Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Writing Wednesday

The garden, the blackberries and the grapes are starting to wind down, so today I did some much needed cleaning up and organizing in my writing room.

Did I say writing room? I don't really have a writing room. I wish I did.
Years ago, we converted our one car garage into a family room. That is where I write.

My housework has really taken a back seat during these busy summer months - a very back seat.

Piles of books were in the floor (even after getting rid of lots of them at my yard sale).

Piles of papers were everywhere - handouts from the Writer's conference we had in June,  edited manuscripts with scribblings all over them, copies of the Children's Writer Newsletters and the Children's Book Insider Newsletters were found hiding here and there and printed submission guidelines were scattered about.

Piles of stuff filled the rocking chair seat.

After working all day. . .
The rocking chair is empty, books are removed from the floor in front of the Lazy Boy and I can put my feet up without knocking over a pile of books. The computer desk where my husband sits has been cleared of piles of papers.

I have filled folders and small ring binders titled Submissions, Works in Progress, Family History Story, Children's Writing Newsletters, Published Stories and Articles and Critiques. I already had these files and binders, I had just not kept up with putting the papers in them and I had forgot about having the folders.

I found stories and poems I was working on in my Works in Progress folder that I had forgotten I had written. Now I know exactly where they are and I can finish them.

It is a relief to have this done. The floor is vacuumed and we can walk without tripping over things and - I know where everything is.

But life goes on and tomorrow it is back to painting our storage building/workshop.

I offer a few words of advice.  Don't let your office get this messy!

Happy Writing!

 

12 comments:

  1. I admire your stamina! I have to face my craft room with the same determination. I also have to sort my writer's corner out, it is a mess.

    I have someone coming to housesit when my daughter gives birth and I fly to the UK. I really must get it sorted asap. *blush*

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  2. It feels so good to have things organized. My area never stays this way for more than a week and then the piles start all over again.

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  3. I love finding things that I have written and forgotten. Sometimes, the time lapse gives me a whole new prospective, and this turns out to be a good thing! At least, that's what I tell myself.:)

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  4. Good for you! Wanna come clean my space?

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  5. I won't. LOL Although I do have some laundry that needs folding on the couch. *cringe*

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  6. When I write, using the computer, I have to use my husband's office room. Now I accuse him of being a hoarder :) because he can have more papers and junk mail all over the place! I try to keep my sewing room cleaned up; it bothers me to have it cluttered too badly.

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  7. Hi Janet, what good advice! I have a closet in my little studio room and I have let it get really out of hand, I can't find anything I'm looking for. I am thinking about hiring a young friend I know to come in and help me reorganize things. (I can't lift or bend very much because of my back injury). If I had taken care of it a little at a time I wouldn't need so much help now. It is also weighing on my mind because we will have painters coming in the beginning of October. It is going to be a lot of work but I'm looking forward to it and have paint chips strewn all over the house. I think I'm going to have my studio room done in a mint green with bright white trim. We haven't done any painting in about ten years, it will be nice to freshen things up. I hope you are having a lovely and restful evening after all your hard work! Delisa :)

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  8. I LOVE getting organized. It's such a great feeling to know that everything is back in its spot, right where it belongs. Enjoy the high while it lasts, lol.

    Becca @ The Bookshelf Muse

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  9. Good for you. I love it when everything's in its place.

    I must start on my writing room...

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  10. Janet,
    I'm glad you got your office cleaned up. I know how it is. I need to get busy and do a lot of cleaning in my house, especially my files where I keep my writing. It's hard to get everything organized. I sure wish I had as much determination as you.

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  11. Yay you! My office was that messy and more! When I had foot surgery my computer moved upstairs to a card table in the living room along with some necessary 'stuff'...finally this weekend my husband and I (we share our home office) went down and got older son's stuff into storage room (he's on study abroad in Korea!) and some other junk that had 'migrated' in out...still lots to do to 'recclaim' and my husband has LOTS of papers to go thru but feels good to have made this step on 'Labor' Day weekend! And I too have all the conference handouts, still in the bag! Will go thru maybe this week..I came right home from conference into surgery! And somehow my bookshelves are overflowing again so time to weed thru! Congrats on your cleanup!!

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  12. I always feel so much more in control when I finally face my office and give it a good cleaning!

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