Where do you write?
We all write in different spaces, from our desks to the library to the coffee shop and even our beds! Read below to see where the Undergraduate Writing Fellows write and get some inspiration to create your own writing space.
SOFIA AMORIM
Sofia Amorim, DSEM Writing Fellow
Not for me.
My writing space is not a physical geography; it’s a mental place. I live within my own head and am overly critical of my work. Ironically enough, I’ve found that writing provided me a platform for a voice that I am too nervous to share. My growth as a writer blossomed by taking risks; my best writing & ideas are born in the moment I witness them. When I write, I explore and think about things as I see them, moving parts of a whole world. Writing in my room, I am sheltered behind physical and mental walls that create a self-tailored enclave. But, placing myself somewhere outside of my world, forces me to observe the world as it is, rather than simply my picture of it.
So, to write, I push myself outside of my comfort zone. I write to work out my thoughts, to better understand things. The natural world, the metropolitan, the interaction & movements of people reveal the interconnectedness of everything. Watching a commuter drop a receipt, or staring at a stack of books waiting to be re-shelved, even smelling the burning firewood from the bottom of the mountain, I am drawn into the participation of some experience; and that experience inspires me to explore more within my own mind. Viewing actions, noticing patterns, connecting the dots of your thoughts, all in real time, it feels as though the synapses in my brain reconfigure and bridge the gaps between all the things I learned and thought I knew.
The truth is, that by being somewhere where I can’t control the environment, I surrender to the fact that even I don’t fully understand that which I think I know. Knowledge tends to be divided by discipline, but in practice in the real world, everything interacts with anything. Scratching lines with graphite, carving a stream with ink, clicking buttons that create letters on a screen, all of these actions focus the words and thoughts my mind tries to make sense of. My eyes pick apart my observations in threads, and my brain tries to untangle the web it also weaves.
It’s all about the details that drown in the waves of our daily actions; the way one person personalizes the mundane. So naturally, I’ve created a space within the spaces we share.
And, above all, it’s a space where everything builds and grows off one another.
NINA CAMPLI
Nina Campli, DSEM Writing Fellow
Within this space thoughts still don’t magically appear. Just because I am in this space doesn’t mean that I can write a perfect first draft or even think of ideas at all. This space merely allows me to stay concentrated and focused when my mental space is ready and able to write. If I am not in the right state of mind, this space becomes a place for me to play on my phone and procrastinate, or a space to do an assignment for some class that I feel more inspired to do at that moment than writing. My mind needs to be clear of worry or stress about other things and completely devoted to the task of writing. It is the most important thing for my writing process. If my heart is not in it, I simply am unable to write.
THOMAS CLEARY
Thomas Cleary, DSEM Writing Fellow
Although the picture I included does not depict this spot, exactly it shares many of the qualities I value from my preferred study area on Drew’s campus. The picture I included is of my desktop in my room. The keyboard and mouse at my desktop are the same ones that I like to bring to the library for added ease while typing. I chose to put my desktop in this location because of its proximity to the window. Like my spot in the library, there is a window in my room that gives me some natural light and access to the outside world while I work. I find that a workspace such as the one in my photo provides the best work environment for me.
STEPHANIE DE FRONZO
Stephanie DeFronzo, DSEM Writing Fellow
My room: a paradise
All of my own
Tokens of memory setting a tone
A spirit, a pitch of comfort and mind
Makes every feeling, every word defined
From phrases that float through the window
And stick to the bed
Each emotion and syllable I sift through my head
A shape is formed by the click of my keys
By each Playbill pinned up as if ready to reprise
The echo of melodies that mold a mere thought
That takes to the screen as a song or a plot
Of remembrance, or wisdom each tune starts to hum
And what wonderful stories
Or poems
Each tune can become
So if perched upon wood or upon flowering down
Each note can be sung as a verb or a noun
For the words that are written with familiar refrain
In home and in heart will forever remain
KATELYNN FLEMING
Katelynn Fleming, DSEM Writing Fellow
Outside my haven, life can get very messy. As the semester works up to a fever pitch, the confusion begins to spill in; papers pile up, some that I don’t know what to do with, some classified as less imminent in the college triage, others fascinating articles that await a free moment to be read. Stacks of books accumulate since my eyes are perpetually bigger than my free time. The busier the day, the more I’d like to just curl up with a novel in the corner. As a result, the less time I have to read, the more books find their way to my poor, overburdened bedside shelf. My desk eventually succumbs to the clutter as well; by month four of the semester it is piled high with a mixture of odds and ends that were given away at events, graded assignments, more books, unfinished leisure projects, and an indistinguishable tangle of earbuds and charging cords.
In all the confusion that builds, my bed is my raft in the storm. My bed is spread with the subject I’m working on at the moment and none of the rest. I imagine walls of blue energy surrounding the borders, creating an unclouded area in which to focus. When I am done with my work for the night, all the research, drafts, and journal articles are piled up or stuffed back into their folder, and out comes the journal and my favorite pens. The bedspread becomes not my raft but my whole world. Everything fades but the ink spreading across the creamy pages and the unobtrusive blue-green mandalas in my periphery. My island of sanity is so complete that I forget that the ocean may be blustering or even that it is there. Instead my “only reason is to be and be.”*
*Cisneros, Sandra. “Four Skinny Trees.” The House on Mango Street. New York: Vintage Books, 1984.
LEANNE (LEE) FOGARTY
I write in a place that is not meant for writing at all. I typically like to go to the commons to get my school work done. Not in those little booths specifically made for doing work, I like to take up one of the big booths in the back. They have outlets and enough room for me to spread out all my materials, snacks, and coffee. I will typically start my Saturday and Sunday mornings here and get up to grab lunch and dinner. Sometimes my friends will meet me here for food, sometimes they will sit and study with me, but nothing gets me more in the zone than putting my earbuds in with a good playlist and starting and finishing a paper within one weekend. Some people wonder why I do my work at the Commons, and there’s two main reasons on why I prefer to write in a very people-filled place: 1. I don’t like studying in the library because I cannot bring food and it is too far from my room, and 2. the Commons has a constant stream of coffee and food. Occasionally I will write a paper in my room or during my breaks at work, but majority of my time writing is at the Commons for the convenience of it.
I don’t like the idea that students should study at the library and that is the only place that work can get done. If that works for you, then good for you, but the reality of it is that it isn’t for everyone. I have friends that go into town to write papers at Drip Coffee or Starbucks and friends who write papers in their beds. As long as you feel comfortable where you are writing and you finish the work you need to get done, that’s all that matters.
KATE FULTON-JOHN
My room is usually kept neat for the moments at which my mind needs to explode in a flurry of notebooks, papers that have escaped from said notebooks, and the books and articles I need to reference in order to write. However, for as messy as my mind can be, it can also be suspiciously quiet as due dates for papers creep up. In these moments I will move myself into the EC and sit in front of the fireplace. The generally constant background noise spurs my mind and allows me to coax thoughts from my head to the computer screen. If that doesn’t work however, the fireplace is wonderful to stare into and pass time.
CHARLOTTE GRIMM
Charlotte Grimm, DSEM Writing Fellow
Pictured: Charlotte Grimm outside the EC, before and after a squirrel fell out of a tree, almost hitting an innocent bystander on the path.
I wouldn’t consider any one area to be my “writing space.” I never confine myself to one area or another. At home, when I’m writing, I take to my bed. I toss and turn under a warm blanket as the words toss and turn around my head. When I find myself in a block, I’ll change my location. Sometimes a new visual perspective allows me to rethink my writing process and clear my head.
Here at school, you can typically find me writing outside when the weather is nice. I find the EC to be the best location for me (because I can get a snack anytime!) Sitting outside does lend itself to some distractions – I mean, who wouldn’t want to “people watch?” Plus, at Drew, it’s almost guaranteed that you’ll see a rogue squirrel stealing a sandwich out of a trashcan within twenty minutes of being outside.
I try to stay out of my dorm as much as possible when writing long and important assignments. The temptation to turn on the TV or to take a nap always overcomes my efforts to be productive. Then again, wouldn’t you rather pass out in the comfort of your own room than in stuffy basement stacks of the library?
LINDSEY HEALE
Lindsey Heale, DSEM Writing Fellow
My family would say that I live at my desk, and I would be hard-pressed to disagree.
My room is a small space in a suburban house, and has always been very full of stuff. There is a corkboard to my right (which has become my cat’s scratching board more than once), and a window off to my left. The curtain is always closed, but the sun shines in if it’s open during the day. I can then see the giant tree in my backyard. Past that, over a gate, is Union Boulevard, connecting Totowa to Paterson and Rt. 46.
My space is hardly ever quiet, but background noise is not necessarily noisy. I leave livestreams or Spotifyto play on minimized tabs, but depend on Soundgarden if those two options are lacking. My neighbors to the right have a farm’s worth of animals, leaving dogs to bark day and night against Union Blvd.’s traffic.
I have never considered this area my “writing space” so much as “the space I happen to write in,” because it is first and foremost my bedroom. I like the privacy, the corner that is mine, and being surrounded by the things that are mine. Anywhere else is too open and uncomfortable, like anyone could come over and look at what I’m thinking, writing, editing, or proofreading.
Funnily enough, I like digital writing for its cleanliness and efficiency (no crossing-outs, carets, or angry lines—just delete), but my so-called “writing space” is as cluttered as any writing I do with pen and paper. I like the organized mess though.
ANDREW KATAPODIS
Andrew Katapodis, DSEM Writing Fellow
I was gifted my first computer at the age of 10 when my father decided to upgrade his. That moment would set the tone for my love of computers in multiple senses. Coincidentally that computer would also be the first step toward my career as a writer. Some of my first ever written assignments and essays were written on that computer as well as the desk where I am currently typing this. Some of my most memorable essays and long written assignments were completed on this computer while sitting at this desk which has always been located in my basement/bedroom. On paper, my basement doesn’t necessarily seem like a very suitable writing location. If it rains for an extended amount of time, my basement will start to leak and drip water, during the summer it can get extremely muggy and warm, and during the winter it can become extremely frigid. These things do not inhibit my creative outlets whilst writing however. The collective amount of good memories I have at that desk are enough to fuel the creative gauges that, in my opinion, allow for me to write at my most optimal level. To some this might not seem like a proper writing area, but that just goes to illustrate the inherent differences between humans and writers.
ALESSANDRA LE PERA
Alessandra Le Pera, DSEM Writing Fellow
My dorm room space consists of two places where I love to write. They are quite different, but are equally as effective. My desk space is very traditional with classic writing utensils, organizers, and a printer. I made it personal by hanging up quotes and pictures that inspire me. Unfortunately, as a writer, I frequently experience writer’s block, and these personal touches often help me to overcome this challenge.
On the other hand, my bed is a much more relaxed place to write. In order for my writing to sound new and fresh, I love to switch locations. My bed consists of light colors with many pillows. My body pillow serves as a backrest when I lean against the wall. In between my desk and bed is a window, overlooking greenery and the entrance to the Tolley Brown Circle. Being on the sixth floor allows me to be almost as tall as the treetops, and gives my room privacy. Writing in these spaces provides a consistent, unique, and safe environment for me to express myself. My writing space is generally quiet where I can speak my ideas allowed.
JOSH LEVINE-RITTERMAN
Josh Levine-Ritterman, DSEM Writing Fellow
I have always found it strange that my writing comes from a place that I intentionally leave empty, but somehow is also comforting. When I look out the window directly behind my laptop, all I see is the tops of trees. The elevation is enlightening; it is a space free of the pollutants of the ground that are the noises, the colors and the lights, and it allows me the perspective to look down and survey the ground below at my leisure. I choose to enter that world, or to separate myself from it, and enter into a space unpolluted and free of distraction, that I might fill with my thoughts, untethered to the rest of the world. That is my room. It is a room void of all else but my mind and my ideas, and it is the border to a foreign world, a foreign mind. Here I am free to write as I see fit, no other opinions present, but never far away should I need them for support or inspiration. To me, there can be no greater comfort in an empty room.
IZABELLA (BELLA) LOUK
Izabella (Bella) Louk, DSEM Writing Fellow
My current writing space is usually a little messy (which totally exasperates my very neat roommate), and is covered in papers from classes. I also stack books along the back of my desk so I can find them easily. Now that my desk is no longer in front of a window, I’ve put up a whole heap of pictures on my wall, so when an assignment is really getting me down, I can procrastinate by contemplating each and every picture.
Perhaps the biggest trademark of my writing space is the innumerable half-finished cups of tea, and chocolate-wrappers scattered around the place. I love tea, and have found that unless I have a piping hot cup of it by my side, it honestly does take a lot longer to get things done.
SHAYLYN MACKINNON
Shaylyn Mackinnon, DSEM Writing Fellow
On the other hand, I’m rarely the person to plan very far ahead when I write anything 12 pages or less, so most of the time my poor roommate is forced to listen to my keyboard at 1:00am as I type hunched over on my bed. I’m the type of writer that has to start with the intro and then works my way through the paper in one long flow, refusing to reread until I have at least an entire rough draft done. I know you’re not supposed to do work in bed, but I genuinely think I am most focused when I’m under a time crunch, wrapped in my green comforter. It’s nice writing in my own room because if I need a break, I can simply close my computer and shut my eyes for a few minutes or step away and talk to my suitemates so that I can vent out any frustrations or word blocks I might be having. I like to bounce my ideas off of whoever is around, even if they’re in a completely different department and don’t actually understand the subject of my essay, just so I can hear my own thought process out loud.
MARINA MOZAK
Marina Mozak, DSEM Writing Fellow
I’m a person who thinks out loud a lot of the time. When thoughts are in my head they are scattered and bounce around trying to make connections that don’t always pan out. But, if I get the chance to say them to someone, the threads line up and I’m able to follow what is a meaningful connection. This has been an asset in group work but causes problems in writing long essays. For that reason, it took a long time for me to find the perfect way to write.
Because I need to bounce ideas and logic threads off of someone it is hard to write a whole essay while locked away in a library study room like many other people do. In addition, I’m someone who needs a balance of peace and quiet and a little bit of background commotion for my best focus. The open area of the library is often too loud, with groups of people studying together and too much people-watching available to draw my attention. My room and WoCo in general is the opposite, so tranquil that I’ll doze off even at my desk plus I’m the only one in my field of study in the house, so bouncing ideas can be hard.
One place on campus strikes that perfect balance where I can write is the Student Engagement Office. My first semester at Drew I joined UPB and at that time the executive board was almost entirely other students with similar study needs to me. So, we began studying in the Student Engagement office after it closed at night and on weekends. Being in the EC provided some people-watching, but not so much commotion to hurt my productivity, the other students also needed to focus on their work but are perfect sounding boards for essay ideas. Of course, working with other people and in a public space has its pitfalls, I have gone many times and been distracted by all the activity that comes along with being in the EC or ended up talking to friends the whole time I’m there. But, the times that I go and hit my stride make up for it. The best essays of my college career have been written in the EC with the UPB board.
Now that I am a senior, many of the people I started out working in the EC with have graduated, and only one remains on UPB. But, those of us who are still at Drew continue to use the office and do some of our best work there.
JULIA MORREALE
Julia Morreale, DSEM Writing Fellow
There are a few common haunts of mine, though, that I go to particularly when I want to write. Collaborative writing tends to take place in common lounge areas around campus. We could put the writing up on the white boards or the projectors in the group study rooms in the library or have lengthy discussions in the EC. With one friend in particular, we would find ourselves discussing our Latin writing assignments or Classics presentations while in a booth at Panera’s quite frequently.
When writing under an academic lens by myself, I tend to opt for the library. Sometimes I type away under the skylights in the main area, other times in the quiet study room next to the gorgeous murals, but always with my resources spread out around me. If I’m really serious about finishing a paper, I’ll check out a day carrel, turn on an extended video game soundtrack or ocean/rain sounds, and type for hours on end. If I need a new resource or just a moment to breathe I can wander through the stacks outside my carrel, as combing through the pages of a book always relaxes me.
The books are a common theme in the spot where I spent the most time writing as well: my dorm. Murder mystery novels, manga, library books, textbooks and many others can be found in all the nooks and crannies of the room. Earlier in the day, I’ll have the window open and work at my desk surrounded by natural light, but as the night starts, I’ll curl up on my bed. Along with some background music that matches the mood that I am trying to capture in my writing, I write by the fairy lights around the top of the room, the bedside lamp, and the glow of the laptop. I sit and comfortably under the blanket that smells like my friend who always uses it when she’s over, with my back to what I call my “bat wall” that you can see in the picture. Here I can write just before I sleep, inventorying the day as it comes to an end and prepping for the next one, or simply losing track of time while writing my next short story.
MOLLY MURPHY
Molly Murphy, DSEM Writing Fellow
This space [my bed] is fully my own and the control and comfort it brings me helps me to focus my energy into whatever I’m writing. Comfort and relaxation are both essential to my writing process because, under those conditions, my mind is not impeded by the anxious energy which occupies me when I’m outside my room. I usually find myself writing at odd hours of the day or night, which means I am often alone. Solitude is also an important part of both this space and my writing and helps me to determine when I need a break, which is usually when I get a little lonely and realize how long it’s been since I’ve seen another person.
Everyone gets tired of their favorite writing spot occasionally, and on those occasions in my life, I take a walk around campus with a pen and a notebook and find somewhere shady and peaceful to continue writing. Thus far, my favorite secondary writing locations have been in the Zuck Arboretum or on the benches outside the Ehinger Center. While choosing these spots typically means giving up on the idea of being alone, the act of putting pen to paper helps me tune out the world around me, and I can people-watch if I find myself getting bored. While these are my favorite spots, I find I produce my best writing when I feel in tune with myself and connected to my own voice, regardless of the location.
ALEX PEARCE
Alex Pearce, DSEM Writing Fellow
After many years at Drew and exploring many study areas, I am certain this is the best spot to write. It’s quiet, roomy, and a bit more private, ensuring my friends don’t interrupt me every five minutes. The view isn’t bad either, especially during the fall when the leaves are vibrant. However, the most important thing about this very spot is that it is pointed in the direction of Brother’s College. The reason for this is because when I am writing, it is easy for me to get swept up in a good idea and write and write. I often carelessly ignore the time, but when I spot people walking along the path, it reminds me it’s time to go to class and I hurry along, until the next time I can come back to this spot in the library to continue with the idea I left off on.
JOHN RINALD
John Rinald, DSEM Writing Fellow
CAITLIN SHANNON
Caitlin Shannon, DSEM Writing Fellow
As an example, before I sat down today I decided it was necessary to sort through two shoeboxes of old Christmas, birthday, and post cards. I gathered up an embarrassing amount of water cups and ice cream mugs from my room and brought them to the sink. I cleared the research books covering my desk and stacked them on a shelf. I opened up my bullet journal and read what I had written as today’s task, “4:30p.m.: Writing Space Portfolio.” Well it’s 7p.m. now, but I’m here.
Whether I’m writing at 4a.m. in the Baldwin Lounge or at 11p.m. in the library during finals, my writing space follows me, or rather I create it. There’s a rotating cast of characters depending on the assignment but some of the regulars are natural lighting, a cup of coffee, and my pencil case. Some ambient music (I’ve been loving the Entre los Andes playlist on Spotify) shifts my focus from my surroundings and brings me into my mental space for writing. And then I start typing.
OLIVIA SNAZA
Olivia Snaza, DSEM Writing Fellow
If I’m going to be frank, and I’m going to be, a major weakness for me in the writing process is that through the years, I’ve tended to compare myself and my work to that of others. I continually have a hard time recognizing that I can successfully navigate the writing process through means that may be different from the person next to me.
Writing in my bed affords me the unique opportunity to take a nap when I tire from the work but it also reminds me to be true to myself. My writing style isn’t fancy. It isn’t bedazzled or high brow. It feels casual, like catching up with an old friend. Though to an onlooker, my writing may not look impressive, it is still impactful- telling, even. My points and theses are direct. Clear in style and intent, nothing in my writing is out of place or unintentional.
My bed mimics the sentiments found in the words of my works. My bed isn’t fancy. It isn’t glamorous. It is comfortable and familiar. It is a space reflective of who I am and a niche that continually allows me to express or reinvent myself as I so choose.
I make no apologies for writing from a space that supports the finding of my own voice on all fronts. It can be a challenge to find a voice as a writer especially when it prompts me to travel down some unconventional paths to get there, but I don’t fret- I nap…and then get to work. Find what works for you and own it.
HALEY WATSON
Haley Watson, DSEM Writing Fellow
I was one of those kids growing up who purposely didn’t sit next to the window during class, or I’ll else I’d be daydreaming for the entire forty-minute period. However, I admit that my current view is more distracting than an empty playground waiting for company. My 6th grade landscape portrait; adult coloring books that are certainly NOT a fad; books that have luckily not found a home on my floor; the Rolling Stone Taylor Swift exclusive that took me stores to find; and the penguin mug that was too cute to leave on the shelf. His name is Ben.
When I’m in need of some inspiration, I’ll walk over to my overflowing bookshelves. This often helps when I’m working on listicle-type blog posts or stresses me out as I imagine my to-be-read pile toppling over me. I live by the Theodore Roosevelt quote, “I am part of everything that I have read.” While my writing space is not exactly breathing, I like to think that it is both part of everything that I have written and everything that I am.
BROOKE WINTERS
I cycle between writing places as much as I run through those ten-punches-until-a-free-drink coffee cards, which is more often than I’d like to admit. My dorm room and the E.C. on campus are my go-to Drew spots to write, since they meet the first two requirements. My office hours are usually in the E.C., since it has a constant buzz of people and a Starbucks where I can spend all of my points within the first week of the semester.
I’ll write a page or so in my dorm room, and then after getting bored or distracted, or bored and distracted, I’ll pack up my bag and head to one of my other usual places. There is a corner table at Drip next to an outlet that at this point, with four consistent years of ordering cold brews and struggling through drafts, feels like an extension of my dorm room. This coffee shop has been witness to my drafts for two of my most difficult papers at Drew; my final paper for the U.N. Semester that clocked in at 27 pages and another paper about plea deals at Guantanamo Bay that inched past that record at 29 pages. I also declared my major here, so when it comes to getting to the main point, I can count on Drip to help me find it.
ABBIE YOUNG
Abbie Young, DSEM Writing Fellow
I love to write in spaces where I feel inspired. As we all know, inspiration comes in many different forms and in many different areas. My picture included above is one of many places I have written. To be more specific, that picture is from August of 2015 when my boyfriend, Jesse, met my extended family for the first time. I remember that moment as being so full of love, laughter, and comfort; it was a safe space.
That last part perfectly describes my space as a writer and where I feel most comfortable to write. I write best when I am inspired, comfortable, and feel safe. When I’m at school, I have my own spot on my best friend, Jessica’s, bed. Anytime I have any sort of assignment that involves writing, I can guarantee you I’m in that spot working on the piece. I always write there because I can bounce ideas off her (left) to make sure the direction I’m taking the paper makes sense. Maddy (middle) is an extremely talented writer who edits 99% of my papers and is one of my closest friends.