The Writer's View: Jana Richards

This post is part of a Virtual Book Tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Jana will be awarding a $20 Amazon gift certificate to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops in the tour.

The Writer's View

It’s funny you should ask about my workspace because it is currently a work in progress. It’s getting spiffed up, cleaned up and organized. I hope.

I’ve been frustrated for a very long time by my office. For many years it has doubled (or tripled) as a guest bedroom/storage closet. Whenever we didn’t know what to do with something, it ended up in this room. Finally, last summer when my youngest daughter moved out and got a place of her own, I got rid of the bed in here and turned her old bedroom into the guest room. That freed up a lot of space – or at least as much space as you can get in a 10’ x 10’ room. The problem was I had no storage space.  I seem to generate a lot of paperwork. Research information I want to keep. Story ideas. Binders filled with information on the craft of writing. Then there’s all the household records that I seem to be in charge of, whether I like it or not. Aside from two small, crappy filing cabinets, and a rickety old bookshelf, I had no storage.  I didn’t even have space for basic office supplies.

Something very exciting happened in my city last November; a new Ikea store opened. I hadn’t been terribly keen about its opening until I realized that they had great selection of office furniture. This was exactly what I needed. Some place to put stuff.

But I don’t just want to hide away the clutter, although that is part of my plan. I need to organize this mess I call my office. I can’t tell you how often I’ve wasted time looking for something because it was buried under a pile, misfiled or just plain lost. My goal is to organize my paperwork, especially all the stuff to do with my writing, so that anything I need is just a touch away.

My first step was to paint. This room has been a bright pineapple yellow for several years – my daughter’s pick, not mine. It had to go.  A nice blue, or blue grey, maybe blue-green would be a restful color more conducive to creativity. Or so I thought.

I went to the paint store and got some little pots of paint samples in a couple of the blues that I liked in the store. But when I painted a couple of patches on the wall, I hated them. This room has a north facing window so it doesn’t get much sunlight. Whatever my feelings about the pineapple yellow, at least it was always warm and bright. The blue made the room feel like a dungeon. I couldn’t imagine a more depressing room color to write in.

So back to the paint store I went. I selected yellow again, except a softer, buttery, yellow instead of in your face pineapple. And I love the results. It’s warm and bright without being garish.

Now all I have to do is bring back all my stuff, in an organized fashion, of course. Only the stuff I really need will get to come back. I see a lot of paper shredding in my future. I also see a room where I can happily write my dreams.  

Do you have a room you can call your own? Someplace to write and think, or maybe sew or do crafts? What do you think is the best color to increase creativity?

Thanks so much for having me today. I’m celebrating the release of “There Goes the Groom” by awarding one lucky commenter on this blog tour a $20 Amazon gift certificate. In addition, I’m giving away a PDF copy of my romantic comedy “Rescue Me” to anyone who signs up for my newsletter. Read an excerpt from “Rescue Me” on my website. Good luck!

About the Author: 

Jana Richards has tried her hand at many writing projects over the years, from magazine articles and short stories to full-length paranormal suspense and romantic comedy.  She loves to create characters with a sense of humor, but also a serious side.  She believes there’s nothing more interesting then peeling back the layers of a character to see what makes them tick.

When not writing up a storm, working at her day job as an Office Administrator, or dealing with ever present mountains of laundry, Jana can be found on the local golf course pursuing her newest hobby.

Jana lives in Western Canada with her husband Warren, and a highly spoiled Pug/Terrier cross named Lou. You can reach her through her website at http://www.janarichards.net

http://janarichards.blogspot.com

http://www.facebook.com/JanaRichardsAuthor

http://www.amazon.com/author/JanaRichards

http://www.twitter.com/JanaRichards_  @JanaRichards_

Buy link:  www.uncialpress.com/There-Goes-The-Groom.html

Eight years ago Tony left Olivia at the altar. He was sure she didn't really want to marry him. Now he's back, and they're forced to work together.

Coming home isn't easy for Tony, because his father wanted him to work at a trade instead of going off to college. Their relationship is still unsteady. Even before Tony's return, Olivia began questioning the depth of her love for her fiancé, a man she chose because he was safe and reliable. Yet the last thing she wants is a loveless, faithless marriage like the one her parents suffered through.

When Tony, who never stopped loving her, insists her fiancé is the wrong man for her, Olivia sets out to prove him wrong. But the sexual chemistry between them is still strong, and so are her feelings for him. Even so, how can she break her engagement, hurt her fiancé as she was once hurt? And how can she trust Tony not to abandon her as he did before?

If anyone does the jilting this time, she will.