The Writing Room

A genie has granted your wish to build your perfect space for reading and writing. What’s it like?

My ideal room for reading and writing would be a forty-one square meter attic converted to a small library. Facing north is a small round window, where enough amount of sun- and moonlight seeps through and allows me to star gaze at night. Toward the left of the window is an indigo beanbag where I’d laze to read my book. On the wall are suspended shelves where all my non-fiction books, mostly cookbooks, would be placed. Toward the right side of the window, is a small coffee table where I would place the latest editions of magazines I would be interested in. A coffee maker and a jar of freshly ground coffee beans would also be on the able, along with my favorite mug and thermos tumbler.

Facing east are bookshelves where I’d put all my fantasy and sci-fi books, arranged alphabetically according to the authors’ names, if the same author has multiple books, according to the title or series order. The bookshelves are made of wood, painted TARDIS blue. There are cylindrical wall lamps on the wall, at both sides of the shelves. Above the shelves are framed poster of different fantasy and sci-fi TV series, such as Doctor Who, Once Upon a Time, Flash, Arrow, DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, Supernatural, etc.

The wall facing south would be my writing area, where a shelf with a fold-out study table is placed. The shelves keep my procedural, mystery and detective novel collection arranged the same way the books in the other shelves are arranged. On the left side of the shelf is a wall pocket organizer where I’d put my planner and journals. My laptop would be on top of the shelf for easy access when I need to write at my fold-out study table. On the wall, to the right of the shelf, is a white- and corkboard combo where I’d put reminders for myself, to-do lists, writing prompts, and story ideas—or occasionally, where I’d pin photos on self-developing films.

The entire west wall is painted with the map of the world, where I can attach sticky notes on every country or city. These notes are important details about the places, prominent features, tourist spots, and other information that a writer needs to know about the them for future work references. I would also mark the places that I want to go to and have been to as a reminder that I need to feed my wanderlust.

Hanging on the ceiling are dreamcatchers of different sizes, colors, sizes, and designs. In the middle of the ceiling is a simple chandelier made of tea cups and transparent mugs with LED lights whose color and intensity I can change and adjust. The floor is purely made of wood, and in the center, is a trapdoor that serves as the entrance and exit.