I was introduced to the Little House on the
Prairie series written by Laura Ingalls Wilder when I was about eight years
old. The characters and their adventures captured my imagination—and my love
affair with books began.
This adoration for books, especially the mystery,
thriller, and romance genres, cultivated my passion for writing. I knew early
on that I wanted what my favorite authors had—the opportunity to let your
imagination flow, capturing the ideas onto paper with the hopes of crafting a
page-turning adventure to mesmerize readers.
Sounded simple enough, but instead I followed
my second-choice career of business school as I didn’t want to starve as my
guidance counselors warned I would if I pursued a writing career. My writing
waned rather quickly. Though I still kept a journal, I didn’t write nearly
often enough to feed my muse.
Once my husband and I began raising our eight
kids (now ages 6-19), along with two dogs, my life was one big combination of
tireless wonder, delightful chaos, and, in all honesty, slap-happy exhaustion. The
only thing I was writing were notes to myself like: Cheryl, don’t lose your
mind!
While my kids were very young, I was
inundated with diapers, spit-up, and sleepless nights. At the same time, I was
enraptured by many sweet moments that I would never have known if I weren’t a
mother.
I put my reading and writing needs on hold. How
I wish I had just grabbed a book of interest and read a measly 15 minutes every
other day—at least I would’ve been keeping my dreams alive. What better escape
from a day of cranky kids than a racy love story where the heroine didn’t have
to worry about the drudgery of vacuuming the dust from behind her fridge, but
instead she could pretend to be her lover’s French maid with the focus of
buttering his hot croissants! Oui, oui!
I wish I had had a reading and writing nook
then as I do now. I call it my Writer’s Crate, symbolic of the crates that both
Kate’s family and mine have used to train our dogs when they were puppies. These
crates were safe havens for our precious dogs, and that basic need of staying
contained when there are too many distractions around is exactly why Kate and I
created our blog. Our unique writing spaces keep us grounded and on track so we
can meet our individual writing goals and deadlines.
My writing space is a cozy nook in the dining
room. I have computer armoire that I washed with a pale turquoise stain. The
dining room walls are a soft yellow so the combination reminds me of the
tropics which always lightens my mood when I want to get creative.
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My Writer's Crate is easily accessible because I can open and close the doors anytime I have a few quick seconds or, even better, an hour or two to sit and write, write, write! |
Inside my armoire, I have a laptop, writing
journals, and a framed vision board with some favorite quotes and photos that
inspire me whenever I’m feeling stuck. This space is sacred to me--a place where I can nourish my creativity.
I also have three bookshelves close by that house
my favorite writing books and novels by authors I admire and enjoy. A copy of
my first book, Pregnant Women Don’t Eat Cabbage, is close at hand, too, as a
reminder that, even with my crazy life as the mom of eight kids, there is
always time to feed the muse and write!
Though I never refuse an opportunity to visit
my Writer’s Crate, recently I implemented a regular writing routine. I awaken
an hour before the rest of my family so that I can enjoy the peace and quiet of
each new day alone with my thoughts.
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