“My Writing Space” is a series about writers and the places in which they write. To contribute, send a photo of your writing space along with a paragraph or two describing it and its influence on your writing to beaver[at]toasted-cheese.com with the subject line “My Writing Space.”

First off, no. I do not usually keep a beverage in proximity to my laptop. Nor do I keep the laptop in the vicinity of the desktop. But since I use both for writing, I wanted the XPS to make a cameo.

I have two workspaces. One is “anywhere I can” with the laptop (usually the reclining chair-and-a-half in the living room or the kitchen table). This is the other. This writing space is far more representative of my writing life. It’s a shared space, our family computer. Here, devices are charged, calls are made, emails are written, photos are shared, art is created, vacations are planned, Lego houses are constructed, and Littlest Pet Shop pets join Avenger action figures to watch movies and riff them like MST3k.

Please note there is a snack and beverage because when I’m working, I do not notice clocks. That’s why there’s a huge clock right above a device that has a clock built into it. I still have to set alarms to remind me to go out and meet the bus when the kids get home.

My daughter and son generally know if I’m working because they recognize Word as “work.” When I’m working online, it’s a little more hazy and they ask, specifically “When will you be finished with work? They might want to do something with me, be fed, or use the computer or desk themselves. The three of us tend to schedule our computer time (my husband works in another part of the house using a desktop that runs Windows XP to play satellite radio while using a work-issued laptop). So if I need to work on this device, I need to get it done M-F 8:30-2:30. After that, it becomes a drive-in for the cast of Cars (and a series of Batmobiles that may or may not be mine).