tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post6155937632680031428..comments2024-03-29T02:43:11.575-04:00Comments on Jungle Red Writers: Messy Desk = Creativity?Jungle Red Writershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16646429819267618412noreply@blogger.comBlogger37125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-69711183654609721232013-11-14T16:25:33.487-05:002013-11-14T16:25:33.487-05:00Six months ago I purchased four Barrister bookcase...Six months ago I purchased four Barrister bookcases for my office. I moved everything around to give Hubby space to put them together. HUGE MISTAKE!<br /><br />Hubby put the bookcases together, one at a time, in the living room and moved them into the office. I have all the nonfiction books in the four bookcases but everything else I moved is still a disaster. I can't find anything. I don't have space to work on anything. I was better off with all the piles of book and everything else where it belongs.<br /><br />I'm working on my NaNoWriMo project of my laptop in the living room and my personal bills, checkbook, etc. now sit on the corner of the kitchen table. I worked better in my crowded office. Can't wait until I finish NaNoWriMo and can get in the office. I have got to get back to my organized ciaos.<br /><br />In summer I work at a table at the dock. Love to work on the waterfront. Funny part is it's just me and my AlphaSmart...no ciaos, so why do I work well there with out my piles of stuff?Pat Marinellinoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-5972965649427446252013-11-14T13:28:00.556-05:002013-11-14T13:28:00.556-05:00Love this blog! Now I don't feel so embarrasse...Love this blog! Now I don't feel so embarrassed by the mess in my library/dining room/ office. When I'm having anyone for dinner, I need to shovel everything into boxes and hide the piles of boxes under a blanket or tablecloth. Then it's finding everything afterwards. I like the idea that it means I'm creative.Gloria Aldenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13581719606924364447noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-56676156446192485522013-11-14T00:09:35.939-05:002013-11-14T00:09:35.939-05:00And what did I get out of all this? That Rhys Bowe...And what did I get out of all this? That Rhys Bowen has a stuffed cow that moos. Total envy.Terry Shameshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07202071611825887999noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-82498060242267201382013-11-13T23:55:19.680-05:002013-11-13T23:55:19.680-05:00No matter what way I say it, somehow my saying I l...No matter what way I say it, somehow my saying I love working in bed doesn't come out right. But I do love working in bed. It's toasty warm in the winter and there's a fan overhead in the summer. I do best when I'm comfy. The only problem I have working in bed is when my cat decides to sleep on my face.Maureen Harringtonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03499876353651763590noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-45048824427351806722013-11-13T22:28:12.319-05:002013-11-13T22:28:12.319-05:00Edith Wharton, too! Worked in bed. She'd drop ...Edith Wharton, too! Worked in bed. She'd drop her pages on the floor...and the maid would pick them up and take them to the typist. Oh, yeah. That's the way to do it!Hank Phillippi Ryanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17420701704169428286noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-70288026543367305962013-11-13T20:55:25.131-05:002013-11-13T20:55:25.131-05:00OK, I have to agree with Hank here and just say th...OK, I have to agree with Hank here and just say that everyone's work space looks really tidy. Suspiciously tidy.... <br /><br />Who else works in bed? Sometimes I just like to sit in bed with books and papers surrounding me and my laptop. Winston Churchill worked in bed in the mornings and I recently read that J.R.R. Tolkein did too, so I don't feel slothful, but part on an ongoing writing tradition....Susan Elia MacNealhttp://www.suaneliamacneal.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-757615084246288072013-11-13T18:46:40.429-05:002013-11-13T18:46:40.429-05:00Debs, I like the ADD concept. Makes sense.
Right ...Debs, I like the ADD concept. Makes sense.<br /><br />Right now I'm in modus WriMo, so my writing space after week two is chaos.<br /><br />Leslie, your spice series sounds delicious and a little scary. Spices have scared me since people started hiding their marijuana in the oregano jars.Maureen Harringtonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03499876353651763590noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-35446974284892478702013-11-13T18:06:18.355-05:002013-11-13T18:06:18.355-05:00Lucy asked: "The spice series? Leslie, do we ...Lucy asked: "The spice series? Leslie, do we know about this??"<br /><br />The Seattle Spice Shop Mysteries, set in the Pike Place Market. #1 is tentatively titled Spiced to Death, and set for pub in March 2015, from Berkley Prime Crime.<br /><br />And Reine, yes! Someone else's messy space would be impossible for me (e.g., Mr. Right's office), but my own makes perfect sense! Leslie Budewitzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11942314846112875042noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-15322635112137766102013-11-13T17:54:25.279-05:002013-11-13T17:54:25.279-05:00Reine, I think you're right. I'm very dist...Reine, I think you're right. I'm very distracted by mess. I think it's an ADD issue, not a creativity issue. <br /><br />Kim, the tri-fold board sounds great! Am definitely going to check that out. Too late for the book-in-progress (not doing all that story-boarding over again!) but I'll certainly consider for the next one.<br /><br />Hank, it was purely coincidence that I'd straightened my desk before I took that pic:-) You will notice that I never volunteer a picture of our downstairs shared office, the one where all the unfiled bills and paperwork live...Debhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11519514786198185277noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-20788999810570358832013-11-13T17:52:59.778-05:002013-11-13T17:52:59.778-05:00Of course, it's messy! . . . and that's t...Of course, it's messy! . . . and that's the way I like it!<br />The teacher for the gifted program used to tell parents that a messy room was a solid symptom of creativity . . . dashing off to one new pursuit after another. My first bosses after college were of the piles of work philosophy -- I was carefully instructed in how to dust and replace piles exactly. The cleaning crews were not allowed to touch their desks. <br />A later manager preferred a clean, organized desk with just a pad of paper and a pen (of course, his secretary's space held all the clutter. I wanted to get a sign for the office: If a cluttered desk is the sign of a cluttered mind, what is an empty desk the sign of?<br />Patricia McKissack told us that her "Messy Bessy" book was inspired by a comment by a custodian in their office . . . and the McKissacks have written many wonderful books!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-21107667417083077082013-11-13T17:35:00.344-05:002013-11-13T17:35:00.344-05:00I suspect when you're busy being creative it&#...I suspect when you're busy being creative it's easier to let the space get messy so you can focus on writing. I'm sure that's not true for everyone. I have friends who can't create unless things are neat. For some of them that means low word counts.<br /><br />I think the research on the relationship between messiness and creativity might be flawed in that the subjects were invited to participate in the research that took place in the researchers' messy or neat environment. The need to conform or the desire to please might have been induced by the environment they were presented with. In their own space they might behave differently according to their personality preferences and not their performance in reaction to the research conditions.Maureen Harringtonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03499876353651763590noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-54935047307228448682013-11-13T16:43:52.657-05:002013-11-13T16:43:52.657-05:00The spice series? Leslie, do we know about this??The spice series? Leslie, do we know about this??Lucy Burdette aka Roberta Isleibhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04660402177299546055noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-12450667666578608232013-11-13T15:49:01.594-05:002013-11-13T15:49:01.594-05:00Oh, suggestions. Binders for each ms. and for the ...Oh, suggestions. Binders for each ms. and for the Bible for each series. For the Village series, I covered an old piece of foam core --a left-over trial exhibit, before they all became computerized -- and pin images to it. For the Spice series, I borrowed an idea from -- hmm, Deborah? -- and started a sketchbook for notes, sketches, images I've stuck in there with a glue stick. And each series has a basket on the floor for maps, magazines, tourist brochures, etc. <br /><br />And a cut-glass bowl for bullets. :) (Got the housecleaner's attention, that did.) Leslie Budewitzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11942314846112875042noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-26142676347441177362013-11-13T15:09:32.553-05:002013-11-13T15:09:32.553-05:00Megan Ryder, another friend of mine, uses the tri...Megan Ryder, another friend of mine, uses the trifold boards along with specific colored and shaped sticky notes to indicate plot points and narrators. Check out her blog post about her process: http://meganryder.com/2013/10/storyboarding-for-success-part-3-fun-with-post-its/ Lots of great ideas.Rhonda Lanehttp://www.thehorseyset.netnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-73356683290191903182013-11-13T15:04:36.702-05:002013-11-13T15:04:36.702-05:00I'm going to have to try out Kim's -- rath...I'm going to have to try out Kim's -- rather Staples's -- trifolds. That sounds perfect. Right now I use colored index cards, one per scene, color-coated by POV character. It works, but...to see what I've got I have to lay them out on the floor, then pick them back up so that the cat doesn't tear them to shreds, etcetera. <br /><br />I have a white board, too, that sits on the console table in the main living area. It's the only place for it. Not so elegant. <br /><br />Basically, between that, papers everywhere (including on the bed), multiple desks, I guess you could say my whole condo is my office. :-)Lisa Alberhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12591430453957883948noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-62773933687876408122013-11-13T14:41:24.828-05:002013-11-13T14:41:24.828-05:00Asymmetrical piles of files organized (shoved) int...Asymmetrical piles of files organized (shoved) into zones.Rhonda Lanehttp://www.thehorseyset.netnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-30727724163985550632013-11-13T13:30:35.815-05:002013-11-13T13:30:35.815-05:00I heard about that study a few weeks ago on NPR, i...I heard about that study a few weeks ago on NPR, if it's the same one Lucy mentioned, and have to say the methodology seemed odd -- even suspect -- to me. Participants were judged to be creative by whether they chose to try a new thing (creative, good) or a familiar thing (dull, bad) after being in a messy or neat room. Makes no sense to me. <br /><br />I like lots of stuff around, too, but I like it organized -- probably b/c I've spent 30 years practicing law, where files must be organized or Bad Things Happen, and clients -- and managing partners -- often drop in unannounced! Leslie Budewitzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11942314846112875042noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-16253819019084908752013-11-13T13:29:44.438-05:002013-11-13T13:29:44.438-05:00I have a few, Brenda - I keep them stashed under m...I have a few, Brenda - I keep them stashed under my bed when I'm not using them.Kimhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15354719566758459929noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-36506966010750496992013-11-13T13:18:26.256-05:002013-11-13T13:18:26.256-05:00Excellent tip, Kim. I'm going to get me one o...Excellent tip, Kim. I'm going to get me one of those.<br /><br />Brenda Buchananhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14161539130987122737noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-9173010364139483672013-11-13T13:11:12.659-05:002013-11-13T13:11:12.659-05:00PS - Katie, for my post-its and story-outlining, I...PS - Katie, for my post-its and story-outlining, I buy tri-fold cardboard display boards (about $5) at Staples. I can map out my stories, set the board up in the room while I'm working, and then when I need the space, fold it up and tuck it behind my desk or against the wall. Because it folds, my post-its don't fall off, and also because it folds, it can stand up on its own wherever I am working.Kimhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15354719566758459929noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-51162058426103866962013-11-13T13:03:05.575-05:002013-11-13T13:03:05.575-05:00I used to have a sense of where in a stack anythin...I used to have a sense of where in a stack anything was, but as my work space gets crowded out by stuff from other sources (I'm still going through boxes and boxes of family stuff, not to mention 40 years of dead legal files that need to be sorted before they can go to the shredding company), I tend to build higher and higher stacks until an avalanche precipitates a cleaning binge. Then, for a while, everything is neat.... That never lasts, though. <br /><br />Still, newly discovered objects stimulate ideas for essays, articles and stories. So I guess the junk is a good thing-- but only to a point (and mostly, I'm well past that point, alas). Ellen Kozaknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-46372811538088017402013-11-13T12:53:13.764-05:002013-11-13T12:53:13.764-05:00Organised chaos. Well, semi-organised. But I do ...Organised chaos. Well, semi-organised. But I do have to keep a certain area of open space on either side of my laptop, just to keep from being distracted by all the papers that would spontaneously generate there if I took my eye off them for a moment.<br /><br />I do enjoy seeing other people's desks. And NO ONE wants to see one that's pizen clean. Clearly not a workspace, but a magazine layout.Susan Dhttp://www.susannastone.blogspot.canoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-5023557691755335632013-11-13T12:31:13.291-05:002013-11-13T12:31:13.291-05:00Hank, I did not want to say it, but certain people...Hank, I did not want to say it, but certain people seemed to have CLEANED UP THEIR DESKS before they sent their photos in.<br /><br />Katie, I realized that in my stepdaughter's room was a perfectly large and lovely corkboard. I removed all the stuff on it (she went to college in 2001), but then grew daunted by the empty space. Have not yet put one word on it....Lucy Burdette aka Roberta Isleibhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04660402177299546055noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-68928077012025031182013-11-13T12:05:23.226-05:002013-11-13T12:05:23.226-05:00I am Definitely in the messy tent at the messy cam...I am Definitely in the messy tent at the messy camp with the rest of you! the piles are at least organized by bills, writing, mystery books here, classics there...<br /><br />books everywhere, sketchbooks all over the place, even my art table in the basement is a mess!<br /><br />I think I am to the point that it's way over crazy that I need to try to organize again(try being the key word).<br /><br />Hallie, love your tip of using a big piece of cardboard for sticky notes. I was using the back of my door,but they keep falling off.<br /><br /> Jackie JonesJackie Joneshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13489338994207016075noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-62365293764676568952013-11-13T11:51:36.901-05:002013-11-13T11:51:36.901-05:00I definitely use the dining room table, not that I...I definitely use the dining room table, not that I own one. I live in a condo, so what I have is one of those nifty bar tables with tall chairs. But same diff--paper-laden!<br /><br />I have my official office, with desk, printer, etcetera (west-facing), but then also a desk in front of the picture windows in the living area (east-facing).<br /><br />I'm a little on the chaotic side, I have to admit. Paper everywhere. I'm hoping that means I'm super-duper creative. :-)Lisa Alberhttp://www.lisaalber.comnoreply@blogger.com