See Jane Work Kate Writing Desk
All keen readers will have writers for whose books they put everything aside, the ones who go straight to the head of the reading queue, no matter what else is waiting. I am delighted to welcome one of those writers to Cornflower Books today, and it is a privilege to have been able to ask him a few questions about where and how he writes.
Alan Bradley is one of those inspiring people who have a successful career but then truly come into their own at a stage of life when others are thinking of putting their feet up. Taking early retirement from academia, he wrote non-fiction before beginning a novel which - on the basis of a synopsis and an opening chapter - won the CWA Debut Dagger Award. A publishers' bidding war ensued, rights were sold hither and yon, and the first of the wonderfully entertaining Flavia de Luce books was published to great acclaim and popular success. The sixth in the series came out recently and, as Alan tells us below, there is more in store!
Apart from being a great fan of his books, I had another reason for inviting Alan to join us today. He and his wife Shirley are Canadian, but nowadays they live on the Isle of Man which is where I was born and spent my childhood, so I'm proud to have an honorary Manxman as my guest, and I hope he is feeling very much at home in that beautiful island.
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Alan, please tell us about your writing desk or table. Is it a special piece of furniture or just a convenient surface? And the room in which you work - a dedicated study, or a corner you've carved out of another room in the house?
Although I have a lovely study overlooking a churchyard, complete with computer on a Victorian partners' desk and a wonderful reference library at hand, I still do an inordinate amount of writing propped up in bed. The reason is quite simple: since I like to begin work at about 4:30 a.m., it means I can make the transition from sleep to writing with as little jarring effort as possible.
What typically sits on your desk? Piles of books for reference/a dictionary or thesaurus? Photographs or special objects? Can you work with 'clutter' around you or do you need clear space?
I like clear space, but I usually have a clutter of things that need doing. I feel most comfortable when I'm within reach of my reference books. I must admit to an absolute passion for outdated reference works: the Imperial Dictionary; Whitaker's Almanacks for the early 1950's; the ABC Railway Guides, ditto, Kelly's Post Office Directories; Bradshaw; the Army and Navy Catalogue; Hints for Holidays; Law's Grocer's Manual (1949) and the Encyclopaedia Britannica (11th edition), marred as it is by the sensationalism of the popular plates. There's an indescribable comfort in being surrounded by things as they used to be.
As you sit at your desk, do you have a view (and if so, of what) or would that be too distracting - do you prefer a blank wall, or a lovely object or painting perhaps, to focus the mind?
As I have said, my desk overlooks a churchyard where there's often something going on: weddings, funerals, jackdaws, ravens, all of which keep me grounded in real life without proving too much of a distraction to the murder and mayhem on my mind.
Do you write in longhand first, or make notes/plans that way, or do you work directly on the computer? If the former, do you have a favourite notebook and pen, or does any scrap of paper serve the purpose? Do you use a pinboard or whiteboard or similar, either for displaying notes and reminders, sketching out plot points and structure, showing location photographs or other visual cues to characters or interiors, etc.?
I write directly onto the computer, but only after doing the required research and making notes in pencil. I don't know why a softish pencil is so important - perhaps because it reminds me of my childhood. A hard-nosed ball-point seems so crude in comparison; the way in which it graves the paper seems physically (and even morally) repugnant. There's nothing I love better than a fat fresh pad of A4, even if I only use a few pages of it and start afresh with each new book. In spite of that, I always end up with hundreds of notes on bits of paper: the backs of envelopes, grocery receipts, bits torn from the edge of newspaper pages, and so forth. I don't do a lot of plotting, other than a few key scenes. The Flavia mysteries are character driven and I have learned to let them have their heads.
Do you ever write away from your desk, for example, in cafés, libraries, on trains, in the garden? If so, is that because you happen to be in those places and need to get on with some work, or do you purposely go to other writing locations for inspiration or improved concentration?
No, I do a lot of thinking while walking by the sea, or riding on the bus, but I write only at home. It would be wonderful to be able to write anywhere, but I can't. To me, writing fiction is like being a deep sea diver: you can't be on the surface and in the depths simultaneously. Which is reality? Whichever one you're immersed in at the moment.
Tell us about sound while you're working: do you like to listen to music or prefer silence, and do you need to be shut away with a virtual 'do not disturb' sign on the door, or can you get on happily with the usual interruptions of phone, doorbell, other people in the house, and so on?
Silence is golden. Our household is a haven of blessed near-soundlessness. As I write this, the only sound in the room is the sober ticking of the clock. We have no radio chattering away mindlessly and watch television only by appointment: generally on DVD. My wife, Shirley, treasures silence as much as I do, so we're the perfect couple.
What tends to distract you most when you're supposed to be writing?
Telephones, doorbells, people who don't realise that your work involves staring densely off into space and looking as if you're waiting for a good old chin-wag.
Could you tell us a little about what's currently 'on the desk', i.e. your work-in-progress or what you are planning to start next?
I'm happy to announce that Flavia #7 (slated for 2015) will be called "As Chimney Sweepers Come to Dust", which I must admit is one of my favourite titles. It's from Cymbeline, of course, and comes with its own haunting baggage. Besides that, I've been asked to write a new YA series. And, oh yes, Sam Mendes (of 'Skyfall' and 'Call the Midwife') will be bringing Flavia to the television screen in 2015. I've seen Harriet Warner's screenplay for the first episode, and it's absolutely brilliant. Who was it said, 'May you live in exciting times"?
What would you say were the best, most rewarding aspects of the writer's life, and what are the downsides, if any?
The rewards, I suppose, are in being self-employed and being paid for doing what you love to do. The downside is that there are no breaks; no holidays; work is 24/7/365. Travel, too, is a great joy. The Flavia books, which have been translated into about 36 languages, have allowed me to visit Germany, Finland, Croatia, Poland, Malta, and Norway, with upcoming trips to Italy, Sweden and Russia: all of them places I would never otherwise have seen. And the fans, of course! The word I hear most often from Flavia's fans worldwide is 'love'. It is like being immersed in a warm ocean. And there is no downside to love!
Finally, by spending many hours 'at the writing desk' you now have a very wide and avid readership, and a career which although you've come to it later in life has brought you great success. What advice would you give to aspiring writers, or to those already in print and hoping to build on that beginning?
Keep the bum applied firmly to the chair and the fingers to the pen, pencil, or keyboard. Remember the 10,000 Hour Rule. It sounds tacky, but it's true: you learn to write by writing. Beware the sharks and gatekeepers: there are many more of them out there than there are bona fide agents and editors. Don't ever pay anyone to edit or market your work. Real professionals don't charge; they make a living by selling your work.
My goodness - what a lot of advice! Well, it's taken me years and tears to learn it. I'd be thrilled to hear that it's helped someone else even a smidgen. Now go write.
My thanks to Alan for taking the time to answer my questions, and on behalf of all of us who love his books, may I wish him continued great success - his writing gives us such a lot of pleasure!
One characteristic which I look for in a novel is integrity, as in wholeness and consistency, and if it's lacking then for me that can undermine the whole book.
The Night Rainbow
Claire grew up in Yorkshire and now lives in France with her husband and daughters; The Night Rainbow is her first book.
Claire, please tell us about your writing desk or table: is it a special piece of furniture or just a convenient surface? And the room in which you work - a dedicated study, or a corner you've carved out of another room in the house?
I don't have my own writing room. I'd love to, but we haven't anywhere that I can steal for myself, so I'm a rather peripatetic writer. I have a little blue folding table that I move around the house depending on if the children are at home and where they are playing. It also depends which room is warmest (in winter) or coolest (in summer). Today I am writing under a parasol on the terrace, which is nice. As well as writing at home, I travel a lot for 'day job' work, so I write often on trains or in hotel rooms or restaurants if I'm eating alone.
Do you ever purposely go to other writing locations for inspiration or improved concentration?
I walk every day, before I write. It clears my head of the conversations I've had with my family around the breakfast table and somehow it gets my mind in the right creative mood. I consider this to be part of writing, even if I'm not actually getting any words down as I go. I went on a writing retreat weekend once. It was an absolute treat and I got a huge amount of work done. I found it incredibly productive, being removed from the place where other life happens, and inspiring to have a fresh environment to notice. The company of other writers is also a wonderful boost.
What typically sits on your desk? Piles of books for reference/a dictionary or thesaurus? Family photographs? Special objects? Can you work with 'clutter' around you or do you need clear space?
Wherever I write I need it to be clean. My house is not clean, but I insist before I sit down to write that at least the little space around me is tidy. I do have an actual desk, but it's covered with administration, paperwork, banking and tax and business stuff. I find having all that close by a huge distraction. On or by my writing table, as well as my laptop or the notebook/manuscript I'm working on, I have a reference thesaurus, a mug for tea or coffee, my headphones for music and the Owl of Writing, who gives me hard stares.
Do you always to listen to music while you're working or do you sometimes prefer silence? Do you need to be shut away with a virtual 'do not disturb' sign on the door, or can you get on happily with the usual interruptions of phone, doorbell, other people in the house, and so on?
The only doors in our house are on bedrooms, the bathroom and the pantry, so I don't actually have a door I can close. This is not a silent house, it's a house full of activity, conversation and laughter and I wouldn't change that for the world. So I listen to music to create my own story bubble. The headphones are my 'do not disturb' sign in effect, and I always announce to everyone who's home that I'm about to go 'into my garret'. Everyone is used to that now and respects it (usually), which is great because when I'm interrupted by any kind of conversation it takes me a while to get back into the writing 'zone' – pulling me out of my character's world. It does happen though. As you say there are always phone calls, urgent questions or arguments to resolve. When that happens I make that time to put on the kettle or bung in a load of laundry (prosaic I know) and stretch my eyes. Better to use the interruption as a catalyst for a break rather than get grumpy at people.
Do you write in longhand first, or make notes/plans that way, or do you work directly on the computer? If the former, do you have a favourite notebook and pen, or does any scrap of paper serve the purpose? Do you use a pinboard or whiteboard or similar, either for displaying notes and reminders, sketching out plot points and structure, showing location photographs or other visual cues to characters or interiors, etc.?
I'm not a huge planner, so what tends to come to me first are characters, ideas, situations or even just snippets of voice, and I write them down or dictate them into my phone, wherever I am. I always carry something to catch these things because they often form the essence of the story, which comes later. I don't have fetish pens or paper, there's enough going on to get in the way of writing without me complicating things further! I sometimes use post-it notes, coloured pens and huge pieces of paper, when I'm wrangling something knotty, but the vast majority of my time is spent either writing on my laptop using Scrivener (where I keep visual clues electronically), or attacking a print-off with a red pen.
What tends to distract you most when you're supposed to be writing?
I distract myself. With mind-puppies. I wrote a blog post on it here.
If you could tell us a little about what's currently 'on the desk', i.e. your work-in-progress, I'd love to know, as I for one am very much looking forward to your next book.
It's working title is Candice. It's an existential love story, primarily narrated by a man who lives on a boat. I can't really say much more because I've not handed it over to my agent yet. I'm still editing it myself (draft 8, 9, 10…not sure), but I do think it's time to get some outside editorial advice now.
Since The Night Rainbow was published, what would you say were the best, most rewarding aspects of the writer's life, and what are the downsides, if any?
By far the most rewarding aspect has been the wonderful response of readers to The Night Rainbow. It's enormously gratifying to know that I've managed to move so many people, engage them and delight them through a story. Every time I hear from someone who loved the book it makes my heart leap. I wanted this so much that I don't really have any downsides to mention. It would feel picky. What I have noticed though is that once you're being published there are a whole new raft of demands on your time – as well as making and approving edits, reviewing copy and artwork etc there are also PR articles to propose and write and sometimes events to prepare for and attend…and you are still expected to be cracking on with the next book. Meanwhile the day job and family life hasn't gone away!
Finally, by spending many hours 'at the writing desk' you have launched your career - what advice would you give to aspiring writers?
I'd say don't be an aspiring writer, be a writer. Write every day. Observe things you wouldn't otherwise have noticed and write these things down, make stories. Don't concentrate on publication, concentrate on practising and improving. Meet other writers, in real life or online. Enter competitions. And for goodness sake, read lots of books!
It's been a great pleasure to have Claire as my special guest and to have a glimpse of her writing desk en plein air! I have no compunction about linking again to my post on The Night Rainbow, and to pointing out that the book is currently a snip
Finally today, here are some other lovely authors 'at the writing desk', or in the case of the last on the list, 'at the sewing table':
Adèle Geras
Deborah Lawrenson
Jane Rusbridge
Tracy Chevalier
I am thrilled to welcome Tracy Chevalier to Cornflower, and to direct all the readers of this site over to the other blog to see Tracy's post on the hands-on research she does for her books, and specifically her experience learning patchwork and quilting as part of the background for her new novel The Last Runaway
Before you go, though, do read this piece by Tracy on the importance of editing and why - for her - less is most definitely more, (and getting back to the writing desk for a moment, if you watch the video to which I've linked at the bottom of the quilting post, you'll see that a notebook and pen are Tracy's tools of first resort).
My guest at the writing desk today is novelist Jane Rusbridge. Her most recent work, Rook
Although hard at work on her next book, Jane has kindly taken the time to give us this glimpse of her writing room at her West Sussex home.
Jane, your writing features places you know well and settings close to you, but please tell us about the location in which that raw material becomes words on a page: is your desk purpose-built or just a convenient surface, and do you have a room of your own in which to work or do you 'camp' in a corner of the house?
I write in a small room with sloping ceilings which used to be a spare bedroom. I've painted the walls a vibrant cobalt blue, a colour I have a 'thing' about. I'm convinced it affects my brain somehow. My desk is from Ikea, glass-topped with unpainted trestle legs. I like its simplicity, but what I really love about the design is being able to slide interesting bits and pieces underneath the glass surface where they can catch my eye. Lee Jeffries' amazing series of photos in the IoS for World Homeless Day has been there, under the glass and folded to show one man's face, since October 2011. He has inspired something I'm currently working on, as I thought he might. Esther Morgan's poetry collection Grace
Do you surround yourself with research and reference materials, or perhaps objects and pictures which have particular meaning for you, and can you work with 'clutter' around you or do you find you need clear space?
I work with a bit of clutter, but my clutter – often piles of books and notes which relate to what I'm doing at the time. At the moment there are some preparatory notes for a talk on my creative process which are on top of an 'ideas' writing notebook, on the left. On the right, there's a book about Anglo Saxon magic which I'm using for research, a diary and another notebook, the cheap sort with spiral binding which means I can rip out pages. I like big pages to use for messy sideways scribbles about anything at all in my life including, when necessary, the need to buy loo roll.
Although I'm not very tidy, I am particular about what stays on my desk for any length of time. In fact, I behave pretty much like a spoilt brat now I have my own writing space and am fussy about what's even in the room - never ever any washing or ironing, for example. The painting of a bull was commissioned for a WritersInc anthology cover and given to me for winning their 'Writer-of-the-Year' award with a story inspired by the minotaur's mother. The painting is a reminder of the enormous encouragement that win gave me. The framed photo near the printer is of my husband, taken before I knew him. Behind where I sit, there's a wall of floor-to-ceiling bookshelves.
Please tell us about the view you have from your desk, and any pictures or objects you like to have in your line of sight.
The room has two windows, both with views good for daydreaming - mostly beech trees on hills in the distance. As for objects, just in sight from where I sit are a few things which have significance for me: three stones from Triopetra in Southern Crete, one of my favourite places in the whole world; a scallop shell which reminds me of my mother, because she used to give them to us to play with when my sister and I were little; a chalky flint from the Sussex Downs; a linoprint by David Page on a Christmas card from a friend. I'm currently a bit obsessed with trees and forests, and I love the image of a snowy copse.
Now to working methods: when you begin a project, is it with notebook and pen or do you go straight to the computer?
I write messy and random jottings, research notes, ideas, words by hand in a variety of notebooks. Later in the drafting process when it's time to focus on plot, I use a notebook for scribbling structural plans and outlines. I always have several notebooks of different sizes on the go especially at times like this, at the beginning of a project, when I want to have one always to hand. When I start writing 'properly', by which I mean in sentences and paragraphs, it goes straight onto the computer.
Do you ever go elsewhere to write, for example, to a café or library, or do you pick up your pen when you happen to be on a train? Is a change of location helpful?
I am way too easily distracted by eavesdropping, people-watching and the contents of books to write properly in cafés and libraries; also, too self-conscious. Imagining, for me, is a private act in which I need to lose myself. Sometimes I find exercises in workshops can be challenging for this reason. On train journeys I plan to write or read, but often end up gazing out of the window and daydreaming – still 'work'. (How lovely to be able to say that!) The same happens when I'm a passenger on long car journeys - ideas pop up and I need to scrawl them down in my littlest notebook, kept in my handbag. It's exciting and urgent when that happens, because usually it's a breakthrough of some sort.
Is sound - or the lack of it - important when you're working? Can you carry on regardless despite the usual domestic interruptions?
Although I can work when other people are at home (luckily), I love the luxury of an empty house. I ignore the phone and the door bell when I'm writing and like to be removed from the hustle and bustle, shut away in silence. When working on early drafts of Rook however, I played certain pieces of cello music over and over again, with the volume up high. This drove everyone else in the house a bit mad but Nora, the main character, is a cellist and I knew next to nothing about cello music when I started writing. Listening as I wrote helped me to soak up the variety and quality of the cello's sound, to feel the vibrations of lower notes, the tension of higher ones, and to be more in touch with the effect of the cello on my frame of mind.
What tends to distract you most when you're supposed to be writing?
Talking and listening to all the lovely writers and readers on twitter is my biggest distraction. It's scarily easy to fall into the habit of flitting about there when I'm stuck instead of staying focused. Wordless occupations are much more helpful when I need to think so I'm planning some redecorating projects and a couple of months off twitter soon, to give myself more headspace.
Can you tell us something about your work-in-progress?
I'm researching at the moment and it's exhilarating. With this novel it feels important not to start writing too soon (usually, I dive straight in) so I'm gathering notes together to catch images and ideas as they push up. My mind keeps returning to some quite specific settings (a forest; a nunnery; a chalk stream) and three (I think, central) characters who are becoming clearer. Other than that, it's too soon to talk about it.
What would you say were the most rewarding aspects of the writer's life, and what are the downsides, if any?
There's a release in discovering you can escape the boundaries of your own life through imagination. That sense of freedom, combined with the pleasure I find in research, is one of the most rewarding aspects of the writer's life for me. Plus, on top of that, I love meeting readers, reviewers, other writers, and all the people in publishing who love books!
The main downside for me is anxiety and a sense of vulnerability – the fear of not being able to write another novel or, if I do, that no one will want to read it. I'm a bit of a worrier and it sometimes gets in the way.
Finally, the many hours you've put in at the writing desk have resulted in acclaimed work; what advice would you give to aspiring writers, or to those already in print and hoping to build on that beginning?
I've only written two novels, so I think of myself as an aspiring beginner. As for advice, we all know perseverance is crucial. What helps me to keep going when it gets tough is to find a way to remind myself that what is important is the joy that comes when my writing is going well. The rush of excitement, the experience Aminatta Forna describes as a 'perfect storm', when everything suddenly comes together and the heart of the story is revealed is a kind of 'magic'. There's nothing like it. Sometimes reading poetry or a brilliant novel reminds me what I love about working with language; sometimes taking the pressure off by putting aside a current project and going back to Dorothea Brande's
Many thanks to Jane for letting us into her beautifully blue writing room and for this fascinating glimpse of her desk and of her working methods. I am one of many who are greatly looking forward to reading her next novel when it is published, but if you've yet to discover her first two, I can highly recommend them.
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My previous guests at the writing desk are Adèle Geras and Deborah Lawrenson; you'll find their posts here and here.
If you don't already know Deborah's books then you have a treat in store! Her most recent novel The Lantern
Deborah, your books transport us to other times and other places - please tell us about the spot in which they are written. Is your desk a special piece of furniture or just a convenient surface? And do you have a dedicated study, or have you claimed a corner of another room in the house?
My writing desk fits almost exactly in front of an upstairs window in my study. This is definitely my best working space so far – it's my daughter's old bedroom (she moved a floor up for more space) – but I've written books in various places in the house: I wrote two early novels in a tiny box room on the top floor, freezing in winter, the archetypal garret; one in the downstairs study which has now been commandeered by my husband; and one on a console table in front of a window in the main sitting room which looked out onto the village high street and made me feel like Jane Austen, though sadly only in the sitting-writing-by-a-window sense.
What typically sits on your desk while you are working? Reference books, photographs or special bits and pieces?
As I have two laptops – one for the book, one for the internet – there's not much space for more than a few reference books and my notebook. If the thesaurus isn't on the desk it will be close by on the floor.
I can see from the picture that you have a view from your desk, so looking up and out is clearly a help rather than a distraction while you're working.
There's a view of evergreen trees and a high yew hedge. I like to see out, especially on a day of heavy rain or snow. It makes me feel cosy and purposeful, and I don't beat myself up about being too engrossed in writing to go out for a walk.
We've been talking about notebooks recently, and I wondered whether a notebook is an important adjunct to the computer for you, at any stage of working. Do you find you need to see a book's structure or 'plot' its plot with notes and diagrams set out on a pinboard, or do you display images of settings, say, to help inspire the words?
Each book begins with a new bound notebook and I make notes and plans in that. I do try to make all my notes in this notebook but inevitably there will be bits of paper to stick in. No pinboards; the visualization is almost all in my head though I often take photographs of locations to remind me of the location details.
Is all your writing done at your desk, or do you ever take yourself to cafés or libraries for a change of scene?
The only time I write away from my desk is when I'm in France. Very occasionally, I will scribble in the notebook while on a train. I found some notes I made while travelling from Avignon to Paris a few years ago. They ended up as the foundation for an episode in The Lantern I always rather liked (see below).
Bénédicte drifts though the rooms of the lower floors, into the dust of venerable scents: flecks of the lavender held in the corners of drawers; flakes of pine wood armoire; the soot of long-dead fires; and from the present: the deep mossy aroma from cloud formations of damp above the rose-tiled floor; the sharp white smells of late spring flowers outside.
These visitors are new. She is sure she has never seen them before though she closes her eyes and tries to think calmly, to count her breaths, slowing her intake of air, scouring her memory to make sure. When she opens her eyes, they are still there. The strangeness is that they stare straight into her face, just as they look around her so intently, into the corners of the rooms, up to the cracked ceilings, the fissures in the walls, yet they don't acknowledge her presence. All is silent, but for the tapping of the catalpa tree in the courtyard and the creak of a newly-opened shutter that lets in a shifting band of brightness.
I will sit a while longer, Bénédicte thinks. Watch to see what they do next.
Breathe. Breathe deeply.
Your husband Rob is a composer, so yours is a musical household, but do you like to listen to music while you work or is silence preferable? And do you do what you can to minimise external interruptions or does that not matter when you're in your stride?
It varies. I've always enjoyed writing to music but haven't been so keen lately. Throughout most of the first draft I'm working on now, it's been an unwelcome distraction but I've recently started putting some carefully selected CDs on. My current favourite is the swing band soundtrack
Are you very disciplined about work or prone to being easily distracted?
I am pretty dogged when I'm working and don't let much distract me, but what has done for the past few months (and this could have something to do with not wanting music on) is the latest production of husband's panto. The original music and words have been hard to escape…
Your fans will be keen to know how the next book is progressing as we're eagerly awaiting it - can you tell us anything about what is currently 'on the desk'?
A first draft of a new novel. It's not quite right yet and I'm at the jittery stage, close to the end, worried that it's not good enough and that I just won't be able to make it as good a read as it is in my head.
As an experienced novelist what would you say were the best, most rewarding aspects of the writer's life, and what, if any, are the downsides?
The most rewarding aspect is playing around with words all day and still being able to say I'm working. The downsides are not getting out enough while work is in progress, with the result that I become a) very dull and b) fatter than I want to be!
Finally, you've spent many hours 'at the writing desk' and as a result you have built a successful career and an ever-growing readership; what advice would you give to aspiring writers, or to those already in print and hoping to build on that beginning?
Never give up. Don't eat that cake.
Many thanks to Deborah for letting us stand at her elbow and giving us this privileged glimpse of her writing desk.
Today sees the first of what I hope will be a series of posts in which writers tell us something about where they work - the very desk at which, as Marian Keyes puts it in her inimitable style, they do their "scribin' " - and from which we'll perhaps learn a bit about their methods and works-in-progress and hear their advice for those intent on a literary career.
My first guest scarcely needs any introduction - Adèle Geras is a prolific writer of books for children and adults, a reviewer, a seasoned judge of literary prizes, a knowledgeable commenter on so many aspects of the book world! Adèle lives in Cambridge with her husband the distinguished academic Norman Geras (known to the blogging world as Norm) and has passed on the literary genes to her two daughters, novelist and poet Sophie Hannah and publisher Jenny Geras.
Tell us about your writing desk, Adèle, is it a special piece of furniture or just a convenient surface? And the room in which you work - a dedicated study, or a corner you've carved out of another room in the house?
I write at an M&S desk which has a flat surface that you can see in the photo. To the left of my knees there's a three drawer chest of drawers type thing. The room in which I work functions as our spare bedroom when we need one but it's definitely my study doubling up as a guest room and NOT the other way around. It's on the first floor of the house, and has a lovely view over the garden....which I don't see as I work with my back to it.
What typically sits on your desk? Reference books? Family photographs or special objects? Can you work with 'clutter' around you or do you need clear space?
A calendar (lovely Gwen Raverat etchings, a Christmas present from Linda Newbery), a beautiful ceramic pot by Rhian Winslade, two most beautiful notebooks, upright and not for writing in. Both have marbled covers....the green one is visible and next to that is a pink one, which is even more gorgeous. A turquoise scarab I bought from the Fitzwilliam. A mug which was a present from the Oxford Festival in 2004 with lots of pencils and a scissors in it. A silver lamp. A notebook. My mousemat which has a picture of my youngest grandchild on it. A green velvet cat, which was a present from Jacqueline Wilson ages ago and on which I rest my wrist if it gets tired while moving the mouse around. Then comes my laptop and beside that, my Redstone Diary. I've had one of these every year for decades except for the year when Persephone brought out their diary. Couldn't resist that. Also in the picture is a bit of work, sitting to the top and the left of my computer. I often have a piece of something or other there, which either needs attending to or integrating into what I'm doing. I can't really work with clutter around me. If I need reference books, I will put them on the bed, which is behind me and consult them when I need them. My deskchair is a twirly, office type thing and I've covered the seat with the back of a striped jumper that I never finished. I felt dead creative tacking this old piece of knitwear to the chair and giving it another life.
You mentioned that you're facing away from the view when you're at your desk, so do you prefer a blank wall, or does a lovely object or painting help focus the mind?
I have a blank wall facing me but if I raise my eyes even a bit, there's a whole wall of books by me: what I call my Self Shelf. This gives me confidence. I've done it before and I can presumably do it again.
Do you write in longhand first, or make notes and plans that way, or do you work directly on the computer? Favourite notebooks and pens, or does any scrap of paper serve the purpose? How about aids such as a pinboard or whiteboard for sketching plot points and structure, jotting notes and reminders or displaying visual cues to locations, characters or interiors?
What you describe is what I long for, think I will do and yet never quite achieve. You want to talk to Celia Rees for marvellous notebooks about forthcoming books. I work directly on to the machine. I make notes in notebooks...usually one per book and these are always beautiful. I used to write whole books in longhand and then type them out and in those days, I needed all the stationery I bought. These days the drawers in my three drawer chest under the desk is full to bursting with glorious notebooks because I still can't resist them when I see them. I also buy lots of pens....madness, but there you are. It's an addiction. I particularly like pens which write with brown or violet or green or some exotic ink. My sepia pen is the favourite...I love it. From Paperchase.
Do you ever write away from your desk, for example, in cafés or libraries, and if so, is that because you happen to be in those places and need to get on with some work, or do you purposely go to other writing locations for inspiration or improved concentration?
I was writing in cafés before JKR was out of school. That's where I wrote the majority of my first few books. When my children were small, I'd go to a café while they were in playgroup and spend the 3 hours scribbling away. The café was called Silvio's in Didsbury, Manchester. LONG GONE! Now I only ever write at my desk, or perhaps in the kitchen on my laptop if that happens to be where I need to be for some reason. Like: to be near a cake in the oven. I NEVER write in hotels, or trains or cafés now. I regard all three of them as places of unalloyed leisure and pleasure. I was very shocked when Paula Danziger, (with whom I was doing a gig in Glasgow ages ago) invited me into her room.There I discovered she'd brought a whole set of page proofs to correct. This was in pre-internet days, of course but I like reading on trips and not writing or doing anything resembling work.
Tell us about sound while you're working: do you like to listen to music or prefer silence, and do you need to be shut away with a virtual 'do not disturb' sign on the door, or can you get on happily with the usual interruptions of phone, doorbell, other people in the house?
I'm fine with ambient noise. Can work through music, and have even been known to work with talk radio going on. If I'm writing, nothing much disturbs me. And my husband is only one floor up and we chat etc. from time to time. I think this ability comes from my 8 years in boarding school. You had to be able to work in pretty much any conditions sometimes. Mind you, I am very distractable. I am happy to stop whatever I'm doing and talk on the phone, for example. I don't think the words DO NOT DISTURB have ever passed my lips. When the girls were very small I used to write at night. When they went to school, I'd write while they were in school and for the last nearly 20 years the house has been pretty quiet. I don't mind hearing music coming from other parts of the house.
What tends to distract you most when you're supposed to be writing?
The internet!! Emails and tweets take up far too much of my time. If I'm in the middle of a novel, I'll be good and not go there but it's often a distraction that can suck you in and not let you escape.
What is currently 'on the desk', i.e. your work-in-progress?
I have just cleared the desk of my forthcoming novel for adults, called COVER YOUR EYES. This will be published by Quercus in Sprin g 2014. It has taken me about 5 years to finish it to my satisfaction, though I have written shorter children's books during that time. I'm now in the very pleasant and enjoyable stage of my next novel: researching and gathering my thoughts. It's much more of an historical novel (for adults, and also for Quercus) but I don't want to say more about it than that at this stage. I put my researches into a plastic file or into Dropbox and there's a pretty exercise book with green and black roses all over it in which I write various stray thoughts. I will start the novel soon....but I have two commissioned short stories for children to complete first.
As a highly experienced novelist, what would you say were the best, most rewarding aspects of the writer's life, and what are the downsides, if any?
The best thing about being a writer is being able to please yourself: be your own boss. Do your own thing. It might not always be working, or your thing might fall out of favour but you do not have to punch a clock, travel to an office and by and large you can do whatever you like every day. That's a gift beyond price. Also good are the people. Writers, the ones I've met at least, are mostly lovely and the internet means we are forever chatting online and we meet in groups here and there and the whole scene has been massively improved by the Book Blogs who have added nothing but pleasure to the business of bringing out books. Editors and publishers are mostly very nice too, so it's a pleasant life. I love the books people send me; I love meeting other writers and especially, I enjoy being on Judging Panels. The two occasions when I've judged the Costa (once when it was the Whitbread) were among the most enjoyable experiences of my life. It's my ambition to be an Orange judge..only it's not called Orange now, of course.
The downside is: you have to realize you may not make a living! Publishers are cutting their lists, everyone wants different things they think might hit the jackpot, and I'm afraid that the literary standalone children's novel is an endangered species, especially with the libraries being cut as they are. Money is tight, no one quite knows what ebooks will mean and so it's a tough climate out there just at this moment. It's hard to get published but possibly even harder to STAY published. Midlist writers are being severely hit, with many splendid people escaping to the small presses. I am not quite sure why publishing houses haven't realized this one blindingly obvious fact: most books make very little money and sell very few copies. That ought to be emblazoned in letters of fire above every single publisher's desk.
Finally, by spending many hours 'at the writing desk' over the years you have built a highly successful career - what advice would you give to aspiring writers, or to those already in print and hoping to build on that beginning?
What can you say? Hang on in there and don't lose heart. That's the only advice, really. You can't stop trying. I think that more and more writers are going to have to have a day job but there's nothing so bad about that. Think of TS Eliot. Also, it goes without saying that if you marry someone who has a good job, you start with an enormous advantage. It was YEARS AND YEARS into my career before I earned enough even to be taxed, so I have my husband to thank for the luxury of never having had to go out to work.
My thanks to Adèle for allowing us this lovely look over her shoulder at her writing desk.
See Jane Work Kate Writing Desk
Source: https://www.cornflowerbooks.co.uk/at-the-writing-desk/
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