Today I thought I'd give you a virtual tour of The Writing Cave. Anyone who's watched my YouTube videos will have caught the odd glimpse of the place where I work, but I've never shown it in much detail, because I was hoping that one day I might get to be one of those posh writers who get interviewed in their study by a newspaper and have pictures taken under a title like WRITER'S HIDEAWAY REVEALED. This happened to Kevin Crossley-Holland. This is his study:
Droolworthy, right?
But the other day it occurred to me that there's actually not room in my Writing Cave for a journalist and a photographer. There's barely room for me. If I turn my chair around too quickly the arms whack into the desk, or sweep books and papers onto the floor. And anyway, if I ever become important enough that a newspaper wants to interview me, I'll probably have already moved into my sustainably sourced timber-framed eco house, so I'll have a completely different writer's cave. And thus I present to you:
Here's one of my incredibly untidy bookcases. The untidiness is not really my fault. I always kept my study well organised up until recently, when I had workmen in fiddling with my radiator. While I wasn't around they tipped all the books off this case and then shoved them back on two-deep, creating the chaos you see here. I swear I'm going to take a day off soon and put everything back in it's proper order.
And finally, here's the view out of my window, snow, icicles and all.
24 comments:
Wow, you live in, like, a field!
Sorry, I'm a city girl. I live next to a power station, a double-dose of railway tracks (one of them the old Eurostar line, the other all of the other trains that head to Waterloo) and an industrial estate. Fields are a matter of novelty - icicles more so!
Kevin Crossley-Holland's writing cave IS droolworthy. It's a shame his books aren't XD
PS - your pictures need to be better resolution so I can read the titles of your books and the writing on your screen. kthxbai.
...what is the book on the right of Harry Potter on the bottom shelf? It looks most compelling.
And I spy Charmian Hussey...I have to admit I found that book the most awfully unnecessarily descriptive and slow book I've EVER READ. I didn't finish it. I, Coriander, on the other hand, was really good.
Ha ha - when I said I took my dog for a tramp over the fields, what did you *think* I meant? There are roads and buildings on the other side of my house, though. The view from my bedroom is mostly concrete.
You know you can click on the pictures and they'll get bigger, so you can read the titles of the books, right? But I specifically made sure no one could read the writing on the screen so nyah nyah.
Hmmm...there IS no Harry Potter on the bottom shelf. Do you mean the Writer's Handbook? That's the big yellow one. I haven't gotten all the way through the Charmian Hussey one either. It used to be at the BACK of the shelf. But I didn't like I, Coriander either - I hate it when books re-write history and get the details wrong.
Haha, Saya, that was exactly what was going through my mind when I was looking at the bookshelf! (Oooh, what's that one; Ooh, could that be FIREBIRDS? Oh, lookie look, I spot THE SWAN KINGDOM! Ah, and there's LINGER, as well as THE CITY OF BONES and THE CITY OF ASHES. Do I spot FIRE?)
I (Well, my sister and I) just recently tidied our bookshelf (Which takes up the entire right wall of my baby sister's room; it's the family's pride and joy.) so it looks pretty neat, stacked by series and authors and genre. But I wish I had a writer's cave. Someday, when I'm older and a *real* author....
I just cannot believe Kevin Crossley-Holland's writer's cave. LUCKY!!! He sooo does not deserve such a beautiful, neat, tidy, sunny place to write!
I see Graceling and Neil Gaiman, I approve! :D Love both of those, book/author. Beautiful view, too!
That's why I posted pictures of the shelves - I know I'm incredibly nosy about what writers are reading. I spent about half an hour trying to see what all the books were behind Tamora Pierce in one picture. If only my shelves were in good order you'd see way more cool books.
@Zoe, of course I clicked on them, and then I zoomed into it until it was fuzzy! Harry Potter is spine-in, third book on the right to Wee Free Men - what's the one to the right of it, four books to the right of WFM?
Hm, I read I, Coriander some years ago, so I don't fully remember what the historical setting was/should have been. Possibly I didn't know about the history, either XD
I'm always nosing at people's bookshelves, on the internets or otherwise - it's so interesting (hence trying to see what's on yours XD XD).
Oh, you're right! I hadn't realised that HP ended up there. The book next to it, with the ginger-haired guy in the checked shirt, it is a Boy's Love manga called 'Living For Tomorrow'.
Also on that shelf is The Writer's Handbook, The Children's Writer's and Artist's Yearbook, The Amulet of Samarkand by Jonathan Stroud, Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce, Linger by Maggie Stiefvater (the pretty US hardback), Spindle's End by Robin McKinley, Promises in Death by J D Robb, Sunshine by Robin McKinley, All American Girl by Meg Cabot and The Hollow Kingdom by Claire B Dunkle. But just because they're on the shelf, that doesn't necessarily mean they're my favourites! Some are, but I tend to be a book hoarder, so a lot of them are ones I've read once and just never got around to donating to charity (like I, Coriander).
Alex: GRACELING is a GREAT book! I can't wait for the sequel to come out, can you? I adore Bitterblue; She's the perfect protagonist for any story.
Zoe: I just finished HEART'S BLOOD, by Juliet Marillier, and it was SUCH a good book! I highly recommend it. I was in tears near the ending; there were some very touching scenes in it. Have any of you blog readers read it too? Or any of Juliet Marillier's work? She also wrote WILDWOOD DANCING, its sequel, CYBELE'S SECRET, and a *bunch* of other books I still haven't read. Anyway, now I've started FIREBIRDS, which is said to be "practically essential reading for people who love this genre". I noticed you gave it five stars. The title is very clever :)
Plus I LOVE phoenixes! =D XD
Ah, so many good books I need to make time to read. FIREBIRDS is a great anthology, which I often read from when I do school visits - if you've not read anything by Garth Nix before, take note of Hope Chest. It's a good sample of his work.
I enjoy Garth Nix's work.
Anwyay. Zoe, you have the MOST AMAZING writer's cave ever - I envy you! I wish I has so many books! I should really make a writer's cave for my self, but I'm bedroomless. I do, however, try and organize and my bookshelf is Huge, with a capital H.
(Sorry, but I have to add that my bookshelf is way neater than yours :D)
And, for a looong time, I have been looking for insight into writers' houses, and their writing areas. I've seen Jacqueline Wilson's, and now I've seen yours.
A few years ago, on a scrap piece of paper, I made a design with how my dream bedroom would look. I think it had three bookshelves. I've lost the piece of paper now, but I shall draw another one and show you how I would like my writer's cave to look like.
(Please bear with my rubbish drawing. I'll understand if you send my email to the TRASH.)
It's not really that amazing. It's just stuffed full of books, and since books are awesome, the awesome sort of rubs off. But to be honest, it's way too tiny, and its freezing cold in winter and boiling hot in summer. *Sigh*
I'm always making drawings of my ideal house, with the huge study and sunroom and downstairs shower in a utility room opening directly onto the garden so that when my dog goes swimming in the green pondslime or the mud, I can shove him straight under the water. Ah, bliss. Anyway - what I meant to say was that I sympathise with your doodling, deeply.
Actually, my dream house would be really messy, while it's neat at the same time (you don't get me? It's okay, you're not the only one).
I wish it was like a caravan; small and sweet, and really homey. You know, like, a big hall, a medium sized bedroom (with a red desk for my writing, along with a purple bookshelf) and clean other-areas.
But most of all I wish I had my own bedroom.
I think I understand what you mean. It must be really hard having no bedroom of your own. I nearly died sharing with my older sister until I was eleven. Chin up, though. This means that when you move out, no matter HOW tiny your new flat or student place is, it will still be a step up.
Isabel - me too, hence the screen name! : )
And I'm another nosy bookshelf person - I do it at people's houses too, standing by the shelves with my head tipped sideways to see what they've got.
Sarah Dessen's writing cave is pimpin', I'd just like to say. Cave-envyyyyy.
http://writergrl.livejournal.com/489649.html#cutid1: it makes me drool. Seriously. Although Kevin Crossley-Holland's may end up tying with SD's. Drool drool.
*corrects link*
http://writergrl.livejournal.com/489649.html#cutid1
Hmmm. Well, SD's is certainly very BIG, bit it's not very cosy or...dare I say it...writerly. Where are all the books? Where is the friendly clutter? She did say she'd only just moved in I suppose...But personally, I prefer Malinda Lo's:
http://www.malindalo.com/2009/02/photo-friday-the-office/
I don't LOVE Sarah Dessen's one; it doesn't look so comfy.
Malinda Lo's one is also pretty good, but out of all the ones I've seen (Malinda Lo, Sarah Dessen, Jacqueline Wilson, Lisa Jewells and yours), yours is by far the best. It feels so cosy and comfy, and LIKE a writing cave.
Really? Thanks! I think I'm torn between Malinda Lo's (I love the skylight, and the desks that sit at right angles) and Kevin CH's (the space! The huuge windows!). Most important, they both have loooads of books that I can squint at. A writing cave without books is a sad thing indeed.
I LOVE your writing cave, Ms. Marriott. I finally got my own bedroom after TWELVE AND A HALF years - beat that, anyone! - and now it's more like a shrine to Tae Kwon Do (the best martial art EVER, from Korea, and I think Zahira in DotF copied off of it :D :D ). But I do have two bookshelves stuffed with books! I think my ideal writing cave would be on the beach, with a door where you can walk out onto the beach. I would also want floor-to-ceiling bookshelves and a beanbag chair. :)
Has anyone read THE PALE ASSASSIN by Patricia Elliott? Very good, about the French Revolution, could be a movie, but not enough romance. I just read ASH by Malinda Lo and found it very intriguing. I loved the concept of a lesbian Cinderella. I also read I, Coriander and found it very weird. :) What was the historical mistake? The Wee Free Men was also weird, but hilarious!! I liked that, too. And I thought no one read the books I read and liked!
I wish I had enough room in my house to have a shrine to Tae Kwon Do. Or any other martial art, for that matter! Zahira's martial art style was based on a mish-mash of several different styles - there is Tae Kwon Do in there, but also Kenjutsu, Tai Chi, Northern Shaolin and karate. Zahira has trained so much and for so long that her style is pretty much unique. She could make a paperclip a lethal weapon.
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