By necessity, there are three desks in our living/dining room, and only one love seat in front of the TV. Although my spot isn’t as comfy as I’d like, it works for me.

Mostly.

A couple of months ago I started bringing my laptop over to the love seat so I could be in front of the TV while I worked. It was comfy there, even though I had to balance the board my laptop sits on on a pillow on my lap, and the little twelve inch table really didn’t hold the accouterments I need. Although at first these trips to the couch were brief visits, it eventually ended up being the default location for my computer and I all but abandoned my desk.

That wasn’t good for productivity, but I was cutting back just about everything I could cut back, from Friday blog posts to activities around the community. Struggles with living in a tiny space, having a low income, and figuring out family scheduling logistics was overwhelming.

One year ago I stopped NaNoWriMo after only a couple of weeks because we found out we had to move in January. That transition, though good, has been lengthy and, in many ways, it is still in progress. My writing productivity dropped severely, and instead of working with a big cushion ahead of schedule, I ended up scrambling at the last minute to meet my deadlines.

With NaNo marking the one year point, I knew I had to put energy back into writing, carving out the time and support I need. Part of that meant returning to my desk instead of vegging on the couch.

This isn’t an ideal set-up. Yes, I have my moon globe and Hoberman sphere, LaLaLampy and the tower of cutesies, a plant, a place for the cat, and many of the other things I need or want around me while I work. The family has to kinda squeeze behind me to get into the kitchen. I can still see the TV, which is good and bad. It’s the ONLY TV now, so if someone else wants to watch it, I don’t tell them “No! I’m writing!” If it really bothers me, I take the laptop into the bedroom.

I didn’t get much writing-related stuff done during the day today. Part of that was business with other life things, part was OCD brain latching onto the wrong things, and part was not having my desk. But I’m here now, I have my earphones on plugged in to Tabletop Audio (check it out… GREAT background sound for #AmWriting!) I have water and a Cherry Coke, and although the cat is currently absent I’m sure he will be back.

As far as #ROW80 goals go, this has been a good week. I had one awful day where I didn’t write at all, and some days were low wordcounts, but I’m definitely getting back in the groove. I only have 361 words on my novel so far (Hey, it’s day one) but I’m OK with that for now. I do most of my writing after the kids are in bed.

Where do you set up to write? Is it ideal, or just good enough?