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Where Stories Are Made is a regular feature here at Book Chick City. It’s where the author takes us on a tour of their writing place, be it an office, coffee shop or park and tells us about their writing day and rituals. My guest today is urban fantasy writer Nancy Holzner…
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The house where my husband and I live was built in 1880, part of a neighborhood of similar homes: wood-framed houses of two stories in rectangles and L-shapes. Lots of front porches, and touches of gingerbread trim here and there. At some time in the 1980s, whoever owned our house converted it to an up-down duplex, with a one-bedroom apartment upstairs and a two-bedroom apartment downstairs. When we bought the house, this turned out to be an ideal arrangement for two work-at-home authors. Upstairs is the work zone. We’ve each got our own office, and we joke that the upstairs kitchen is our break room. (All it needs is a water cooler where we can meet to exchange gossip.) The ground floor holds our living quarters. It’s nice to be able to leave work at the end of the day, even if it just means going down the stairs.
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During the workday, my desk can barely hold the computers and reference books I use to write nonfiction.
Because I write nonfiction books for my day job, I spend an awful lot of time in my home office. The first photo shows what my desk looked like today. My current nonfiction project is a how-to guide for Office 2010, so I’ve got two computers running at once: my brand-new Windows 7 netbook to test out the Office 2010 beta, and my desktop for writing the chapters. I’ve also got a book propped up to refer to as I write. My workspace gets pretty crowded. If I could have the office of my dreams, my main wishes would be a big desk, a separate table, built-in bookshelves, and maybe a window seat. It’s important to have a comfortable place for reading and windows to gaze out of (that’s why I put my desk between two windows).
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My Easy button, family photos (mostly of my beautiful daughter Tamsen), and some souvenirs of my time as a medievalist. The pen and pen holder were carved from a beam that was once part of Ely Cathedral, taken down during renovations.
When it’s time to write fiction, I clear away the reference books and the second computer. Then I can see some of the fun things I keep on my desk: family photos, a squishy stress ball, a foam-dart gun (because you never know when you might have to shoot a foam dart at something), my Easy button. When I press the Easy button a voice booms out, “That was easy!” I like to hit it when I’ve reached a milestone, such as finishing a book project; it reminds me I can do things that used to seem impossible.
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A page from a 13th-century Bible.
Over my desk hang two certificates from a regional writing contest I won back in 2003. They kept me motivated during times when I wondered if I’d ever get a novel published. In a sense, the things I keep around me as I write new stories are artifacts from my story: the contest certificates, mementoes from when I was a medievalist, such as a framed manuscript page and a hand-carved monk figure, pictures of my daughter at various ages. I like keeping in touch with who I’ve been as I go forward.
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When I need to get out of my office, I write in the living room.
My office is one place where I write. But sometimes I need a change of scenery–especially because there’s always other work to distract me when I’m in my office. Sometimes I work in the living room with my netbook and a lapdesk. If the weather’s nice, I’ll work outside on the deck behind our house.
More often, though, I write in coffee shops around town. Steve and I frequently go out in the evenings. Most people like to leave work behind and relax at home in the evenings, but since we work at home, we like to get out of the house where we’ve been working all day and go somewhere else to relax. You can usually find us at one of several bookstore cafés in our town. Evenings are a very productive time for me. I can usually tune out the conversations going on around us and the music playing over the café’s PA system, although sometimes I’ll pull out the earbuds and listen to instrumental classical music on my computer if the environment is distracting.
I’ve become one of those people who can write any time, any place–even for a few minutes at a time. Having a small, light laptop is great, and I carry it with me wherever I go. I used to think that there wasn’t much point in trying to write if I couldn’t devote an hour or more to it. But even five or ten minutes can move a story forward. More important, it keeps me in touch with the world of my story, so when I’m not actively writing, the story is still buzzing along somewhere in my subconscious.
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Deadtown: in stores now
You can find out more about this feature HERE
**Next week on ‘Where Stories Are Made’: Faith Hunter**
16 Comments
Nancy, I loved reading about your writing process and seeing where you write. I have one of those Easy buttons, too! By the way, I whipped through Deadtown and loved it!
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You have an office in your own house? *is jealous* I love stick-builts for their character.
I can write anywhere, too, Nancy. Smoky bars, planes, the car… It's a form of escape for me, I think.
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I dream of having my own office…sigh.
Thanks for sharing your space with us!
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I'm really happy for the opportunity to be here today–thanks to Book Chick for inviting me.
@Silky Love my Easy button! That voice always makes me smile. And it helps me lighten up on days when I feel like my head's going to explode.
And I'm really glad you enjoyed Deadtown!
@AE Rought We bought this house precisely because the setup would allow for two offices. We'd tried just about every other configuration in the past: office/living room combo, sharing an office, one office in a corner of the bedroom… Our marriage is probably far happier, or at least more tranquil, thanks to the dual home offices.
Btw, I love your image of writing in smoky bars. Gotta try that one, myself.
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@Another Daydreamer: It really does make a big difference, but I know how hard it can be to find the space. It's like Virginia Woolf's "room of one's own" — and with a door that closes (gotta specify that).
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I would love to have a separate space to write such as you do. Currently I have an antigue fold down desk in the entry way off from the living room. Of course there is the couch too. Which is tends to be ideal in winter with a fire in the pellet stove. Makes for some cozy writing. (Hugs)Indigo
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You just have the coolest things in your office.
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Hi Nancy
I loved reading about your writing day and especially enjoyed the photos of your office set up. It has given me some ideas on how to arrange my own work space.
Thanks!
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Thanks everyone for stopping by. And thanks Nancy, for taking part in this feature, it was great having you!
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@Indigo I really wish we had a fireplace or a pellet stove. That coziness factor really adds something.
@Blodeuedd Thanks! I try to keep some fun stuff around to keep the day job from bogging me down.
@Patricia If only I had a bigger desk (or a second table), I'd be pretty happy. I used to have an L-shaped desk, and I miss that sometimes. But the best thing is having two windows to look out of.
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Nancy, I am very jealous of your ability to write anywhere, anytime. Good for you! I need complete quiet (which is pretty difficult to find in a household with 2 kids, a husband, and a yapping wiener dog).
Great office!
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@Penelope I definitely prefer quiet when I can get it!
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A nice space to call your own, we all dream and so glad your dream came true. Deadtown was wonderful thank you very much Nancy, really looking forward to the next in the series and really like the "glimpse" into your work world and all the things that inspire you and make for a productive work environment.
jackie b central texas
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Loved that framed page.
I also cringed when I saw the white love seat. I have dogs and it would be furry and non-white in no time flat.
I think it's great that you can write anywhere. That is a rare talent, I think. Thanks for sharing your space!
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@jacabur1 Hi, Jackie! Thanks for stopping by. I'm glad you liked Deadtown and I hope you'll like Hellforged just as much.
@Melissa That manuscript page is definitely one of my prized possessions. And I know what you mean about the white loveseat. LOL No pets at the moment, but I'd trade that loveseat in a second for the border collie we had when my daughter was young.
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Great idea with an office for everyone upstairs! Cool. You still have to get up in the morning and go to work, but you don't have to drive all that traffic.
I have to say I love the Easy button. 
Great post once again!
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