Where I Write: Lauri Meyers

Lauri C. Meyers writes for children and people who used to be children from a book nook in her New Jersey home. You can find Lauri's work in Little Thoughts, Clubhouse Jr., Spaceports & Spidersilk, Stinkwaves, and Guardian Angel Kids magazines, as well as the upcoming publication of a poem in Highlights High Five and a YA short story in Ember. She is a member of SCBWI and 12×12. Find her tweeting about squirrels and other nonsense at @laurimeyers or blogging at www.laurimeyers.com.

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A few years ago, I became very annoyed with a storage cabinet thingy in my bedroom. Perhaps because I read The Littles when I was younger, I knew this little space under the eaves could be turned into a lovely space.

I didn't want the space to feel like Harry Potter's room under the stairs, so I opened it up. I created a tornado amount of noise and dust. I remember young me always wanted a window seat, so I added a window!

A little book nook appeared, perfect for reading, writing, or taking a "what does this character really want?" nap.

This project turned out to be the start of a new workspace (my old space was stolen lovingly passed to my husband during the pandemic). My desk is simple, which is the way I like it. I admit this picture is quite faked…I removed a banana peel, yesterday's tea, a busy notepad, and 13 Post-it notes prior to capture.

My nook holds lots of ideas … books I love, trinkets from loved ones, memories of the past. Most importantly, you can fit 18 STACKS OF PAPERS! Oh, how I love piling projects, especially because I often work on picture books, poems, and short stories simultaneously. So it usually looks like this:

I keep adding (vintage, reclaimed) storage pieces to deal with my piling problem. My file cabinet has a lid that opens up, which I really dig because I can visually see all my manuscripts. My drawer stand stores journals, pens, and Post-its. I recently added a paper sorter to help me keep up with what was on submission or needing revision. But the piling persists. (Let's be honest—if I were an animal, I'd probably be a beaver piling up papers until I had a good dam!)

Though I do spend a lot of hours at my desk, I write lots of places. In the car waiting for a pick-up, in the kitchen waiting for the water to boil, in a lawn chair waiting for the dog to do his business…stealing those otherwise lost minutes can turn into a lot of writing. Did you know J.K. Rowling wrote a lot in a pub? Hmm…I wonder if they allow piles?