Let's Talk with Cheryl Hollon
Let’s Talk with Cheryl Hollon
October 14, 2021
I found a new co-working space for writing!
By Cheryl Hollon
Even before the shutdown last year, I had fallen in love with co-working spaces throughout downtown St. Petersburg. I loved the energy of a creative environment usually fueled by an in-house coffee shop. I would pick a quiet corner and pound out my word target with ease.
As with everything else, that stopped for a while, but lately, new places are popping up. So here’s my latest co-work dedicated desk.
I’ve chosen a spot on the fourth floor in a corner office. This is my view out into the shared office. There’s room for six, but I’m an early morning writer, so I rarely have company before ten o’clock. The double doors lead to a conference room.
The building is over one hundred years old and decorated with local art and lots of plants. The coffee machine makes excellent espresso from locally roasted coffee. I’m in caffeine heaven!
My desk is a dream. It moves from sitting to standing position with the touch of a button. It’s the first time I’ve been comfortable standing up to write. I think that’s because it’s so easy to change from one to the other.
This tiny balcony gives me a chance to step outdoors and look down on the busy Central Avenue. Within a few steps are a sandwich shop, a Vietnamese restaurant, a butcher shop, and a chocolate shop.
The owners are a prominent lawyer and her wife. They’ve done a great job of providing the right mix of luxury with practicality.
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My Paint & Shine Mysteries are set in the Daniel Boone National Forest if you’re looking for an eastern Kentucky setting. The characters spend a lot of time preparing traditional southern meals along with creating moonshine cocktails. Consider buying local. Independent bookstores need your help during this challenging time.
You’ve seen my new happy place for writing. What’s your happy place look like? Is it a cozy reading nook? A sun porch? A kitchen that you alone command? I’d love to know!
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Posted in Let's Talk, with Cheryl Hollon • Tags: BLB Discussion, Cheryl Hollon, I found a new coworking space for writing, Let's Talk, Paint and Shine Mysteries | 16 Comments
For me, it is an overstuffed chair with a long base that was made especially for my dad’s long legs as an anniversary gift by my mother (1st anniversary ). I played on the chair as a child and now write my books in it as an adult. Oh yes, the room the chair sits in is my new sunroom office.
Hi Debra — That sounds wonderful. I’ll bet there’s lots of inspiration when you sit there to pound out the words.
I have a dedicated office with a Varidesk in my home. It’s easy to raise and lower. I’m constantly bouncing up and down because if I either sit or stand for too long, I get stiff. I know I wouldn’t do well in a co-working space. I’m not someone who can write around other people. I need total silence. I don’t even listen to music while I’m writing.
Hi Lois, I am enjoying the standing desk a lot more than I thought I would. I also need silence and since I’m usually there by 7:30am, I totally have the place to myself. No one else arrives until about 10:00am. I use my Bose earphones after that and so far everyone is polite.
This place sounds amazing. I’m not convinced I would work with other people around, but but if we had a place like this near me I would give it a try. I have an office in the house (formally my daughter’s bedroom) with a double window looking out at our side yard and lots of sky. I like that.
Alyssa, your office sounds delightful. This is my third co-working adventure and I’m getting pretty savvy about where to set up my laptop so that I can get the most work done. A window is very nice, but sometimes it’s a distraction. I’m happy that my new words are done early, then I don’t need to be so concerned what or who is around me when I’m doing the administrivia part of writing.
I’ve worked in my home office for my entire published career. (Before that it was catch as catch can at all the kids events, where I’d be writing during sports practice or wherever I was stuck for an hour or two each afternoon after work.) I used to be all about my desk, my ergonomic keyboard, my special office chair that fits my body just right, and my tilting footrest. But somewhere along the line I added a very comfy chair next to the bookcase. Now that I’m totally a laptop writer, I enjoy doing my work in the chair, getting up every hour or two to move around and burn a few more calories. When we built this house, we soundproofed my office, so it is a special haven for me, a person who needs quiet and no distractions. I admire writers who can totally focus in a group setting, and I love how you are committed to finding Your Space.
Hi Maggie. Wow, what a joy to have a sound-proofed office. It’s very nice to be a laptop writer so I can stuff it in my backpack and get my words done in a car, plane, or recently we tried an overnight train. It makes writing on the go so easy.
So, Cheryl, is this just a work space or a living space as well? I’ve been in Sarasota for the summer and go back in November for some medical treatment. I’ve always been an east coast lover but I sure did like Sarasota-reminded me of West Palm Beach 50 years ago, before the high rises went in.
Hi Patrick. My co-working space is three floors in an historical building in downtown St. Petersburg. We’re only about an hour north of Sarasota. You’re right, it’s a delightful city with lots of cultural events and fantastic eateries. I hope you get to come back.
I like your historic building and the view out your window. I have a dedicated home office with two desks and several bookcases. It overlooks our front walkway. It’s like my own little haven in here. I am not comfortable on a laptop so I work mostly on a desktop tower computer with an ergonomic keyboard.
Hi Nancy, I have a small apartment and a chatty husband. You’re lucky to have such a great place to write.
Cheryl, that’s a nice setup. I think if I were home fulltime it would be fun to have an office to go to, just for the mental “reset”. My home office would be my happy place now if I could just Marie Kondo it a bit. Maybe I’ll get some cleanup done over the Christmas holidays when I’m off work. 🙂
Hi Diane! For me, it appears that I need both a home office and my co-working space. I also need to do a major Marie Kondo on the office since we’re going to get company soon and the Murphy bed get its chance to shine!
Love your new space! You’ve seen where I write. I love my portable laptop stand for writing wherever I am, but at home I have a nice office (converted from the kids playroom) and the all-important massive whiteboard for my incessant mind-mapping.
Hi Tammy! That portable laptop stand is awesome! Thanks for the whiteboard reminder LOL.