Ten Must Haves for A Writer’s Desk

Before you even begin to create a “setting” in your own novel, you need to create your own “setting” to write. Carving out a bit of space within your home to fulfill your dream is a must. It does not require much; enough space for a desk and that can be in the corner of any room: kitchen, bedroom, garage or basement. Once you have that area allocated, these are ten must haves for any writer’s desk, no matter where that desk is:

• A Comfortable Chair – Before you even begin to write, your body; especially your bottom and your back must be comfortable or you will not be able to sit for long periods of time. It does not have to be an expensive chair. I happen to love an old chair here at our farmhouse and I searched online for about a year and managed to find two of the same kind and now I have a spare to boot!
• Small Notebook and Pen – So you can make notes for yourself regarding your work-in-progress (WIP) as you go along. This is a must have. Ideas can come up as you are writing your WIP and you may not be able to incorporate them at the time, so write it down to do later. An idea book is also handy to have on you at all times because you never know when the muse is going to strike regarding a plot development or an idea for your next novel.
• Thesaurus – I am aware that most programs have a built in spellchecker, thesaurus, etc, but nothing beats having it on your desk, right at your fingertips.
• Dictionary – Ditto the above and some times spell checkers are uncooperative.
•Printer – I find it easier to mark up a hard copy of my WIP than to be constantly scrolling up and down on the computer.
• Red Pen – Be merciless with your edits: pare down your sentences, look for repetitions in the same paragraph, watch those adverbs, etc.
• A Writing Buddy– You need someone that is just an email away for honest critique. More often than not they point out the obvious: from misspellings and omitted words to an inconsistent character voice and erratic verb tense.
• Something Inspirational – As much as I would love to have an office with a sea view, I do not. But I do surround myself with things that inspire me: favorite quotes, pictures and personal items that mean something to me.
• Beverages – Because you might be sitting for a long time and will be in need of some refreshment. Of course, water is best.
• Bum Glue – If your butt is not in the chair the writing will not get done. Use bum glue if all else fails. Buy an industrial size drum if need be.

Each writer will develop their own desk necessities as time goes by. Please feel free to share some of yours in the comments.

*Photo is of the ‘hut’ where Roald Dahl spent thirty years writing his wonderful books.