Maybe the topic of writing sheds has always been a popular one, and I just never noticed before. Or maybe it’s become a symbol of all that we’ve lost in our culture, in terms of quiet, solitude, and contemplation. (Seriously, I don’t know anyone who doesn’t want a writing shed, even if they don’t plan to write anything in it.) In any case, there’s been a lot of stuff about writing sheds in the net-o-sphere lately. The New York Times published this piece by David Wood a few days ago. There’s actually a FaceBook group called Cabin Porn, with over 13,000 fans (not strictly limited to writing sheds, but then again, how many of us see a beautiful picture of some secluded little getaway and think, “If only I had one of those, I could finally write that novel?”) I’m guessing there’s much more on the topic of writing sheds, but I’m not deliberately seeking this information out, just reporting on what crosses my path.
Last summer Liz Ahl posted on her blog about her own writing shed, and I was so inspired that I demanded she let me post about mine, too–this was before I decided to have my own blog, a move I put off for years. Being the accommodating soul that she is, Liz interviewed me about my own shed. You can read it here.
Mine would be more of a reading shed than a writing shed, but yeah, I’d love one. And I have the woods to put it in….
Now with the kids almost out of the nest, I am settling in to my man-cave. New Brunswick is a bit colder than your lovely South Shore. I also face a chicken and egg dilemma: I can’t afford a shed until I publish that best seller, but can I publish the best seller without a shed? And the chances of my lovely wife not taking it over with lawn mowers and snow blowers is even less likely. Sigh.