What a treat to be invited to
share with you! I hope you enjoy this peek into my workspace.
Over the years, I’ve gone from commandeering small corners of
the house to now having my own office with every organizational perk I’ve ever
wanted. Like the journey to being published, my dream office took years to
build.
My first investment
was this large bulletin board, which I use as a storyboard. I divided it into
four rows of five chapters each to see at a glance where my major plot twists
should happen. When ideas come to me, I write them on post-it notes and then
pin them in the general area where I think they might fit.
Along the side of the board are charts outlining the typical
plot points I’ll want to touch on in the hero and heroine’s journeys.
The cupboard is great for laying out materials I’ve gathered
in research, not to mention all that filing space. I love filing space, which
brings me to my next acquisition…
I looooove this
organizer. It’s actually a little empty since I cleared away the notes and
drafts from my two now-published books. I keep workshop notes from online
classes in the binders. For another series I’m working on, I use a portfolio
with clear plastic sleeves to store the character, setting and plot details
I’ll need to remember from book to book.
I use that spool of paper on the bottom right shelf when
brainstorming. I write out ideas and connect them like a giant mind map
diagram.
Of course, my desk is the heart of my writing center. My
husband gave me the iMac for our anniversary last year. Isn’t he a sweetheart?
It’s made a world of difference to my productivity--much less fatiguing than
working on the old PC laptop and 100x faster. I use MS Office for Mac, and save
my documents to Dropbox. That way, when I want to sit somewhere else to write
or edit, the documents sync to my netbook.
Yes, I know. I am
totally spoiled. Of course, when the days get colder, I’ll often curl up in the
recliner near the woodstove with my notepad and pen, instead. Words seem to
flow more effortlessly when writing in longhand.
In the interest of
full disclosure: I cleaned up my office before taking these photos.
As much as, I like a tidy desk space, it rarely is. I
usually have scene notes and post-it notes on every available surface…except
the window. Have to be able to enjoy the view!
I hope you’ve enjoyed this cyber walk through my office.
Have I inspired any changes to your own workspace?
Sandra Orchard hails from rural
Ontario, Canada where inspiration abounds for her romantic suspense novels set
in the fictional Niagara town she's created as their backdrop. Critical
Condition (October 2012) is the third book in her Harlequin Love Inspired
Suspense series, Undercover Cops: Fighting for justice puts their lives—and
hearts—on the line.
Sandra enjoys offering her readers book “extras” to enhance
their reading experience. You can check these out, along with other resources
for readers and writers, at her website: http://www.SandraOrchard.com
or connect at: http://www.Facebook.com/SandraOrchard
