Home Sweet Home Office

Although I’ve had a couple of real day jobs over the past dozen years, I’ve always maintained an office at home. And since I’ve settled into freelancing fulltime, my writing sanctuary has really blossomed.

Let’s take a tour. I’d like to show you how I make a distinction between “working where I live” (a joy) and “living where I work” (a drudgery). In my opinion, the home office environment has to be enjoyable—a place where I don’t mind spending 18 to 24 hours a day.

Welcome to Mission Control

My main piece of furniture is a very large L-shaped wooden desk. I can just barely touch the edges of the left and right ends of it if I stretch my arms fully in both directions. Having expansive flat surfaces on either side makes it easy to spread out and surround myself with materials (or dishes when I eat my meals there).

I sit in a high-back leather executive chair that swivels, tilts and moves on five rollers on the wooden floor. I put a couple of plush towels on the seat for extra cushioning, too. Few occupations require as much sitting as being a writer does. Comfort is an absolute necessity.

Directly ahead of me in the corner of the “L” is my 19-inch computer monitor, which faces me at eye-level. Its keyboard sits below with a turbo-mouse to the right. I find that using a trackball has really reduced wrist strain. The last problem a writer needs is carpal tunnel syndrome.

Immediately to my right along the wall is my “main organizer,” two feet high, three feet long and ten inches deep. It contains all my main reference books, a cubby hole for correspondence and bills, three baskets containing notes, memo pads and CD-ROMs, and three shelves of audio CDs—all my favorite music.

On top of the organizer is my VoIP phone, which is connected to my computer via MagicJack. There is also a boom box with a dual tape deck, AM/FM radio and CD player. I usually write in silence, but every now and then I enjoy cranking it up.

Immediately to my left below the room’s window is my “secondary organizer.” It’s also three feet long and ten inches deep, but just seven inches high. It contains drawers full of office supplies, from push pins and paper clips to file cards, pens, pencils, different kinds of tape, a calculator, hand cream, scissors, and so on.

On top of that organizer is one of my two permanent house guests—the philodendrons. The other sits in the corner behind the monitor, also near the window. Both are hardy species that thrive despite my forgetting to water them. Green plants are proven stress relievers. They are good listeners, too.

The Write Stuff

Other items that can be found on my desktop are quadraphonic speakers that plug into the computer, a desk lamp with a CFL bulb, two containers of colored markers, highlighters and letter openers (I collect them), along with a feather duster, a back scratcher and a small space heater that doubles as a fan in summer.

Under the desk is useful space, too. That’s where I have my computer tower, four banker boxes full of files, a wastebasket and a foot massage machine. Oh yeah, that last item is a must.

Other furniture in the room includes a four-tier bookshelf, two small filing cabinets and a stand for my printer/fax/scanner with compartments for storing paper, stationary and  electrical items—cables, battery chargers, headphones and the like.

Perhaps you can tell that I really like my home office. Once a year I take a photo of me and the plants to send to my mom.

No, no—I’m just kidding. I do take a photo, but the purpose is to keep it as a record and evidence, just in case the tax authorities decide to question the deductions I take for working from home. This is a case where it can really pay to be careful.

Next up in the Diary: The Top Five Books Every Writer Must Own (and Why).

T.A.J.