Dora Machado

In the last few months I’ve been getting a lot of questions about where and how I write. Readers want a setting. Fellow writers are interested on discussing details and sharing tips. One of my good friends prefers to write in public places, coffee shops, airports, libraries, etc. Another talented young writer friend wrote saying that she likes to spread out on her bed. In my case, I concentrate best in a private space and the bed is out of bounds. My stuff wouldn’t fit on it and since I prefer to write at night, I’d have to put up with my husband’s defense of his regular eight hours. For his sake and mine, I’ve always deferred to Virginia Woolf.

My writing studio has some basic features that I really like, such as a door that can be closed and locked if said door fails to stand up to distraction. It’s a cozy room with little esthetic value but lots of practical virtues, such as reliable internet connection, my reference library, a large L shaped desk with an impressive capacity to hold heavy piles, and a window that overlooks the terrace, the garden and the river beyond.

In this room, I’m surrounded by the memories of the people I love, the places I’ve visited, and the themes I’m exploring. I have everything I need at my fingertips and quite a few of my favorite things, like my good old ergonomic chair, an ancient scan design special that allows me to recline while I write, supporting my back and neck through many consecutive hours at the keyboard.  Above all, my writing studio is practical, flexible to handle all my projects, and comfortable. Best of all, it’s mine and mine alone, providing fitting accommodations for me and all my characters—heroes and villains included.

Do you have a space of your own?