Creating Space

My perfect space for reading and writing would be hard to imagine. As it is, I live at home with my parents due to my disability. I do most of my reading and writing in my bedroom in their home, simply because I feel comfortable there. But okay, here goes.

I’m ashamed to admit that I’m a very messy person. My room is currently filled with piles of clothing, papers scattered to the floor and a desk right beside my bed, so I have my computer near on days when it’s difficult for me to get up. So, my ideal writing space would probably be smaller; something I could easily keep clean while still having the space I need to navigate my manual wheelchair through.

There would be low shelving units for any physical copies of reference books I owned or needed. That might be necessary, since I’m finding that my niche seems to be fantasy romance. One never knows when you’ll need a language reference or a place to base a fantasy setting. I’d have some sort of grabbing tool available to help me get them. (Books can be heavy and the dexterity in my hands isn’t great.)

I’d have a smart TV there too, because sometimes I just need a distraction. One of my favorite playwrights, Lin-Manuel Miranda, was once asked how he beats writer’s block. His answer stuck with me. In a nutshell, he said to do something that gets you daydreaming. For me, that often looks like watching a show (for example, I love Sci-Fi, so when not writing, I’m re-watching my favorite. I’m a Star Trek nerd) or listening to music on Spotify.

Having my own personal library might also give me the courage I need to do the one thing I haven’t yet in any of my planned novels: Putting a disabled character at the forefront of the narrative. I don’t necessarily want that character to have my specific disability, but I suppose it could be intriguing to do some research on what the day to day lives of people who have more severe cases than me look like.

What do you think my ideal space is missing? I’d love to hear from you!