#WriteTip: Make Your Own Space

Kristina Knight's summer workspace: swim practice!

Follow a few authors on Instagram or Pinterest, and you'll find all kinds of writing and reading space boards. There are the pictures of amazing European and Asian libraries, DIY hacks to create the perfect office in everything from spare bedrooms to a small corner of the living room. Some authors have office spaces in renovated garages or backyard sheds. I saw one DIY project that involved a gazebo and butterfly bushes and lightning bugs...I'm still not sure how they trained the lightning bugs to stay in that particular area.

I don't write in any of those places, although I do have an office (in a spare bedroom of our house) with an actual door that actually closes (not that anyone bothers to stop at the closed door). But nine times out of ten, I don't write in there. This summer, most of my writing has been done at our YMCA pool because bebe made the swim team. That's my Apple Keyboard right up there, with a view to her favorite lane. I've written at our library, our Starbucks, on our back deck and in our living room, too, depending on my mood.

Because I write in so many different places, I thought it would be fun to ask some other writers where they get down to the business of writing books. Here's what they had to say:

Historical romance author Sharon Cullen said, "I don’t have an office and to be honest, while I’d love one, I don’t think I’d use it. I write in my recliner. LOL. I’ve trained myself to block out the TV and anything else going on. Up until last week (when we painted the room) I had research books piled up next to my chair and had created a mini-office. Now I’m trying to be a little more organized. I do plan on creating my own office once one of the kids moves out and I can snag their room. But I think I’ll always prefer my recliner."

Constance Phillips' - ready for writing!

"I have a spare bedroom in my home that is a designated office space. It's decorated with a lot of my favorite things, and I have a large monitor on my desk that I can plug my laptop into.  I think it works best because it's comfortable, quiet (if I want it to be) and my space," said Constance Phillips, contemporary and paranormal romance author.

Contemporary romance author Nicole Flockton writes in a variety of places, "I don't have a designated office. I have a desk set up in the corner of the living room and I usually write there," said Nicole. "I wear headphones and listen to a writing playlist that I've added to over the last couple years. Being summer I've also taken to writing at the roller rink when I take the kids to give them something to do."

"I prefer to write in my office, with the door closed, and with music playing softly in the background. For some reason, it acts like a time warp, and I get lost in the writing and get much more done," said Elley Arden, contemporary romance author.

Jill Kemerer's office - aren't those folders awesome?

Inspirational romance author Jill Kemerer goes the office route, too, and don't you love those folders!
I need some like that! "I write in a spare bedroom with oodles of fun office supplies in the closet. I have a large desk to spread out my planner, essential files and notes, and the door is usually open, unless l'm frazzled," said Jill.

"I have a home office but I never use it because it only  has 1 little window. I like to write anywhere that is bright and quiet. Generally that means I end up in my living room because it's full of windows, gets an amazing breeze in the summer, and a glorious nature view wherever I look. Sometimes I write on my front porch for the same reasons, and if I just need a change of pace I write in the dining area, but that is rare," said contemporary romance author Christine Warner.

Your turn readers (and authors), where is your favorite place to get lost in a book?

Kristina Knight's second book in her Billionaire Cowboys trilogy, What the Heiress Wants, is available now; book three will release in September. 

The Billionaire Cowboys trilogy by best-selling author Kristina Knight continues with What the Heiress Wants.

Denver publishing heiress Miranda Clayton craves more from life than society parties and shopping sprees, but her tycoon father refuses to take her seriously. Her solution? Beat him at his own game by going to work for his top competitor, Connor Reeves, in Las Vegas.


Connor isn't fooled by Miranda's new plan for a second. He knows exactly who she is; what he doesn't know is why she's pulling him into her games. After their first meeting, Connor knows what he wants - Miranda in his bed! But the more he's around his new vice president, the more he wants something deeper than a short-term fling. The question is does the lady want Connor - or his business?

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You can find out more the book and Kristina on her website, and feel free to stalk follow her on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.