Malinda Lo
Blog
Feb 13, 2009
Photo Friday: The office
This week I have no exciting photos of food or lighthouses to show you, because I spent the entire week trapped in my office. I’ve been working on making the first 75 pages of Book 2 presentable, and simultaneously reading the first-pass page proofs of Ash. (Page proofs are printouts of what the pages of the book will actually look like; my job is to read them and see if there are mistakes or small things I want to change. There is also a proofreader, who will check for typos and those kinds of errors.)
So, since I spent all week holed up in here (and am still here all day Friday!), I thought I’d give you a little tour of my office. (I know, I know, you’re breathless with anticipation!)
Here’s the view of my office from the doorway:
I think of the black desk (on the right) as my writing desk, since I do all writing by hand while sitting at that desk. I tend to do my editing at that desk, since I like to actually physically mark up a manuscript (in green ink), rather than just editing in Word. Here’s a close-up on the black desk, with the Ash page proofs spread out on top:
The book that is open next to the printer on the left is the Chicago Manual of Style. Yes, I have actually consulted it while reading the page proofs.
Here’s the brown desk, on which I keep my computer (that’s my HP laptop, but I have just bought a MacBook Pro that is coming next week!!):
In front of the computer are the first four chapters of Book 2, which I am trying to organize by charting them out in a spreadsheet; that’s what’s on-screen. I also use a joystick mouse, because my right hand started developing carpal tunnel symptoms last year (it’s doing better now).
To the left of the computer desk is the giant black filing cabinet that a friend saw on the street in Noe Valley and helped me drag home. It’s definitely the best free item I have ever acquired.
Inside the filing cabinet are lots of really bad drafts of Ash, and on top in that orange box is everything I know so far about Book 2 (it’s a lot emptier than I’d like). On the bulletin board above the cabinet are the paintings I did last week.
Here’s the bookcase in my office:
The books on here are totally disorganized and I haven’t yet gone through and sorted them out. I have another two (even bigger) bookcases in the living room that also need sorting out … sigh.
Last but not least, the best part of my office is the awesome ceiling:
I had to lie on the floor to take this picture, which made me realize that I don’t do that nearly enough.
To see more writers’ offices, check out this great collection from The Guardian. Have a wonderful weekend!
That is So weird! Just minutes before I signed onto my computer and checked my feeds and saw that you had made a new post I was thinking of some things that I wanted to ask you . . . and you just answered most of them!
I wanted to know how you wrote — not the creative side of things though, the practical side of your process. I wanted to know if you wrote by hand. I also wanted to know how you edit — if you print it out and make notes by hand. I was even curious if you had a preferred ink color! I also wanted to know what program you use to do you’re writing when you’re working on the computer and if you keep all of your various drafts along the way.
How much of your writing do you do by hand and how much on the computer? What’s your favorite type of pen to use?
That’s so exciting about your MacBook Pro! You’re going to love it! I got mine the summer before last. There was definitely an adjustment period though after having used PCs all my life. Have you spent much time on Macs before? One thing that you NEED to know is that when you’re copying and pasting folders on a Mac they DO NOT behave the same way that they do on a PC. If you have two folders of the same name and you’ve already pasted one and you’re pasting the other in the same place expecting them to merge like they would on a PC . . . it’s not going to work, and you may possibly have a heart attack. You will replace the original folder and lose all of the original contents. You get a very similar warning message on a Mac to what you would get on a PC . . . so it’s an easy mistake to make. Once you make it, you have no way of getting the files in the original folder back because they haven’t actually been deleted, so they’re not in the trash . . . they’re just GONE. I lost several hundred pictures that way. It was traumatic. It was over a year ago. I’m still not over it.
Your office looks like a great place for writing! I love the windows — especially the one in the ceiling. I think you’re right, you should lay on the floor in there more often.
Is your office always that organized, or did you clean it up for the photos?
ps — check out foxmarks (http://www.foxmarks.com/) for your bookmarks. It will make switching computers a lot easier — you’ll be able to bring all of your bookmarks with you. I thought it only worked with firefox, but it looks like they’ve expanded it to work with IE and Safari too.
Heather, that is a little frightening that you can apparently read my mind!
Thanks for the tips on the Mac — yikes about losing files accidentally. I have used a Mac before at work, and it was a very clumsy period of adjustment, but I have faith that this time won’t be as bad. I’m basically buying the Mac because I want that Scrivener program so bad (OK and my PC is getting old). So I’m hoping to use that to write, as soon as I get it set up!
To answer your questions, I tend to write the rough draft on the computer, as well as any longer passages I have to write during revision. But I do line-edit on paper with a green pen (my high school English teacher used green ink on our papers, and I totally stole that from her). Sometimes if something isn’t coming out on the computer, I find that it’s easier to write by hand.
Favorite pens! That’s totally a subject for an entire blog post. (Yes I’m a nerd.) I am partial to those Pilot VBall ink pens in extra fine width for general writing. For my journal, which is purely personal writing, I use a Tombow Zoom pen that I’ve had since 1997; it takes refillable ink cartridges.
And I totally cleaned my office up before I took the pics.
i bought a macbook pro with my advance. hee! and you sound busy busy! good luck! i wish i had an office. i have a dining table. =)
I don’t know, I was actually thinking that you were the one reading my mind! I was wondering about all of this stuff yesterday too.
I’m sure you’ll be fine on your new Mac. It sounds like you’ve already had your Mac adjustment period. Even if it was with a previous OS, you should have a much easier time adjusting this time around.
I heard about Scrivener when I did NaNoWriMo. I’ve actually been thinking about getting it for when I start working on my second draft. At the moment I am reading my first draft and marking it up with red pen. (my teachers always used red) Though I haven’t decided yet if what I’ve written is really salvageable or not. I’m hoping it is.
Hey, nothing wrong with being a nerd! I’m the one who brought up the pen thing — I’m a nerd myself. I really like the Pilot Rolling Ball pens too, though I haven’t used the VBall ones before. Right now I’m using a red Precise V5. I enjoy looking at the ink through the little window. (I’m a nerd *and* a dork)
How messy/cluttered was your office beforehand?
Are you watching Dollhouse tonight? I am, I can’t wait!
Hey Malinda,
Cool office. Nice writing mojo with the multiple desks and windows and bookcase.
Do you write your edits by hand all the time? I shudder to even think of the idea. My handwriting has progressed to completely illegible. I’d be lost without my computer…. :0
Nice office; I like the 2 desk concept; even though I don’t write. I love the windows; the lighting must be so wonderful; and trees. nice.
I didn’t realize we’re supposed to organize our bookcase; mine is wherever a book fits; and some are on my desk, somewhere on my desk.
Happy Valentine’s Day