Anna Aden Writes

At times, I work from home so I use a dell laptop and attach it to a keyboard. 

Back again after a break. So on the lower left handside of my desk is the money pot and a pen. Moving up is the stack of books I bought from the RARE 19 events. I bought books from Stylo Fantome, May Sage, London Miller and Ivy Asher - all of them gracious, beautiful and glamorously turned out.  Most of the  authors were all beautiful women - so RARE19 it could have easily been a social media meet and greet event of Youtube beauty influencers and creatives, only with authors and their books. It was a glamorous event with a good feel atmosphere so you can see why fans flock. It's a real day out! These are all new authors to me as I attended the event out of curiosity. Last year, I happened to come across an indie author's page who had a blog post on it, so I found out more details and went.  There was no real method to buying the books, I just happened to arrive, and there where so many people so it was tables that really caught my eyes. The first...

Nothing much for a hot day. Masking tape, the note books with apples on top, the money pot, a rescued pre-loved stationary arranger, hole punch, calculator and two pair of earrings. 

A fairly busy desk compared with previous weeks. So lets start with the folder. That is my one of my writing folders, I have a few scattered around my home. On the left hand side is a pencil, opposite is a famous text called the The Art of Styling Sentences. Yes, I figure I need a little more practice in writing clearer sentences in some of my scenes.  I had a conversation with Big Mama (my mother) about this writing lark. Before I just used to write a draft and go on to the next, but since publishing my books, I've had to really think about editing and making sure I produced a story to the best of my ability, and if you have followed me on the blog you'll know the this current manuscript has been a real task in time, money and effort.  Anyway, I've had this book for years but never used it - but then I had no cause to as the other stories just feel into place. Let's not digress, next are the fruit and veg my mother brought from her garden. Three apples (lar...

Another tidy desk and it's probably because I'm working on the sofa, so one sofa seat currently acts as as an 'in tray'. Anyway this is my desk. So two note books, the first is notes and the second underneath is more or less for rough scribblings. There is a a pencil. Rymans is a popular stationary chain in the UK, and pricey - well the cost of stationary had really increased in the last year or so. Maybe due to the political climate? Who knows? But paper is expensive so I might have to curtail my  lust for it, maybe start reopening half used notes books.  Beyond the notebooks on the far upper right handsome is the money pot with an eyeliner pencil on top. A littler further to the desks edge is my water bottle. Coming back down is a folder with some writing and composition notes. 

So not much today. My folder of writing notes, but I took time out for some drawings. I have a lot of paper around the place that I use for scrape.  pretty much the same, my jar of organic coconut oil, which has surprisingly being a good moisturiser. However I need to get back to cocoa butter soon. Next to the coconut oil is my water bottle from a health retreat called Amchara Health Retreat. It was in a Somerset stately home, I have pictures.  Sis treated me too, and she booked one of the best rooms for me. It was a lovely four poster bed. The nights were completely dark due to no light pollution so it took some time for me to get used to. You can see my cabin case on the floor, to the right of the desk.  It was about detoxing and I did lose a few pounds and learnt a lot about healthy eating.   Not to digress any further, and back to my desk, next to the water bottle is my packet of Kleenex tissues, then the money pot. Yes, the famous m...

I guess its a bit of an occasion having a clear desk. Nothing my laptop and red desk top. I'm working on tidying up the area around me, it's currently cluttered with things I keep saving, so hence the reason why desk is clear.  A collage of the past Let's face it, my desk will probably be back to normal -or it's cluttered state very soon.

My desk is tidier than normal, though probably needs a wipe down. I guess, I've been actively working on editing so I've really needed to use it. Normally, I write anyway in my home with the laptop since it's fairly lightweight.  Let's crack on. At the far edge, is a notebook where I'm putting down editing comments, further up is a pencil sharpener which I tend to use more for my eye liner pencils, than actual pencils. After that is my desk lamp, a pen, pencil holder and the big jar of organic coconut oil. I use this as a hair and body moisturiser. Normally, I use Palmers cocoa butter but I haven't been to the area where I get the big jar, and it's quite expensive in my local area.  Next is the Big Boss's book on Mastery - still unread, underneath is a folder of sorts which either photoshop or writing notes. This reminds me I need to sort out my cover.  After which is my glasses's case and MacBook air. So that's my desk for this today. ...

Not much. Just my On Editing book which has been useful above it is the 52 week money challenge's money pot. After that is my desklamp, penholder and my big boss's book called Mastery. I haven't had a chance to look at it yet, I'll have to do that when I finish editing my book. Next is just a pile of notes from editing. 

A neater desk to start to week. Yay! Starting from the left hand side, is my blue notebook - there I keep random writing, tasks lists and to-do lists. Underneath is my A4 refill pad from Rymans and this is where I write out scenes and other stuff before I type them up.  Next is my desk lamp and penholder. After which is the book on Mastery, and no I haven't read it. I think that has been sitting there for a few months now. It's really my big boss's book. He's really kind and generous man. Moving on is my Spellbinding Sentence book by Barbara Baig I'm working through. The main issue with Baig's book is that she assumes all writer writes the same.  And if you don't write the way she assumes or according to her premise, it's can be tedious.  The assumption? Well she assumes as writers we all have the same type of imagination, as in visual. But we are all different, some of us are aural based, or sensory based and others are visual. We all proc...

Today I have more of a writerly desk, so let's roll. From the far left handside is my writing magazine, I treat myself to it, and it has some interesting articles at times. It's just something I flick though the way other people buy GQ, Vougue or Marie Claire. It's my monthly interest magazine, and no I don't do the writing exercises but then who buys all the clothes, make-up and perfume advertised in the high-end women's magazines.  Next is a bottle of vitamins, this was a gift from Sis. Yes, as you probably realise, Sis is very generous with her gifts as they are normally featured on my desk. If fact the Apple Notebook is also one.  A small fact is that I bought my first phone only two years ago because for the last ten years, Sis gave me all her hand-me-downs. She's very on top of technology - ahead of the curve, wave or early adaptor.  Anyway she got me them because she's into healthy eating and body care, and probably got them on discount. ...

A messier desk than usual today. So starting from the lower left handsome, there is my Baldwin book of essays, I think I shall return that today. On top of the book are some coins, a pen and my handbag or purse. Beyond the handbag is my Friday money pot,  where I put my weekly 52 week money challenge cash. Next to it is the coconut oil, I use for my hair, and an old ruler. Yes, sometimes the desk acts as a dressing table. Just sometimes. Then the regulars - my desk lamp and pencil case. Next is my glasses case and penholder, followed by a greeting card. I used to make greeting cards so that is one from a long time again. Maybe I should start again? I used to be into crafts and I hand made invitations. Big Momma makes cards, and sells them at markets. Not to digress, and moving on. The box which contains the sauces, and that is an old diary. Yeah, a week later, I still have the liquid lipstick brush squatting on the desk, and black cover is my face cream. I should get roun...

A nearly decluttered desk. Surprise, right? I know and there are reasons but lets roll with the line up. It starts with my faithful MacBook Air - this reminds me I must got to the Apple shop as the screws are coming loose. Never had this with my PC laptop. Next making an appearance after missing for a while is my desk lamp. Yes, I had house guests so one needed a reading lamp in the bedroom for the the duration of their stay. Now the lamp is back. Underneath the lamp is a piece of card which is a mobile phone top-up voucher. Yes, I have a pay-as-you-go sim, its just convenient. After that is my calculator, very important in my line of work, which brings me to why the desk is sort of decluttered. I had a very bad cold last week, spent a couple of days in bed, dragged myself to the workplace sniffing, sneezing and feeling stuffed. So I decided it was best to work from home otherwise the journey in would do me no good, and run me into the ground. Plus, it would take longer to recove...

A busier desk than usual. From the lower left hand-side is my marked up synopsis I'm supposed to be working from, and above it is a container with the scene index cards. No, it's not a masterpiece just trying out a lot of editing techniques to find out what works. Moving clockwise are sachets of tomato ketchup and mayonnaise from my whooper burger. I rarely use the extra sachets given, though I might carry them to work, in case I get chips/french fries or something as the workplace cafeteria charges extra for them. Yes, the even charge for coffee cups. Next to the sauce sachets are my penholder, china mug, and a pile of stuff. The pile is my pink glasses case, a coaster (I probably should have put the mug on that) and the book on mastery I'm still yet to read. The blue tube is  handy size of hand cream for my bag. Moving down is my pencil case, calculator, a bunch of loose pens, a pair of glasses and my old glasses case. Next to it is my diary in some box. Then final...

As you can probably tell by now, my desk acts as extra storage space. So as per normal starting from the lower left handside. That is my burgundy or red wine mulberry purse. I got it in the sale a few years ago, at House of Fraser, I like high end designer bags because they tend to last longer, saying there I have two I need to fix. One is a Gucci messenger bag and the other is a Hispanitas but I think it will cost far more to fix them than the what I bought them from. The Gucci is about ten years old and Hispanitas probably older - note these are just daily-use (hence the state) casual bags. The messenger is really grubby and I was going to throw it out, but who throws out a Gucci bag? Anyway, let me not digress. Moving up is my copy of On Editing by Corner-Bryant and Price which I've been actively using. Some greats ideas and not so great ideas, but on the whole I'm finding it value for money. So I'll be using elements of it for the next draft pass. Under the book, ...

Starting from the lower left hand side, is my copy of On Editing- How to edit your novel the professional way by Helen Corner-Bryant and Kathryn Price. I've been working this through this book for my current novel-in-progress. Underneath the book, is my folder which had mynovel-in-progress. Moving upwards is my calculator and penholder. Next to that are a pile of sketches I drew from the book I finished on Sunday. Yay, me! I still feel good about it. So I'm on to the next. After that the book on mastery hasn't moved. It's on my reading list but not sure when. On it is a coaster from Margate, a seaside town.  It was a gift from Sis. Next on the lower right hand side is another pile of papers and notebooks. On the pile is a Waitrose Food calendar, it was a free gift in their monthly magazine. I used to use it as a planner before I bought my daily.

Does the clutter ever do? No. My desk is normally used as extra storage or an temporary space when I'm tidying up. Anyway, the weekend was hectic due to busy work, then a day trip to up country to Leeds, so I only had Sunday to myself. And on Sunday, I was updating the blog as well. So shall we? Starting from lower left handside and working upwards - clockwise. To digress, it's funny how all clocks are now digital so in a way the whole clockwise, or anti-clockwise thing may be redundant for a younger generations. I remember being taught to tell the time. I was really bad at it. But it's kinda interesting because some people use it for directions as well. On you'll see that person in a three o'clock direction - that way you automatically know they will be on your right hand side etc...Anway back to the desk. There are a pile of books and folders. The wire bound is just a notebook for stuff, yeah, stuff. Then on  top of that are my course notes for plotting, s...

I'm still thinking and pondering over the editing options from yesterday but after a walk into town and a nice massage I thought there must be a way through this after all I have now attended two editing courses, the worst one was Curtis Brown (the editing bit was useless but agent was fantastic), my judgement is still out for Holly Lisle though I feel it's a good course though a little too detailed, and an editing conference. Hey hoy, let's roll on with today. As usua, I'll start from the lower right  hand side and working clockwise. First is a pair of my reading glasses, under that is my copy of On Editing : How to edit your novel the professional way by Helen Corner-Bryant and Kathryn Price. I was actually following this before I decide to take the Holly Lisle's course. The thing is being dyslexic, working through books can be a chore, and this is pretty dense and packed with information. Also I feel following books can be somewhat rigid and inflexible rathe...

I'm in the midst of tidying up so the desk is a more cluttered compared to normal. Starting on the lower left hand side and working clockwise, is my calculator. It's a casio job and solar powered. This has seen me through a flurry of professional exams. Next to that is How To Draw Anything by Mark Liney. This is my next drawing project. I am to draw all the 260 drawings in it. I've already done about 48 or so, and I'm looking to complete it sometime this year. It's part of my goal planning practice. After that is my dairy - I had to get one for work as it's a pretty meeting-rich environment. No, electronic calendars don't quite do the job.  Under that is a copy of the latest UK Cosmopolitan magazine. It's been reduced to a pound but the paper quality is also poorer, not the nice glossy paper. I guess it feels more like the stuff used in American magazines. Under that is a notebook. Next to pile is a bottle of castor oil for my hair. Something tha...

Okay I'm starting from the lower left handside in a clockwise direction. So that's my note pad with  notes for a difficult scene in the book.  I wrote the scene but I'm not happy with it. I guess first drafts are rarely any good, but they never come out the way I think them in my head. Away on top of the pad are my spare glasses - yes, I do wear specs for computer work. On the upper right hand side are three pots of pelargonium peltatum  (I typed this straight from the label) that Sis brought me as a gift. I just found out they are also called ivy geraniums. They are just there for the time being. The pots are one a bunch of papers and a book....yes. After that a broken index card holder which contains my pack of index cards for my story, yeah, I have touched them for weeks now, a cat from a greeting card, and my NetGallery freebie. Same old stuff as in the bottle of castor oil, a packet of tissues, and my desk lamp.. Moving downwards is my pencil case sitting on to...