This was written the first month I moved to Hawaii. It's actually decent advice, but it turned out I rarely get two hours alone, not all my kids are in school any longer, and I'm constantly following everyone else's schedule. If there's a way, I urge you to put yourself and your writing first. For me, it's just not going to happen.

At last I may actually get my writing taken seriously, not because my family
gets it after years and years, but because they are all adults or close to it,
they all go to school in some form or another, and my husband only comes home for lunch. Yes, I may get two hours to work each day uninterrupted.

Had to get that out. It's sarcastic, to be sure. I've only been talking about
this since the day I started taking my writing seriously in January of 1997.

We had a pretty spot picked out and organized for an office when I realized our
room is a great size, no one will walk through it, I can close the door AND lock
it, and I can easily not notice it at bedtime. And for those of you who believe
you shouldn't work where you sleep, fret not, I haven't slept well in years,
after taking everything out for years. It's time to work my heart out.

I have learned to make things easy on myself a bit. I didn't cut down, cut out, or throw things away, I simply simplified. 24 folders - 2 for each month, one is
immediate action because it's due that particular month, and the other is
anything received, like rejection slips, bills, and yes, check stubs! That's it.
Why make it harder? When I'm rich and famous, I still won't change it because
that doesn't happen often for writers, but if it did, I'd HIRE OUT!

Lastly, I ditched the desk and got a big round table. All my work and my laptop
can be there when I'm working and can slide into a small clear plastic tub when
I'm not working. Nothing complicated. I still use the desktop, but that's
downstairs in the office that will never work as an office because it's too
convenient. For. Everyone. To. Stop. Me. From. Writing.

And thanks for sharing my slice of Heaven.

Goodnight!

Simplify

Years ago, when I had way more kids in the house and obviously too much time on my hands, this was my home office set up. I had a big beautiful desk in the corner, but I liked the open space better.

As I writer, I had to research a lot. My website program was only available through Windows (gag). I felt three computers (and a television) was just what the publisher ordered!

No more! I have since simplified - I now use mostly hand-coding for the website, and only my Mac laptop and iPhone - it's all I need. Not only that, but once I downsized everything, I feel better and am more productive.

Take a look around. Is there anything you really don't need? Is there anything creating MORE work for you? Get rid of what you don't need and work the you-know-what out of those few invaluable pieces.