Where writers write: 1

After “Where do you get your ideas from?” one question readers ask writers is how or where they write. Your favorite BestSelling authors are happy to show you their workspaces — and maybe to inspire readers to become writers themselves.

Roger Eschbacher

In addition to writing YA sci-fi and fantasy adventure novels, I also write TV animation for Warner Bros, Netflix, Nickelodeon, and many others. These days most animation writing is freelance, which means I primarily write from home and only go into the studios for meetings. 

I’d been been using a cluttered and mildly chaotic spare bedroom to write, but when the pandemic hit, and I was 100% working out of my house (translation: I was climbing the walls), I decided I needed to upgrade to a real home office/writing space. I cleared out the clutter, painted the walls and baseboards, bought some decent office furniture, then gathered my animation cels and framed some of my favorite posters. 

Voila! My chaotically cluttered spare bedroom was transformed into a calming, creative oasis where the focus is writing. 

See all Roger’s books on his BestSelling Reads author page.

Scott Bury

I’m lucky enough to have a roomy main-floor study in my house, with a big window that looks out to the side and a tall cedar hedge. 

I repainted it and put in a new laminate floor that looks kind of like hardwood. It was easy to put down and a fraction of the cost of hardwood. 

So for this picture, I tidied up, moving away all the slips of paper, each of which bears some vital information. You can see the old shipper’s desk I refinished thirty years ago, the corner bookstand with the printer on top, and of course my Mac mini on the corner. 

To the side are some bookcases; the photo shows the side table, which for the purposes of this picture I arranged some of the books I had edited a few years back. Of course, since then, I’ve edited several more that I am very proud of. 

I find this a productive place to work: private, quiet, natural light, wood textures. And the coffee maker is only steps away!

See all Scott’s books on his BestSelling Reads author page.