This is one of my writing spaces, or working spaces. I spend Monday through Friday here working my day job as a Proposal Writer, but my mornings, evenings and weekends may have some time here as well doing business like recording sales, taxes, mailing out shipments, inventory, etc. My main writing space is on the couch in the living room with my laptop specific for writing, with the TV on and my earbuds in. I need the background to concentrate. Working in this office after having just spent 6:30 a.m. to 4:00-ish p.m. is just not workable for me. I need to get out of the room.
But I wanted to share this room with you because this room contains special things with my writing. These are not in order of importance by any means.
#1: My Planner
I've written about my planner in other blogs. I'm not sure I would survive without it. From appointments, to shows, to taxes, I need it to keep everything in order. Especially this time of year when my day job gets super busy, I just released a book and summer shows and family events are ramping up. It's not my only schedule visual either. I have one in my purse (probably one reason it's too heavy) and one on the wall in the kitchen. The one in the kitchen is so others in the house know what's going on, and the one in my purse is so I know what is going on when I'm on the go. To say I'm organized is an understatement. I'm well organized. Not sure I could do this without being well organized.
#2: My Computer
Like I said, I have a laptop specific for writing; however, all of my books are on flash drives and backed up on this computer and another flash drive. I spend a lot of my time on this computer and on my laptop. I need the two screens for my day job. It's a perk to use it for writing, though, especially editing.
#3: My Rubber Duckie
My dear neighbor, Brenda, who lives across the street, left this for me in my mailbox before my first book, The Gangster's Daughter, was published. She's been on my desk ever since as a reminder that I can do this. She said she got 'ducked' and told the person she was giving it to me. Truth be told, when she messaged me, I thought it auto-corrected and I was a little flabbergasted until she explained it further. Then I saw it in the mailbox and it made a lot more sense. Ahhh . . . the story I can tell with it now. I won't ever get rid of it, Brenda.
#4: My Author Jodie Leigh Murray Pen Set
I mentioned this gift in a social media post long ago when this arrived in the mail with no sign of who sent it. I found out later than my co-workers ordered this for me, and a card was supposed to have come with it. To put this into perspective, this pen set is an extremely high-quality set that has Author Jodie Leigh Murray engraved on the top and into the two ball-point pens. Not just any pens, mind you. Excellent quality pens. Those who know me, know how particular I am with writing materials and these are fantastic pens. The quote engraved in the box, if you can't tell by the crappy picture I took, is from my favorites . . . "Words are, in my not so humble opinion, our most inexhaustible source of magic. Capable of both inflicting injury and remedying it." ~ Albus Dumbledore. That quote could not be more true.
#5: Current Works
If you don't know it already, I'm working on my fourth book, The Aristocrat's Wife, about the wife of a high-society New York aristocrat that finds herself in hot water after being accused of adultery. To escape the criticism of the society that doesn't believe the truth and a husband that cringes when she's around, she dresses as a boy and goes in search of her long-lost brother across a nation rebuilding after the Civil War.
#6: Bookmarks
I keep a stash of my bookmarks within reach for orders received. Sometimes I just like to look and admire the fact that I now have three books published. It's an accomplishment I am most proud of. And I owe it all to those who have supported me through this journey, by reading those books, following my social media, reading my blogs, catching me at shows, and several other ways.
#7: 15 Year Service Award
This doesn't have to do with my novel writing career, but has to do with my day job, which is also writing but on the technical side. This is my 15-year Service Award plaque, issued to me in October 2022. Yep–October 2024 will be 17 years and in another 3 (2027) will be 20 years. If I'm going to be honest, I would love to make it to 20 years but I'd much rather my writing career take off and I can say I'm sitting at this desk from 6:30 a.m. to 4:00-ish p.m. working on writing books and anything book related rather than working for someone else. I'm actively working toward it, and I'm not about to stop.
Happy reading!