I realized last Friday as the moving truck was pulling up (did you see the size of that thing? Safe to say the neighbors all know we’re here!) that this is my 13th move. And moving-in day was Friday the 13th. So I figure this is either going to be the luckiest place I’ve ever lived, or the unluckiest.
We are about 80% unpacked, which is pretty damned good considering we moved 14,000 pounds of stuff from Seattle to Toronto. And the truck only arrived four days ago! While there’s no real rush to unpack, here’s the thing: I dislike being disorganized. I dislike clutter. I dislike cardboard boxes. I dislike dust and dirt. I’m really picky when it comes to my living space, especially since I work from home. Ever watch Friends? I’m a total Monica.
Today’s big project was getting my office set up. Since this was a corporate move, we had professional packers come to our house in Seattle to box everything up. Which was great, except that somehow my books, which were alphabetized in Seattle, arrived in Toronto completely out of order. Yes, I realize there are worse things, but since I was so organized at our old house, I assumed unpacking my office would be quick and easy. Yeah, no. This one room took ALL DAY.
Here’s a before picture, right after we got my shelves put back together:
And here’s my office now:
I’m very happy with how it turned out. I feel like this space has really good energy, and I hope this means I’ll write another book here. Or two. Or three.
Tonight, someone on Twitter asked me if I had separate tables for writing and editing. I do. I write all my early drafts at the computer, but I do all my hard copy editing at that blue glass table. I love that table, and I’ll be sitting there again when I work on FREAK edits over the next few weeks.
I know not every writer is fortunate enough to have a dedicated space for writing. I’m very lucky to have an office I don’t have to share. I wrote my first novel (now trunked) on an uncomfortable sofa in a cramped living room, and I know I could never take having a personal writing space for granted. Ever.
Where do you write?
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Holy crap. You're so organized! And so…grown-up! I, er, well, I have a couch.
I think your office turned out spectacular! You know I'm an interior designer. I design model homes. And that space looks like its been professionally staged! It's beautiful! And the fact that it's also functional & precisely how you want & like it makes perfect! I'm jealous that you have so much room! And so many shelves! It's really gorgeous. Well done! Hey, if that whole writing thing doesn't work out for ya, you could always partner up with me. We'd make a great team! Thompson & Hillier, because, you know, age before beauty and all that! Hahaha!
I am completely in love with your writing space! My desk is super boring, that's where I write. And my bookshelf is tiny, I'm so jealous you have one almost the size of the walls! That's an impressive amount of unpacking to be done already, only 20 to go!
And in the second to last picture, it totally looks like the bookshelf has "ASSMAN" on the third shelf from the top..not sure if this is intentional or if part of that word got cut off haha.
I would love to have bookshelves like that! Right now I have 2 small bookcases and about 6 boxes of (yet to be read) books in the garage. I'd also love to have a dedicated space for scrapbooking…I'd actually do it. ; )
Nice set up. I've got a laptop and anywhere I can sit down.
mood
Moody Writing
@mooderino
The Funnily Enough
Your office looks beautiful and so organized! I can't believe how much you've accomplished in such a short time. Enjoy your inspirational surroundings! Julie
…I always treasure an opportunity at getting a sneak peak of a fellow writer's "think tank," their one quiet spot where the magic happens.
Congrats on the move, Jennifer 😉
El
Wow…now THIS looks like Jennifer Hiller's creative space! I'm envious! Beautiful!
Gorgeous writing space, Jennifer. 🙂 Don't laugh…but, I write in my bathroom/office. Yes, my desk, computer, and creative space is in a corner of my bathroom. I must say it is an improvement from my first writing space: walk-in closet. Hey, at least I don't have the excuse to skip that shower. LOL
That's a beautiful office. I'm thrilled you feel positive energy in there, that is so important for productive creativity.
My office (ha) is a cluttered desk in the living/dining room combo in my bank's condo. Yes, FatMyca really does follow me wherever I go and makes room by pushing my mousepad away.
Assman?
You have my permission to come redesign my office, although you will have to get creative with all of the movie and fantasy items.
Gorgeous office Jenny! So happy to have you back home and can't wait to spend some time with you both. Welcome back home. Considering it is only Wednesday after your move, I am completely blown away by how much you have accomplished in your space and how organized you are! Much love, Deyana
Completely jealous. I can't believe you have a separate table for editing. I'm going to have to try that.
*LOVE* I foresee many a best seller being written there.
OMG you totally have my fantasy office. Minus the big leather chair in the corner. Beautiful.
I do have pics of my "office" and it is rather "cozy" (ie small cramped jammed) but I have big windows to look out (keep me amused) when I hit a block. Someday if I can figure out how to get them off my camera I'll show them.
That's a really nice writing space – looks really comfy and professional at the same time. I do a lot of my writing at my kitchen desk. Amazing how well that works out :o)
OMG, I'm totally jealous of your office. (Well, mostly jealous of the shelves and the blue table. I'm drooling over those.) It's gorgeous.
I feel for you and the whole having to reorganize your books after a move. Every time we move, it's the same thing. And I'm the one who packs the books in the first place. LOL
*snickering at the ASSMAN license plate*
You have the coolest writing space. It's so beautiful and organized. I do most of my writing during my day job (in the library). I do have a small corner desk in my bedroom where I sometimes write, but it'd be awesome to have an office like this one day.
Beautiful! You're a lucky writer!
I've got a dedicated writing office. Sometimes I write at my desk, sometimes on the couch. Other times I end up at the kitchen table.
Oh and I try to check email, etc while standing, so I do that at the counter that separates my dining room and kitchen.
Yeah, I was about to say it says "ASSMAN" on the third photo!
Very nice writing shack, Jen. I'll take photos of mine when I'm done with the move. Right now I'm like Moody. A laptop and a place to sit.
What a fabulous office! I am blown away! Congrats on the new place and wow you guys unpack fast! I still have boxes in my garage from moving over a year ago. Ha! I have total bookshelf envy.
Usually I write at my work desk. But one day I'll clean out and be able to afford to design my current office to be amazing.
You are very lucky! It's beautiful and I agree it has a great energy. Hmmm . . . I predict many successful best-sellers will be written there. I love it. I hope someday to have one of these spaces. Right now our house is too small for one and our child too young for me to spend any significant time in a space like that even if we had one. I write usually standing in line at the post office or sitting in my car waiting for stuff. Glad to see you're settling in finally!
I don't write in a fab room like this! LOVE!
P.S. I heart Friends. And I live with a male version of Monica!
OMG! OMG! OMG! Are you sure you're not a decorator at heart? LOve what you did.
I need to steal that office. Seriously. Especially your editing table! What a beautiful space!
Thanks guys! It's nice to be sitting here as I type this.
Yes, that license plate on my shelf does indeed say ASSMAN. It's signed by Kenny Kramer, the guy that the Seinfeld character was based on. Won it in a blog contest last year from his daughter. 🙂
Add me to the "jealous" list. Of course, even if I had an office like that it would be a mess in two weeks. I do daily battle with stacks of paper, but in the end it always defeats me.
Wow, am I impressed with the Kramer memorabilia. And BTW, you sure chose a great moment to be NOT in Seattle!
Great space! I am envious.
So nice – and lots of places for the kitty to hide (I saw him/her in that first photo…)
Good God, woman, you have one sexy office. Also, the room taking one day ain't not bad. My mum's house, bless her, looks like a student house; everything's all mismatched and handed-down, and it's the house I grew up in so she's had a little bit longer than you to plan. So yeah, I think you did pretty well!
I'm in love with your office! (Which means I kind of hate you a little right now… *grins*) Best wishes for the new space! 🙂
I am in love with your office. In love!
Good wishes on much happy writing!
Color me green — with envy. So freakin' cool!
So glad you're getting settled in. Right now, I'm writing at the kitchen table. Not ideal, but it gets the job done. Your office is gorgeous! 😀
Glad you moved in OK, and that is one fabulous office space.
I'm lucky enough to have a room more-or-less to myself, but it's not always conducive to writing so I often pick up the laptop and decamp to the kitchen table.
You are so organized getting all those books out. We moved into our current house seven years ago and most of my books are still in boxes. For some reason, they are always the last things to get unpacked, mainly because we have a serious lack of bookshelves. Exactly the same thing happened at our previous house.
Organized, yes. Grown up? I don't know about that! 😉
What a huge compliment! I was wondering what you'd think… so glad you like it! And Thompson & Hillier has a lovely ring to it. "Age before beauty" – don't make me drive back to Seattle to smack you, woman.
Oh wow, what a fantastic writing space! I've put my books in a special order too, much to the amusement of my husband, lol.
I have my own office for writing, but I generally sit on the couch and write.
Thank you so much! And no, your eyes do not deceive you. It totally says ASSMAN. 😀
Thanks! I have this thing about needing to see all my books, all at once. Makes me happy.
That works too, Moody!
Thanks, Julie. It's organized now… it will be less organized as time goes on. 🙂
Thanks, El! I hope there'll be as much magic in this space as there was in my last…
Thank you, my dear Candace! <3
Bathroom? That's actually kind of awesome. I pee a lot, so I can totally appreciate that, haha.
My friend Melanie gave me that ASSMAN license plate, so don't judge me! (Though a good ass is important, I say.)
I already adore FatMyca. Is his name really FatMyca, or was it just Myca and then he got Fat?
I can get creative with those movie/fantasy items. It would be a challenge! 🙂
Thanks, D! We must get together soon. Hugs.
Thanks! It seems weird, but I like having a different space for editing. I actually see the words differently sitting somewhere else.
Aw, thanks Alex! I hope so… gotta keep up with you! 🙂
I'd love to see pics of your space! I think it's always interesting to see where other writers work.
Kitchen desk works well too, D.U.! Hey, you watching the Australian Open?
Thanks! I was wishing for some kind of Harry Potter spell to sort all my books back into alpha order when I saw what a mess they were, haha! I really hope not to move for awhile, because it's such a pain in the ass.
I like big butts and I cannot lie…
Thanks, Cherie. Wasn't always like this, and I know how lucky I am to have my own space now for all my books and other crap!
Thanks! It's interesting how you move around. I'm really particular about writing in one spot. Even when that spot was the couch, it was always the SAME spot on the couch.
Can't wait to see your space, Ben! What I'm most happy about is this office has a door I can close. That way I don't have to hear ESPN (or I guess it's TSN now) when I'm trying to write.
Thanks, Colene! Haha, it's amazing how fast I work when I put my mind to it. If only could have this kind of focus with everything else in my life…
I think it's amazing you can write standing in line or in the car! I get distracted so easily, it's scary, really.
Little by little, I'm beginning to feel at home here. 🙂
Thanks, Jessica!
So does that mean you're Chandler? 😉
Definitely not a decorator, but I do know what I like and I always go with what *feels* right. Thanks, Em.
Thanks Meredith! The office is definitely my favorite part of having moved.
My Seattle friends all tell me how hard they're getting hit with the snow. Makes me wish I'd stuck around a little longer to see it. Seattle + snow = odd to me!
Thanks Adam!
That was little miss Sasha. :)She's already smelled every inch of everything and given it her approval.
Sexy office? Then I've succeeded!
Everybody lives differently. Nothing wrong with mismatched! The rest of my house is actually very eclectic.
Ah, you know you've succeeded when your friends start to hate you… *grins* Thanks, Carrie! 🙂
Thanks, Karen! I'm hoping good stuff happens in here…
No need to be green, Mr. Published Everywhere! 😀 But thank you!
Hey man, kitchen table means you're close to the food! I have to go upstairs to eat! You'd think my butt would get tighter, but I guarantee you it won't. 🙂
Thanks, Ian! Without bookshelves, my books would be in boxes, too. Or scattered everywhere, like they used to be. I'm a bit OCD when it comes to organizing them – not always a good thing.
Hey now, we have to keep our books organized, or else how would we find them again? 🙂
That is awesome. I could weep for a space like that right now.ha
My writing space is my kitchen table. Or my desk at the dayjob. My home office was sacrificed for the kids. Don't I sound like a total martyr? I actually think I'm writing better but I'm not admitting that to the family. I'm still working the poor-me angle.
So glad to see you getting settled! It really is a beautiful office.
LOVE your new office! Totally jealous! I write mostly in my bedroom at my computer desk. Sometimes, I like to go outside and write, so I carry my laptop with me everywhere I go.
OMG SO jealous of your writing office! It looks amazing. My husband and I are saving up to buy a house and one of the top house musts is space for an office. I love the fact that you have two tables and all those shelves!
Also, I'm a Monica too. I hate clutter and am obsessive about organization. 😉
Work that poor-me angle until you bust, I say. And I'm very impressed you're able to write from anywhere! How I wish I could do that. It's like the minute I leave my desk, my mojo shrivels up and dies.
Thanks, Yvonne! Sounds like you have a dedicated writing space too. I'm looking forward to summer when I work outside. 🙂
Yay for a fellow Monica! I don't meet too many of those. Most women I know are Rachels… and nobody ever admits to being a Phoebe. 😀
All that saving will be worth it – I just know you're going to have a beautiful house very soon!
The office looks like a great place to sit down and write. Good luck!
Thanks, Vinnie!
Myca got fat, although FatMyca has a nice ring to it.
The office looks so amazing! there is a great vibe there. Very clean, organized, pretty and good for writing!
I write everywhere. Cafes, in my home in at least four different rooms. I'm flexible.
It's actually really cute! Just please don't ever call me FatJenny (not so cute).
Thanks! Cafes are great too. Any place with easy access to food I don't have to prepare is good, actually. 🙂
Ha, Monica! I remember her talking about eating cookies over the sink so "crumbsies" don't get everywhere… Love Friends!
And I love your office so much! It's so modern and fab and you have so many pretty books. I totally CRAVE an office, so I can decorate it just how I want and have my very own space…
P.S. – Today was a better day. And tomorrow will be even better 🙂 Thanks again for your nice tweet.
I'm pretty sure the two 13's cancel each other out. 🙂 Great office! I finally got mine painted the way I want it, but I'm waiting on new carpet before I am brave enough to post good pics. (currently sporting that key lime green swag that was so trendy in the seventies) lol, we bought a fixer upper. 🙂
by the way… love your bookshelves!
Glad to hear that, Alexia. *hugs*
Oh good, I was hoping it worked that way! Nothing bad happened, so who knows, maybe 13 is a lucky number for me?
Can't wait to see pictures of your office when it's finished!
Wow, what a space! I wish you many productive writing days there.
I write anywhere, often on the love seat with wooden arm rests in my living room, but sometimes at my diningroom table. No office space here!
I have to get a new writing space. I LOVE yours. I want it. I'm coveting it. Especially that blue table. Okay, and the bookcases. You've inspired me. But seeing as I still haven't picked out living room furniture yet (how many months have I been saying that I will do this?!?!), I don't think I'll be copying that room anytime soon. If I can just choose new living room furniture, I'd have a new place to write! I wish I was one of those people who could hunker down in a Starbucks and be productive but there are way too many people here who want to be heard during cell phone conversations. And what if I don't listen and miss some juicy celebrity gossip? j/k. Sort of.
Wow that looks like a beautiful writing space. I hope it helps you get all of your edits done quickly as I am eagerly anticipating Freak! I usually write in my living room aka the Mom cave but after finishing reading Stephen King's On Writing I moved my space to my daughter's room…..she is away at college. Mr King says you need a door to your writing space and since I worship him I followed his advice. Happy Writing!
I love your new office!!! I wish I had one like that! 😀