luxury, which is understandable. A small forty-eight inch desk and a laptop is what many people go for, because it is all they have space for, or can afford; and some do great work with just those two items. That, and a chair. Everything else is accessible via the internet: dictionaries are freely available online, open source word processors are abundant, and research is plentiful across the electric globe.
As well, some people just do not like physical things and are more comfortable with doing everything on the computer. I don’t have that setup just because I like stationary (I do like stationary); I dislike using electronics for a lot of things unless I need it.
The Absolute Minimum
The beauty of writing that separates it from, say, painting or watercolour sketching is the price and items required. If you have an idea, for instance, and you’re considering going deeper, all you really need is a few items that cost less than five bucks at a dollar store. That, or spend a little more and get quality office supplies and a notebook that isn’t made of onionskin paper or have an occasional page upside down. Everything else is optional until you are ready to put your idea into proper practice.
The Final Requirement: Motivation!
Honestly, writing should have some sort of appeal, be it a sad story or a snippet of humour. Fun is probably not the word to describe the thought processes of an individual whose background, and therefore the book’s premise, is much more serious, but there is a certain amount of motivation in all of us that propel us to write something in the first damned place.
So there we are. A memory dump about work space. With that out of the way, I ask you: What is your writing environment, and what is in your kit? Let me know!