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"The writer's office"

To be a professional writer, you do need a center of activity, and environment where you can prepare your work for publication. Although much of my work as a writer is done elsewhere, in fact wherever the imagination takes me, an office is the hub of the operation, and having clear ideas of what your office needs are important, as order and calm make for a good office environment.

THE ROOM ITSELF

A well aired room is advised, even if you are a smoker, since fresh air adds to the generation of good ideas, as well as being beneficial to the health. Light that is adequate for the work is helpful too, since much of your preparation work will be typed work, and needs to be accurate. You cannot blame badly put together work on your office lighting because it just doesn't persuade an Editor that you are professional.

EQUIPMENT

Many writers still use old fashioned typewriters, and whilst these are a little like stepping back in time, there are many that see the merits of a typewriter as their main piece of equipment. I personally choose a computer because of the means of storage possibilities that this offers me, and store all my written work on a separate hard disc, that I only plug in when needed. My work is important and what I do not want to do is lose it all because the computer got a bug.

Paper is essential, and here I have standard good quality paper easily available to hand, and a printer within reach. Please be careful with your choice of printer, since the old dot matrix printer is hard for editors to read on their text checking and will be rejected easily. A good quality printer that is reliable makes your work look professional.

I find that I regularly talk to Editors, and having a telephone near my computer allows me to look at work I need to discuss with editors. Again, this is placed near my computer and easy to reach.

INTERNET CONNECTION

For me, this is essential for accessing phone numbers, and for research purposes. I use Google a lot, and research my subject matter because I need it to be accurate.
This also allows me to write for online sites, which is an added bonus in my writing experience.

SMALL ITEMS

A writer needs notebook and pen at the very least, although a small Dictaphone really is helpful for notes of ideas that may otherwise slip your mind. Inspiration comes and goes, and when a moment of inspiration hits you, you really need to learn to either note it down or to record it, so that the moment is not lost for ever.

COFFEE MACHINE

This sounds superfluous, although if you are a coffee drinker, having it on tap means that you actually spend more time working and less time messing around getting cups of coffee.

BOOKS

I am surrounded with books. I am an avid reader and research a great deal as well as reading for enjoyment. Books are an essential part of my life as a writer, and I love being surrounded by them as part of a reminder of who I am and what I do. They are also very useful for reference purposes.

ATMOSPHERE OF OFFICE

My office is atmospheric. It is in a mezzanine in a huge house. I have light and good air, warmth and atmosphere. The atmosphere of the room is created with color, as color is a great motivator. Whilst some writers need sufferance in order to write well, I don't. I enjoy comfort and the office is orderly, whilst randomly part of who I am. Pictures are inspirational, and the view from the window allows my mind a little bit of calm.

GETTING YOUR OFFICE TOGETHER

Getting your own office together really depends upon your attitude, and finding the ambiance that you work best with. We would not all be individuals if we all had classic offices with a classical look. Find out what works with you, what makes you more productive, and go with the flow.

Learn more about this author, Rachelle de Bretagne.
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