Back in 2024, when our blog prompt was a letter of the alphabet for each month, I wrote this post for the letter S. This is a repeat of that post because my favourite space to write is still my old rolltop desk. It is the birthplace of my first book, soon to be published, so I’ve spent many hours here lately.
When my mother left me a gift of money in her will, the first purchase I made with it was an oak rolltop desk, something I knew she would want me to own. From the time I showed an interest as a child until her passing, she encouraged and supported my desire to write. Whenever I roll up the cover on my desk, I feel her loving presence.
The handsome old desk stands in an alcove, its worn wood interior smoky with thousands of words forged in the fires of my imagination, meditations and experiences. To me it is not just a desk, it is a sacred space where, as I practice my craft, I feel the Holy Spirit flow through me. I keep a scented candle burning nearby when I write, to remind me it is not by might, nor by power, but by His Spirit I am given the words He may possibly use to draw others to Himself.
There are other spaces where I sometimes write, however, this desk is where creativity happens most often. It contains tools like my laptop, dictionaries, writing books, pens and sticky notes. Its cubbyholes and drawers are messy and cluttered with the debris of a busy mind. I like it that way. Then there are treasures which motivate me, like a stuffed frog with its acronym attached on a label˗˗˗Fully Rely On God, or a trinket box embellished with a porcelain fountain pen. Above my desk hangs a painting by my daughter, of a woman’s hands holding an open book.
Every writer has a favourite space to write, whether at the kitchen table, in a private study, at a cafe or outside in a garden. Our space where we write is important to us. I find it interesting to see photos of the writing spaces of well-known authors. When in Paris, I visited an English bookstore where Ernest Hemingway used to write. His desk, typewriter, and some of his books were still there, tucked away in a quiet corner of the shop. It was inspiring to be where some of his great works were created.
Physical space for writing is important, but not as key as mental space. Nowadays the time and energy required to function in our culture is often not conducive to a writer’s need for mental space. Creating mental space for writing to thrive is about giving the mind the chance to clear and reset, while also letting the subconscious get to work in the background. When I am asked to describe my writing process, I say that most of the work goes on in my mind before I actually get down to writing.
The best of ideas and problem-solving occur when I am doing some simple activity not requiring deep focus, like cooking, going for a walk, or gardening. When it feels as though I am thinking about nothing, I am giving myself mental space, so my subconscious has free rein. The key is to find something that takes my mind off of my work in progress, so it has a chance to grow organically. Daydreaming is an absolute necessity in my life as a writer, providing a mental space where ideas can percolate in my subconscious while I focus on a simpler activity.
We are fearfully and wonderfully made in the image of God, whose creativity is beyond understanding. He created us to be writers, so He knows what we need to write˗˗˗both tangible and internal spaces where, prompted by His Spirit, our words create worlds inspired by Him.
Valerie Ronald writes from an old roll top desk in Portage la Prairie, Manitoba, with her tortoiseshell cat for a muse. A graduate of Langara College School of Journalism, she writes devotionals, fiction and inspirational prose. Her purpose in writing is to encourage others to grow in their spiritual walk.
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