Writing Space

I've seen posts on others' blogs about writing spaces.

Do you have your own writing space set aside? A desk, a table, a chair with a laptop and a cold drink?

I have a desk where I do some of my writing (including this post), but not all of it. The desk has my computer with a nice 23" widescreen monitor, an ergonomic keyboard, mouse, printer, cable modem, router, and an ever-present bottle of water. But I can write pretty much anywhere. My writing group meets every Tuesday in a Barnes and Noble cafe. I write on their tables. I write with my laptop in bed. If a burst of inspiration strikes me at work, I'll write on the PC there, or jot something down longhand.

The good thing about writing is that you don't need a dedicated place to do it. It's nice to have a sanctum sanctorum where you can shut out distractions and get down to business, but it's not necessary. Laptops are cheap, and netbooks are cheaper. It's a wireless world; we can do our research online virtually anywhere. We can write in cafes, on planes, on trains, in bed, etc.

The key is to write. Where you do it is just secondary.

Have a happy and safe Memorial Day, and remember to thank a soldier.

April Anthology - The Cruelest Month

My writing group put together a short story anthology. We had a goal of releasing it in April (almost got there!) and chose a theme of "the cruelest month," based on the line from Eliot's "The Waste Land." There are five short stories in all, including my mystery story "Clerical Error." It features the PI protagonist I hope to get published in novel form.

Each of us who decided to self-publish this anthology chose a different charity to receive the proceeds. My charity is the Wounded Warrior Project, which you can read more about on their website.

Here's a link to buy the anthology (from any of us who have it listed, not just me), as well as some more details about it. Pick up a copy (it's only $2.99) for some light reading and benefit a deserving charity at the same time!