Writing Spaces: Ron Schafrick

This week on Writing Spaces, we take a peek into the office of Ron Schafrick, author of “Safe” from Issue 138.

“I have a desk, but I don’t do any work there. Not anymore, not since I moved to my present address four years ago. It’s actually what drew me to this place, having an alcove that’s the perfect size for my desk. The problem, I discovered once I moved in, is that it’s too dark. If I were a nighttime writer, it would be perfect, but during the day I feel like I’m inside Proust’s cork-lined room, which may have worked for him, but doesn’t work for me. Instead I do all my writing at the kitchen table where there’s lots of light. Unfortunately, it’s a bit of an inconvenience when my partner and I sit down for dinner because the table is always covered in papers. For me, I work best when my desk (or kitchen table) is cluttered and messy. Somehow the mess helps me to turn off my internal editor and just write. I also need to have a cup of rooibos tea (usually 3 or 4), and I need to have my books (not pictured) nearby. So often when I’m working on a story, I’m reminded of another story someone else has written, and so it’s nice to have my books close at hand so that I can turn to that story for instruction and inspiration. That’s probably the most important thing for me; I probably wouldn’t be able to write without my books.”

-Ron Schafrick