A
myriad of spaces is what immediately comes to mind, ranging from the space
inside my head to the actual space of my surroundings. All of importance to me in different ways
for my writing.
Time
& Space
Time
and not having enough of it, or any of it, is never an argument I find
convincing. It only takes me ten
minutes to get some initial thoughts down onto paper. Later on I might take another ten minutes to
do a free-write, to string some words together, any words that want to flow
from the end of my fingers. I will then
fit in any amount of ten minute slots to work on one piece; if I can I’ll
double that into twenty minute slots.
Sometimes there is the luxury of three quarters of an hour.
I
gather together a jigsaw of draft material when I work like this. Of course there are days when I might bury
myself in a timeless place for endless scribbling, redrafting or editing. But I find these short spurts of time, given
enough care and focus, will eventually give me a form to my writing which
pleases me.
Any
project can be broken down into constituent sections to be worked on piece by
piece until the whole comes into shape.
This is a permission I give myself whatever other demands life makes on
me, and there are always pressing demands.
Mine is a 24/7 attitude to writing.
With this approach to my time, I find the spaces I need to write.
place
& Space
 |
| This was a satisfying moment: the day I finished Draft Three of my book. A clear surface, all of the files in one basket. Wonderfully satisfying. |
I
am lucky I have a spacious workroom, and two desks: this one is for my papers;
I have another for the computer and phone.
This
desk is not for writing proper. I use
it to plan my day’s work. I try to keep
my desk clear, if not at the end of the day, then at the end of a section of my
work. A clear desk helps the clarity of
my mind to focus on the piece of writing to be done. I would be entirely lost if I didn’t have
this generous surface, inviting me to settle down, spread out my papers, and
provide me with a special place and space to focus on the piece I want to
write.
My
best thoughts, however, often come in the shower so all I need is to perch on
the edge of my bed wrapped in a huge fluffy towel and reach down for my A4 pad
and pencil (always on the carpet by my bed) and scribble them down. There are times I need the whole house to
myself, all the rooms, so I can pace around reading aloud. Then I listen to how a piece sounds to my
ears; a completely different experience from either reading off the screen or
from my print-outs.
Space
Away From Home
Here’s
a room in Morocco, I worked on the bed - protected from the heat outside with a
pleasant breeze coming in through the door.
Wherever
I am, I transfer my working methods from home to any room I stay in. Because my work is portable I carry it
inside my head, along with the lap-top, papers and note-books in my brief case.
Cabin 451 on board ship
My cabin on a large working and leisure ship
going north up the Norwegian coast. I drafted
many short pieces for my book during the week, as well as read more than 300
pages of Hilary Mantel’s Woolf Hall; the essential point to become immersed in
the world of the Tudors.
Cabin on the Hill Providing A Writing Space for others:
I want and am able to provide the kind of space writers need away
from home in my cosy wood cabin at the top of our garden. It won’t suit everyone because it is without
en-suite facilities. But writers can be
self-contained and self-sufficient, only coming down to the house for the
bathroom. Really more like a house
guest.
A Guest Writing
Monica
Suswin is working on a book exploring her own creative process of therapeutic
writing. Using extracts from personal
journals, prose, poems and dramatic dialogues, Monica shows how she has gained
deeper insights into her inner life through her personal writing, and how in
turn this has helped her understanding of relationships with others. Within all her work, she has found an
indomitable spirit of a life-force which lies at the heart of her life and her
writing.
Contact Details for Monica Suswin:
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