I thought I'd share something about my writing life today. I've always had laptops, ever since I used my good ol' second generation iMac to death. Now, I'm an Apple girl with all the iDevices, mainly because I grew up with Apple computers, from the Apple IIe to a Performa 450 with a 800 baud modem in high school. I briefly had a dalliance with a PC in college but got dumped it as soon as the iMac came out. I've gone through several Powerbooks and MacBooks, and now I have a MacBook Air. Having a portable computer is really important to me. We have a small house, a ranch, only one floor (I like it that way) but this means I do not have a writing space of my own. With two kids and a husband that works from home on occasion, I have to be flexible, so I've become a writing nomad. I take my computer wherever I can to get the words in.
The main place I write is at the dining room table. I keep it as clean as I can, which is much cleaner during the summer than during the school year, and start every day in this spot.
In the evenings, I move to the couch and write or work here. It's a comfortable couch and I always sit in the same spot.
On the weekends when the house is full, I often write in my bedroom on the bed. This is not as comfortable as the couch, but it does the trick! Especially since I can lock the door. ;)
When the weather is nice and the bugs aren't biting, I like to write outside on the deck, either at the table, or I'll bring out one of our zero gravity chairs and write in that.
This is a new spot for me to write at! The kitchen was just renovated in April and May, and now we have this awesome island I can sit at and write. If I'm feeling inspired, I'll write while making dinner, in between tasks.
But this is where I get in most of my words lately, at the treadmill desk. I will usually write and walk, getting in some exercise while working is the best! I feel very focused when I'm at the treadmill desk and I can usually get a lot of words in.
Not only do I write at home, though, I write while out and about too! I write at Panera, tennis lessons, in the car, at the pool, at the play center for the kids, at the YMCA, at Starbucks… Really, I will write anywhere, which I feel is so important for my productivity. People ask me how I can write 3-4 books per year, and this is how. I will write anywhere, in just about any conditions. I also write on my iPhone, iPad, and AlphaSmart. Whatever it takes to get the words in.
I love the flexibility my laptop and mobile devices give me to get things done on the go. In the beginning, when I first started writing full-time, I only ever wrote in one spot. Once I started moving around and leaving the house to get things done, I figured out I could write anywhere! It's a lot of fun to take my writing wherever I go. :)
