I read a column by SciFi great Robert Silverberg about his writing desk, the one he has used for fifty years. It’s gray steel, with drawers, made in America. My desk is also gray and made in America (by my husband). I’m not sure what Silverberg envisioned when he installed the desk in his New York apartment, but I know what my husband envisioned when he installed the desk in our family room. It isn’t what he got.
I’m not a tidy person. I have notes, notebooks, files and binders piled hip deep on, around, and under my desk. There are unread books, out-of-date computer cheat sheets, and memos-to-self about deadlines that have passed. Sometimes I’m afraid to sift through the piles lest I unearth something that was once terribly important and now is just tragic.
For all the psychic pain, one thing I will not experience at my desk is physical pain. My husband made it with an adjustable keyboard tray, my chair moves in so many directions you’d think it was tap-dancing, and I have all manner of devices to keep my wrists in the proper configuration.
Silverberg didn’t mention how comfortable he finds his desk, but I think it is as important to fit the desk to your body as it is to fit the shoes to your feet – not the other way around. The life of a writer is precarious enough without adding physical pain caused by a poorly designed work space. Make it fit. Your writing depends on it.
You are so right, Lani. Just as we research for each character and story arc, writers must research on what equipment works best for them. If you are comfortable in your workspace, you will more likely adhere to one of the key components to writing: Butt in Chair!!