This Writer’s Space: Cassandra Page (not me!)

Ok, I feel like I need to start off with a disclaimer here: the Cassandra Page featuring this week isn’t me — even though I too am a gamer, reader and child wrangler who lives in Australia. My child is older and we don’t live in the Hunter Valley. We are both equally awesome, though. (Ahem!) Take it away, Cass!

Where I Write

Most of my actual writing is done on my PC, which is located, in a very small alcove, in the main living area of our very small flat. My desk is rather uncluttered at the moment which is quite out of the ordinary for me as usually it is buried under a mountain of random crap important stuff. I have a hardcore mild stationery addiction so always within reach are a plethora of coloured pens, highlighters, sharpies and post-its. These are guarded by Mr Boney the Dia de Muertos skull. The Delorian is there in case I need to duck back in time to check a random fact or get inspiration for a new story. There is also a bird’s nest, random selection of crystals, photos of Mr Almost-Three, Strunk and White and two spinning tops. Outside the photo are my reading glasses, more stationery, a jar of bobby pins, painkillers, and a stack of folders full university stuff. I made the pin board behind my monitor myself out of cork tiles from the hardware store. I use it for pinning up inspiration pictures when I am working on a story. Yes, that orange post-it has a Yoda quote on it.

I also use notebooks and journals for writing when I have been spending too much time at the computer or I am out and about. The little green one on top is always in my handbag, the purple one is for my current WIP and the peacock one is for note taking at workshops and conventions so it has more industry knowledge in it rather than actual story ideas, but it does have some of those as well. Not pictured here are the stack of envelopes and random scraps of paper that have scribbles all over them; they are in a shoe box in the drawer. Really I’ll write on whatever it at hand if I get a flash of an idea or, failing writing implements, I use evernote on my phone. Evernote’s voice recording ability is particularly helpful when I am driving.

Where I’m Inspired

I was going to put up a photo of the universe, because for me it would be more of a question of where am I not inspired. My inspiration comes from everywhere: a section of music, a snatch of conversation, a strange sight, a smell, and the questions – What If? Why? Why Not?

I love that time vampire known as Pinterest for getting the creative juices flowing and have boards for each story idea that is currently building inside my head. Reference books (and documentaries) on obscure topics (or even mundane topics) are another go-to for me. Children’s reference books are particularly good for getting a basic understanding of certain topics or idea and are usually my starting point. Non-fiction gets my imagination firing better than fiction sometimes.

The photo is just a section of the view from my front step. Of a morning it can be truly breathtaking. Some mornings the fog is so thick you can’t see the water trough; the world is nothing but swirling white and dark shadows where the tops of the trees puncture the mist. Other mornings it is all shades of gilded apricot and dusky purple with big clouds that look like floating cities or migrating dinosaurs. It is quite inspiring and just one of the perks of living on a small acreage in the Hunter Valley region of NSW, Australia.

To Be Read

This is like 0.04 percent of my current to be read pile. These are just the ones that are stacked on my desk there are others hidden in the bedroom and still more procreating on the various bookshelves jammed into every corner of this flat. I have an extensive list on Goodreads but also a wishlist on Fishpond and Book Depository and even one on Amazon. To add to this huge list of books that I probably will never get enough time to read (or space to store), I rarely come home from a shopping trip without at least one book either brand new or second hand. I love second hand bookstores.

About Cass

C. E. Page lives in the Hunter Valley region of NSW Australia and has a penchant for speculative fiction is all its various forms. In her spare time she is a gamer, voracious reader, knitter, toddler wrangler and sometimes painter (and vaguely wonders how she has time to fit it all in). Her flash fiction piece, The Doorway, recently appeared online at 365 Tomorrows. She has spent the last eight months putting together an anthology of speculative fiction entitled Novascapes: Speculative Fiction from the Hunter which is due for print in late July.

You can find her at:

Website: http://ignorethebird.com

Twitter: @bibliosapien