My preferred writing spot. I seriously live for beach workdays. 😀

I love seeing writers’ work-spaces, so I thought today I’d share mine with all of you. Some of you may know that, when weather permits, I prefer working on the beach, but that isn’t always tenable, even in sunny Santa Barbara. More often than not, I spend my time at home, especially since I decided to save on money by avoiding my favorite cafe. 😉

I live in a tiny little studio apartment, but I’ve worked pretty hard over the past few years to make myself a space that is inviting, comfortable, and cozy. One of the things that’s challenging about a studio, of course, is the fact that it’s really just one big room. As a result, I’ve had to find ways to create little nooks, to give the place a sense of depth.

The desk is where most of my writing magic happens. Once upon a time it was tucked against the wall where my current “reading nook” is located (photo below), but a couple of years back I got the bright idea to move it under the window. It was the best decision I could have made.

The desk, and my incredibly awesome zebra print chair.

When I sit down at the desk, I can see out over the whole neighborhood. Better yet, I can watch the birds flying around (always good inspiration for when I’m working on PATH TO THE PEACOCK THRONE), and on clear days, I can luxuriate in the morning sun that spills through the window.

Other times, though, I want to curl up in a comfy chair and do a little writing by hand, or tuck the laptop on my lap. My reading nook is the perfect spot for that, with my pretty yellow chair and yet another window that gets the sun in the late afternoon, right before it sets. The chair is a special one, because it was my very first second-hand shop find. I fell in love with it, and my mom bought it for me as a present for my 11th birthday (it was a steal, too, only $25!).

My comfy reading chair.

I think my favorite writing place of all is my deck. I got really lucky with this apartment; there aren’t many places I know about that come with outdoor space, especially as big as mine is. Few things are better for my creative impulses than than throwing on my swimsuit and shorts, pulling on my sun hat, and writing out in the sunshine and fresh air…. even though sometimes I end up writing alongside a “visitor” or two.

What are your favorite writing spots?