From the Garret: Archives

	Garret, n.—1. the room just below the roof of a house, especially when under a sloping roof; attic. --Webster's New Twentieth Century Dictionary

That's where I write…
in the attic. I love it.

It's quiet. People think twice before climbing all those steps to find me. An arched window gives me a lofty view of the neighborhood. No one else gets to put their stuff in there. (I have it pretty well filled anyway.)

Of course, artists quite famously starve in their garrets, but I prefer not to think about that.

Virginia Woolf said it for all of us: every writer needs "a room of one's own", whether it's a garret or a closet or, in the case of one poet I know, a corner of the kitchen counter. Everyone in your household knows that when you're in that space, you're writing and should get at least some respect.

Even more important, when you're in that space, you know you should be focusing on that book or short story or poem. You must respect your own work.

So find yourself a "garret" (even if it's in the basement), and then make sure it gets the respect it deserves.