Tuesday, September 04, 2007

A Place of My Own -- Robin

I’m the type of person who will suffer through something horrible and never complain, just so other people won't think I’m a whiner. Like, for example, watching hour-long shows on the History Channel. My husband finds them fascinating while I find them painful. But I suffer through and act as if I’m not totally nauseous.

I’ve been having another problem lately with suffering while I’m writing and not complaining about it. Well, all that stops now. I am now an official complainer. My issue has to do with the nuts and bolts of writing. And by nuts and bolts, I actually mean nuts and bolts: I can’t get comfortable in my chair!

I’ve tried working at three different coffee shops, the library, the local college, my kitchen counter, my guest bedroom, and I’ve even tried sitting in bed with my laptop. And every time I can’t get any work done because it’s either too hard, too soft, too distracting, too much like a zoo, or too close to my comfy pillow and a remote control. (One time it was because I was too close to the pastries.)

So I gave in and complained to my husband…about everything. At first he was upset that I didn’t want to watch the History Channel anymore. But he got over that as soon as I told him I wanted my own writing room. And to my surprise, he said, “Honey, you deserve one. Let’s do it.”

Now, when we bought our house nine years ago, I took one look at the adorable little sunroom and thought: This would be a perfect office. But we had lots of boxes and, at the time, we were under the impression that dogs deserved to sleep indoors. So it became the Box Storage/Doghouse room.

Then, when my son was born, we moved the dog’s room into our bedroom (like I’d let him sleep outdoors!) and we changed the adorable sunroom into a child’s playroom. And as you can see from the picture…he played a lot.


Okay. So I’m very embarrassed to show you that picture. But once I got the green light from hubby and convinced my son that it would be a good thing to move his toys into his room, we started the big conversion. And now…I have my own writing room!!


As you can see, there was one condition: the Spider-Man pinball machine had to stay. And I wouldn’t want it any other way. No more complaining from me!

- Robin

26 comments:

Lisa Yee said...

It's gorgeous. And there's pinball!

Mac McCool said...

The pinball and The History Channel rock!

Liz B said...

It's gorgeous. And so clean and tidy.

I have got to start throwing more stuff out.

Wild About Words said...

Robin,

Everyone deserves a room of one's own, and yours is beautiful. I'm sure the new space and the pinball machine will inspire many great novels!

Write on,
Donna

Anonymous said...

to It's beautiful and you deserve it. I LOVE the rug!

When we bought our house, it had this incredibly big dining room with a Mary-Tyler-Moore-type window (folding shutter things)between that and the kitchen. Hardwood floors. HUGE windows. TONS of space for bookcases.

Dining room? Who needs a dining room.

It also had this closed in area under the house that used to be, I think, a canning room. You had to walk out of the house, down the outside stairs, and into another door. Can you imagine my amazement & delight when my husband asked for that room for HIS office?

I love my writing room. You'll love yours.

gail said...

Yeah! What a beautiful room, with great windows and great light. And so inviting. I want to visit! ;)

gail

Anonymous said...

how wonderful--just what you need!
(and i hear you on the history channel!)

*heidi

Laini Taylor said...

Robin, it's beautiful! Congratulations! I can tell you -- it makes a difference. It really does. Having a dedicated place, a place that's yours, where your notes will be how you left them the day before, etc, and a beautiful place you WANT to be in, it helps. Happy writing!!

Disco Mermaids said...

We love that photo of us you put smack dab in the middle of your desk. The one you claimed was the very first thing you put up. It looks great sitting right next to...right over...wait!...where is it!?!?

- The Other Two

Disco Mermaids said...

Eve and Jay, that picture of you two is under my pillow, sillies. Sometimes I bring it with me to my office, but it's hard to write when you're hugging a picture. ;-)

Thanks for the kind comments, everyone! The room will probably be neat and tidy only for the next 12 minutes.
And Laini, you may notice one of your Laini's Ladies hanging in the window! Thanks!
-Robin

Natalie said...

Wow Robin, you can actually see your desktop! Most impressive. Happy writing!

Disco Mermaids said...

Holy crap, dude! That room did not look like that a couple days ago when I was there. Goodness gracious, you did a lot of work!

So amazing. It will totally help to have a spot like that...I'm inspired. I'm going to re-do my guest room right this minute and stick a desk in there. My guests don't need a bed!

Yay for you,
Eve

CJ Omololu said...

Trying not to be jealous...trying not to be jealous. Okay, it looks great. And I'm jealous.

Anonymous said...

It looks marvelous. And beautiful. And inspiring.

Anonymous said...

BEAUTIFUL!! What a great space! Congratulations!

LindaBudz said...

Ahh, a little piece of heaven! Looks like the perfect spot to write the Great American YA Novel!

Chris Barton said...

Holy moly -- I've got zero aesthetic sense, and even I can tell how purty it is. The pinball machine is the only element that remotely resembles my spot, only in my spot it would be halfway taken apart and residing upside down on top of the hutch with a Pirate Booty-encrusted screwdriver sticking out of it.

Disco Mermaids said...

HA! That's funny, Chris. We were just eating our way through a bag of Pirate Booty tonight!

-Robin

Joey said...

Is that desk from ikea?

Disco Mermaids said...

Hey, Joey!

I do love IKEA, but the desk actually came from the office section at Staples! It was very cheap and will probably collapse any moment now.

-Robin

Anonymous said...

I'm not even trying not to be jealous. I'm just giving in to the jealousy and hoping it will inspire me to prettify my own writing space so that it feels as refreshing as yours looks. Congrats!

Anonymous said...

Oooo! I want that kind of space, too!

As for the history channel . . . I'd watch it if I could! We do have Discovery Civilization -- does that count? (and it's in English, too! Well, most of the time)

Stephanie Roth Sisson said...

Hi Robin!

Oh! Very nice! Freed of clutter and so open and airy. I have the same desk- serves the purpose..I have two and I put one togther backwards so that they for a "u" shape.

Now for the part I always have trouble with- BIC (butt in chair- from Jane Yolen)...

Sarah Stevenson said...

I'm jealous! It's beautiful. And has pinball!! I'm supposed to be getting a writing room as soon as construction on our addition is done...but of course, that's going very, very slooooowly....so for now I'll have to look at yours and dream...

Katia said...

Hi Robin,
Beautiful space, indeed. So clean and uncluttered, too. Did you put a lock on the door? Or a sign: Enter at your own peril? My own space never remains clear for more than... 20 mns? Everything in this house ends up on MY desk, in MY office: bills, Barbie dolls, play doh, crayons, construction paper, Legos, my husband's business cards or reports, kids' pieces of clothing, empty juice cartons, half eaten cookies... Dare I bet you to post another pic in, say, a week or two? No cheating (read clearing of desk right before you take the pic) allowed!

Anonymous said...

NOOOOOOOO. . . I know this post is Robin's, but, Eve, you can't transform your guest bedroom into a writing room. Because, um, it'll be too far away from the espresso machine. Lamy