Holy Writing Cave, Batman!

Ahhh, the writing cave. We writer's need for solitude, four walls, a desk of some sort, computer food, drink and a bathroom--you'll not see us for hours, or perhaps days.

No, this is not a picture of MY writing cave. It is a picture taken in Jamestown, N.D. It is Louis L'Amour's writing desk and typewriter (at least we assume). This was part of a little historical town set up along the Interstate, and we wanted to stop and rest and see the white buffalo--which didn't show.

I've posted this picture up on a facebook group (WMD) where I said I was in my writing cave today, and everyone assume this was my writing cave. It isn't. I had to see if anyone said something about it. Yep. They thought it was my writing cave. Someone asked if I wrote on a typewriter (which was fun at times, but I hated to have to go and retype stuff when I needed to edit/add etc.) I had to clear up that confusion, but told them that I did once write in longhand and on a typewriter.

But back to my writing cave.

It's on the NW side of this country house, and gets the cold winds all winter long. I've had two heaters, plastic over my windows and sometimes that was not enough to keep me warm. Nine foot ceilings, the heat just escapes.

The walls of this room are painted orchid, the floor is oak. The house is over 100 years old, after all--if the rooms could talk! I have a beautiful set of French doors that allow me to escape the rest of the house. I've got a pair of sheers over them to keep me somewhat secluded as well. Only recently I've added a high-backed modern desk. Before that it was an 8-ft. table that I really didn't like. Two black bookshelves (that house a set of encyclopedias, dictionaries, my favorite writer's works, and resource books), that came from my family home sit at another end of the room, and a couch for those naps I take at the opposite end, and the lamps, and other things that clutter my room, but it's mine.

When I'm intensely writing, I may not get to bed until late, and so sleep in here. That sometimes happens. The crazy thing about being a writer with an over-active brain (and some of you must know what I mean), as soon as I lay down and think I'm going to go to sleep, the brain starts up a dialogue and the words just flow. So, I'm up and go to my computer (it's always asleep, never off), and I've got to get this down or I'll never sleep.

Of course I sometimes use a hand-held recorder to get something down, but I hate speaking into it, I loose my train of thought, and I yawn--a lot.

But the most important item for the writer to do any serious work, aside from someway to write it all down, is the writing office or cave, and the rest of the family to respect that once you're in here you're not to be disturbed--unless it's time for dinner!