Trading Spaces - Romance Writers Weekly

Welcome to another installment of Romance Writers Weekly! This week, Elizabeth Janette asked us to invite you into our personal writing spaces. Fun but scary! For me, anyway. Ehehe

Did you just land here from the wonderful Ronnie Allen‘s page? She’s so organized! And I love that she wrote at a beach club. Really, go check it out.

Oh no! Not the comfy chair!

I have three spots in my house that I rotate between. One is the comfy chair in my living room. It’s not much to see and looks nothing like this.

It’s really Mr. X’s chair but I think I spend more time in it than he does. And it’s leather, not covered in flowers.

Upstairs, I have two areas for writing. One is flooded with natural light and pillows – lots of pillows, there are 5 in the photo and another 5 outside of the frame – and a view of my enormous birch tree. It’s bare right now, so all I see are my neighbours’ backyards. Thankfully, one of our bonsai trees provides a nice substitute for the birch against today’s cold, blue sky. There are also books – foreign language dictionaries, scifi, LINUX, calculus textbooks – but mostly romance.

The other space is, quite literally, a cave. It used to be my office, but when we converted hubby’s former office into a proper guest room/writing room, we condensed.

Mr. X has two PCs and three monitors on his side, I have a Mac and two monitors on mine. It sorta looks like the Matrix in this room, complete with mood lighting.

And then there are my dolls and figurines. Jack Skellington, the Corpse Bride, Bob the Skull, Edgar Allen Poe, Mr. Oogie Boogie and some Living Dead dolls all peer down from their perches. I also have a Spike puppet (from Buffy), Mal (from Firefly), an Edward Scissorhands plushie, and other collectibles. (They’re really quite dusty right now. I should get right on that. Heh.) This room also has a window – with a coffin shaped window seat. (Note the theme? C’est moi.) We keep the black curtains drawn to protect all of the machinery. These photos were taken yesterday around noon.

Dark, no? Like a cave. Since this is also where I write music and record demos, I have various instruments and equipment strewn about. That’s for a different post.

I guess, now that I look at it, I don’t really have a traditional writing space. I don’t even have a set routine. Sometimes I write in bed, sometimes on the couch, sometimes in the pillow room (though not since October) and sometimes in the cave. It’s all about my mood. I feel fortunate that I have options, though. Nothing like a change in venue to spark ones’ creative flow.

Next up is the delightfully talented Eden Ashe who shares her space with her cat, Misha. Or maybe Misha shares the space with her? Who knows with cats. =)

See you next time!

22 Comments

S. C. Mitchell on March 3, 2015 at 1:25 pm

So much inspiration packed into your space. No wonder you write so well.

XioAxelrod on March 3, 2015 at 5:03 pm

Aww, thanks Steven! I do have a lot of material to work with, that’s true. =)

Collette Cameron on March 3, 2015 at 2:34 pm

I love the idea of two monitors. That’s something I’m seriously considering.

XioAxelrod on March 3, 2015 at 5:05 pm

I don’t use them much when I’m writing fiction, or I haven’t yet. For my other work, they’re absolutely necessary. And my laptop makes it three. =)

Brenda Margriet on March 3, 2015 at 5:13 pm

While I generally stick to one space, I love the freedom of a laptop. Your “cave” looks like a great place to explore!

XioAxelrod on March 3, 2015 at 6:38 pm

It is! And I should do it more often i.e. dust the shelves, lol. I do love that I can take my laptop just about anywhere and work.

Tessa Gray on March 3, 2015 at 7:19 pm

You are one talented person if you also write music! Someone got all the creativity, didn’t they? I love all the places you write, but the cave just might be my favorite.

XioAxelrod on March 3, 2015 at 8:31 pm

Thanks! Music is my other day job, lol. I love the cave. I really should have taken better pictures of it. Maybe another time. =)

Kim Handysides on March 3, 2015 at 8:53 pm

Love your untraditional spaces, Xio & your purple pillows.

XioAxelrod on March 3, 2015 at 9:06 pm

Thanks, Kim! Purple is definitely my favourite colour. =)

Raine Balkera on March 3, 2015 at 9:10 pm

Thanks for sharing! I like all the action figures 😀

XioAxelrod on March 3, 2015 at 9:42 pm

I’m just a big kid. 😉 Thanks!

Gemma Brocato on March 3, 2015 at 10:04 pm

Nice, Xio. I’m with you, I love a space with lots of natural light. Although, your moody cave is awesome too.

XioAxelrod on March 4, 2015 at 12:23 pm

I have the best of both worlds. =)

Patti Fiala on March 3, 2015 at 11:08 pm

Lovely space Xio. Looks like a great space for writing fabulous stories.

XioAxelrod on March 4, 2015 at 12:31 pm

Thanks, Patti!

Jo Richardson on March 4, 2015 at 8:24 am

Xio I LOOOOOOVE your collection! I had a Legolas on his horse once. He got eaten. 🙁 And Buffy is still around! Woop!
Love the colors you surround yourself with and I have not seen a Bonsai tree since Karate Kid! Awesome!

XioAxelrod on March 4, 2015 at 12:25 pm

Thanks! Aww, poor Legolas. =\ Mr. X has 22 bonsai trees, at last count. Most of them live out in the greenhouse during the cold months and in the yard during the warm months. When we lived in an apartment, they took up every window sill. LOL

Ronnie Allen on March 4, 2015 at 10:17 am

wow! Definitely could be high security! At least your hubby can understand the computer age, mine can’t find the power switch! Great blog!

XioAxelrod on March 4, 2015 at 12:30 pm

LOL! Mr. X is the computer age. I’m pretty savvy and he still makes me feel like a cavewoman. 😉

Mishka Jenkins on March 5, 2015 at 5:44 am

I’m so desperate for dual monitors! Loving the cave 😀 The perfect space to hunker down and get writing.

XioAxelrod on March 5, 2015 at 11:15 am

When I’m in the cave, I also have my laptop there. It really does look like the Matrix with Mr. X and I both are in there. =)

S. C. Mitchell on March 3, 2015 at 1:25 pm

So much inspiration packed into your space. No wonder you write so well.
- XioAxelrod on March 3, 2015 at 5:03 pm
  
  Aww, thanks Steven! I do have a lot of material to work with, that’s true. =)
Collette Cameron on March 3, 2015 at 2:34 pm

I love the idea of two monitors. That’s something I’m seriously considering.
- XioAxelrod on March 3, 2015 at 5:05 pm
  
  I don’t use them much when I’m writing fiction, or I haven’t yet. For my other work, they’re absolutely necessary. And my laptop makes it three. =)
Brenda Margriet on March 3, 2015 at 5:13 pm

While I generally stick to one space, I love the freedom of a laptop. Your “cave” looks like a great place to explore!
- XioAxelrod on March 3, 2015 at 6:38 pm
  
  It is! And I should do it more often i.e. dust the shelves, lol. I do love that I can take my laptop just about anywhere and work.
Tessa Gray on March 3, 2015 at 7:19 pm

You are one talented person if you also write music! Someone got all the creativity, didn’t they? I love all the places you write, but the cave just might be my favorite.
- XioAxelrod on March 3, 2015 at 8:31 pm
  
  Thanks! Music is my other day job, lol. I love the cave. I really should have taken better pictures of it. Maybe another time. =)
Kim Handysides on March 3, 2015 at 8:53 pm

Love your untraditional spaces, Xio & your purple pillows.
- XioAxelrod on March 3, 2015 at 9:06 pm
  
  Thanks, Kim! Purple is definitely my favourite colour. =)
Raine Balkera on March 3, 2015 at 9:10 pm

Thanks for sharing! I like all the action figures 😀
- XioAxelrod on March 3, 2015 at 9:42 pm
  
  I’m just a big kid. 😉 Thanks!
Gemma Brocato on March 3, 2015 at 10:04 pm

Nice, Xio. I’m with you, I love a space with lots of natural light. Although, your moody cave is awesome too.
- XioAxelrod on March 4, 2015 at 12:23 pm
  
  I have the best of both worlds. =)
Patti Fiala on March 3, 2015 at 11:08 pm

Lovely space Xio. Looks like a great space for writing fabulous stories.
- XioAxelrod on March 4, 2015 at 12:31 pm
  
  Thanks, Patti!
Jo Richardson on March 4, 2015 at 8:24 am

Xio I LOOOOOOVE your collection! I had a Legolas on his horse once. He got eaten. 🙁 And Buffy is still around! Woop!
Love the colors you surround yourself with and I have not seen a Bonsai tree since Karate Kid! Awesome!
- XioAxelrod on March 4, 2015 at 12:25 pm
  
  Thanks! Aww, poor Legolas. =\ Mr. X has 22 bonsai trees, at last count. Most of them live out in the greenhouse during the cold months and in the yard during the warm months. When we lived in an apartment, they took up every window sill. LOL
Ronnie Allen on March 4, 2015 at 10:17 am

wow! Definitely could be high security! At least your hubby can understand the computer age, mine can’t find the power switch! Great blog!
- XioAxelrod on March 4, 2015 at 12:30 pm
  
  LOL! Mr. X is the computer age. I’m pretty savvy and he still makes me feel like a cavewoman. 😉
Mishka Jenkins on March 5, 2015 at 5:44 am

I’m so desperate for dual monitors! Loving the cave 😀 The perfect space to hunker down and get writing.
- XioAxelrod on March 5, 2015 at 11:15 am
  
  When I’m in the cave, I also have my laptop there. It really does look like the Matrix with Mr. X and I both are in there. =)

Trading Spaces – Romance Writers Weekly

22 Comments