Where Writers Write

Last month, I struggled with a major upheaval in my life. I had to evacuate my current favourite writing spot because sitting on the floor was too uncomfortable and after tolerating my indifference to for a few weeks, my back retaliated with vicious spasms. Following Thom Felicia’s advice to get rid of furniture you don’t use, I banished my dining table to the balcony, threw out the coffee table and bought a low-rise Japanese-style dining table, which I use for dinner, writing and displaying unread books. It didn’t take me long to realise that such tables are NOT designed for the creation of long or short stories. So I had to move. But where?

The balcony table had been subject to hail and high water and now resembled a volcanic landscape. The side table wasn’t big enough to spread out all my stuff. That left the proper writing table in my study. It’s a decent size, with three drawers and ample surface space for four piles of books, a stationary holder, a pile of notebooks and a vase. The only problem was that I didn’t like its location. My study is the 1 bit in the 2+1 apartments. Cosy but devoid of my much desired no morning light, wonderful sights and welcome distractions.

As I grouchily resigned myself to it, I thought about how every writer deserved to have a scared space where they could create great literary works to bestow upon the nation and world. Apparently, The Writers Room thought so too.

The Writers Room opened in 1978 to provide a workspace for urban writers in New York, who don't always have a quiet place to write at home. For a fee of $350 to $550 every half a year and a one-time $75 initiation fee, writers get one of 39 partitioned desks in the large loft, a separate typing room with four desks, a library with approximately 1,000 reference books and Internet access.

Why don’t we have something like that here? A better question would be, what would happen if we have something like that here? Would it really be used as a sacred writing space? I have my doubts.

Anyway, to make myself feel better, I poked around in a few writers’ lives to find out where they sow their creative seeds. My nosey questions:

1. Where is your favourite writing spot and do you have a proper writing table there?
2. If you do have a writing table, where did you get it and why do you like it?
3. What's the first thing you do when you sit down at your writing table?
4. What's on your writing table right now?
5. What would your dream writing spot be
6. Do you think writers should have a proper writing table or should creativity flow anywhere and everywhere?

Sharon Bakar, Teacher, writer and reader extraordinaire
1. A beautiful teak writing desk in my bedroom for the creative stuff. Articles get written in my "work room" on her computer.
2. Hand-made by Ching Lee in Taman Tun.
3. Close my eyes for a few seconds and take a few deep breaths to iron out any kinds of tension.
4. Writing books which make myself
5. Outside ... in a garden or by the sea
6. Both ... you should take advantage of time to write wherever you are ...

Hisham Harun, Editor
1. Strangely, I like doing work at the internet cafe near Mid Valley (so that when I get tired, I'd just walk over to the Mall) Sometimes, it's at Baskin Robbins, Jalan Telawi.
2. I have one at home. Got it at a furniture store. But its become a CD/Karaoke CD and DVD rack. It's difficult to get work done at home.
3. In the office, I just switch on my computer and get on the Net to read my mail.
4. PC, Books, Files, papers strewn all over, calendar....
5. Preferably at home, but can't seem to find the right spot. Or it could just be me... I'm a little odd.
6. The latter.

Janet Lee, Copywriter
1. Table in my room facing the garden. I go there when I want ideas to flow. The I have my computer table, in another room, my office-at-home. It is on the other side of the house, facing the front garden.
2. My beautiful round creation table was painted for my by my cousin David, who’s a brilliant artist.
3. Put some blank paper in front of me. Maybe light a scented candle. Wait for a cat to jump up and plonk himself on my blank paper.
4. Aaarrgh! It’s a mess. All sorts of junk is on it! I haven’t been working here for a while.
5. That is my dream spot. I feel so at peace there.
6. It’s really up to the individual, I think. I love my round table in my creation room, but I can also work anywhere – just need a notebook (real one, not a laptop) and a purple pen.

Marisa Misron, Associate Editor
1. Since I write on my computer, it has to somewhere on a proper desk and comfortable chair. I have a computer table, does that count as a writing table?
2. N/A
3. Read that last thing I wrote.
4. Magazines, dictionaries, pens, books.
5. In a shady, breezy spot on a white, sandy beach and there's wifi.
6. I think writers should have a proper space to work in so that they know if and when they're in that zone, they are supposed to be WORKING and not WAFFLING. having said that, I waffle all the time!