Until last year, I never had a dedicated writing space. Because I write the first draft of almost everything longhand, I’m usually on the couch with a notebook, or at a coffee shop. When I needed to type subsequent drafts, I was stuck at a desk in the bedroom, the only room in our old apartment with space for both my and my husband’s work spaces.

That changed last year, when we bought our now 96-year-old, three-bedroom rowhome, and I had what I’d dreamed of for years–my own office.

It’s a non-stop party in here.

What you can’t see is that 1) the office leads to a very nice deck, and if it ever climbs to above 55 degrees/stops raining, I’ll be out there writing, too; 2) my office doubles as a library with three large standing bookshelves already jam-packed, and thanks to a recent bookshop sale from which I came home with eight new books, my need for a fourth shelf has become painfully evident. I like to be surrounded by books when I work. Not only does that make it easy to grab one for reference, but it also provides visual cues of the success I’m always striving to achieve.

So that’s my writing room. Want to take part in the challenge? Check out the info below!