Dear Sir, because of the chaotic mess of an office you have, which reminds me of my own. I have subscribed to you channel. They do say, I think. A chaotic desk and office is a sign of a brilliant mind. I for one totally agree. It was a delight as you explained away areas of you sanctuary. I look forward to your vlogs as they are called.

@writerlywitterings

6 күн бұрын

Thanks and welcome! I promise you won't see me tidying up my office any time soon!

absolut delightful, I, in another video saw a coffee cup from a computer firm, my brother worked for in Vienna, and he gave me that coffee mug, I should say... and I also watched my absolutely first die cast caterpillar, I have had and played as a child..... and now it is standing in my shelf as yours...😅😂😂😂 Manfred here from Austria

@writerlywitterings

3 ай бұрын

It is sad to hear that others are so gripped by the same toys! Good to hear from you, Manfred! Where are you - Wien?

I sympathize with the problem of having too many books on the desk. I've found that it's better to arrange them with the spines vertical, between sturdy bookends. Since I did that, I've had much better access to them and use them more.

@writerlywitterings

Жыл бұрын

Yes, I do agree - my problem is, there are too many of them! I'm constantly looking at the ones (about 40) behind me which are constantly referred to for the latest Tudor book. Those in front of me are the most commonly leafed through just now, but I really ought to do as you say and clear a little space with book ends!

It’s not often that such a delightfully hospitable troll gives the world a tour through his bibliomaniacal lair. Thanks - my inner Bilbo Baggins enjoyed the adventure!

@writerlywitterings

Жыл бұрын

Glad you enjoyed it - and your inner Bilbo, too!

‘A cluttered desk is a sign of genius”

@writerlywitterings

Жыл бұрын

I wouldn't dare go that far ... but I do think a tidy desk is proof of a sick mind!

This office is great, and I love all the bookshelves! My bookshelves are randomly placed throughout the house...

@writerlywitterings

Жыл бұрын

Ah, well now, these are only the non-fiction shelves. Next week I will take you to the sitting room where the fiction sits!

Fun video, Mike. thanks for sharing your workspace with us. Amazed by the number of research books that you have. Wishing you and yours a Happy Christmas and a Happy New Year!

@writerlywitterings

Жыл бұрын

Thanks, you too! Merry Christmas!

Who needs the British Library! Thank you as always.

@writerlywitterings

Жыл бұрын

Many thanks, Paul!

Thank you for sharing your "workspace", so inspiring and illuminating.... and still laughing so much after seeing a book about "insults" on one shelf 😆. Just discovered your channel, I'll be stuck around here for more. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year 😊

@writerlywitterings

Жыл бұрын

Hi, Moki, and huge thanks! That book on insults is a very good one. So useful for an author! Glad you like the channel - keep safe, and Happy new Year!

Thanks for the tour, Michael. And thanks for the discount on the Freewrite! Ordered mine today.

@writerlywitterings

Жыл бұрын

Hope you enjoy it! I've found mine a real boon, and I hope yours will be for you too!

I'm so glad I found your channel. It brings me such joy.

@writerlywitterings

Жыл бұрын

Really glad to hear it, Jessie!

You just got me as a new subscriber when you spelled „w-a-l-k“ in front of your dog! That was so heartwarming, I do the same sometimes with my labrador. I‘m glad I‘m not the only one whose office is in disarray! It’s in my blood. I‘m looking forward to seeing more of you.

@writerlywitterings

Жыл бұрын

Many thanks, Queen! She is a gorgeous hound, and very affectionate and friendly, but she does get over-excited at that word!

Cheers from Switzerland ! Nice to see your mess, it comforts me in mine… I would advise to change your AMZ password, though, as it is seen clearly on some passage. Have fun writing contemporary police proc’ !

@writerlywitterings

Жыл бұрын

Many thanks Cyril. I am jealous of you living in your beautiful country. When I was young we used to visit Alpbach quite often, and then Interlaken and other villages in the alps. I used to ski, back before I took up writing, and had many wonderful days in Wengen, Mürren, Lauterbrunnen and Mayrhofen. Oh, and my other dogs were always Bernese Sennenhunden - we've another puppy on order, but the mother isn't playing ball with the prospective father just yet. Thanks for the comment - my daughter beat you to it with the warning, and it has been changed - and I feel stupid for not spotting it before recording! I appreciate your concern, though. Best wishes, and Merry Christmas!

@cvallee

Жыл бұрын

@@writerlywitterings I do live actually 60km from Lauterbrunnen. And I am very conscious of the luck to live in such a beautiful country, though I *love* visiting yours every now and then. We are visiting (again) Edinburgh next June, Best wishes and Merry Christmas to you too!

@writerlywitterings

Жыл бұрын

@@cvallee I envy you even more, Cyril! Do me a favour, and make a fuss of the next Bernese Sennenhund you meet!

Thanks for the tour... Very inspirational. Merry Christmas and Enjoy the season

@writerlywitterings

Жыл бұрын

Thank you! You too!

Thank you for the wonderful tour of your writer's den. As an American writer, I would like to know what the view through your office windows is like. Do you ever feel compelled to journey elsewhere for the express purpose of writing? I personally find my own office, which is much smaller than yours, tends to make me a little bit "stir crazy" after a while. Best of luck with your latest projects!

@writerlywitterings

Жыл бұрын

Many thanks, William. I have thought about doing that - the view from the window - maybe one day! I haven't got stir crazy yet. I tend to find myself getting lost in the story, and it's quite comfortable here in my room - plus I have all my research material to hand, of course. When I need a break, I will pick up my Astrohaus Freewrite and take it into the sitting room or somewhere to carry on.

Fantastic and near video of an important part of your daily life. Thank you very much for sharing it with us. Best regards!

@writerlywitterings

Жыл бұрын

Many thanks, Raoul! Best wishes to you too!

All right, practical pistol competition! I've had some fun there, myself.

@writerlywitterings

Жыл бұрын

Oh, yes. Glock 21, Colt/ParaOrdnance/Springfield in 45, and a .357 Ruger ... happy days! One day I hope to have a play again!

It’s more like a glorious treasure box. lol. So many cool things

@writerlywitterings

Жыл бұрын

Ah, thank you, Sunny. Really kind of you.

The most creative people always seem to have a lot of "stuff" around them 😁

@writerlywitterings

Жыл бұрын

Ah, you mean "junk", I think!

@alicereed5368

Жыл бұрын

I think it's awesome! Thank you for sharing and giving us a glimpse of all the work it takes. 🙏

I do enjoy the sense of structure you seem to have in the midst of what "normal" folks would consider chaos. Makes your books much more endearing when the reader gets to take a look at the process of bringing one from concept to volume in the hand.

@writerlywitterings

Жыл бұрын

Many thanks, John. Structure? I wish!

This is Geek Heaven! The amount of research required to be an author is neverending-- scary, but far more amazing! I spent half my time checking out the Russia books you have. Also, I have that Derwent Grafik pen you have on your desk. It's a great pen!

@writerlywitterings

Жыл бұрын

The Grafiks are great, aren't they? I use this a bit for sketching when I'm out and about and want country scenes. Glad you liked the geek-out! I have to review "Hybrid Warriors" by Anna Arutunyan and "Russia - Myths and Realities" by Rodric Braithewaite shortly. Both fascinating!

Thanks for the tour- I love seeing writer's spaces. I did have to hunt to see your desk though 😂. I have to agree the yellow i-mac is a very cheery colour. How do you know where to draw the line with research (getting engrossed in all those fascinating books) and to start writing?

@writerlywitterings

Жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching! As for when ... well, generally it's when I realise that the deadline is approaching at ramming speed, and I have to stop and get cracking. But the point of the research is only partly to give accurate information. Much more important is the atmosphere it gives. I'm often congratulated for the detail of my descriptions, and when I re-read the parts they mention I often find it hard to see any description at all. I think it's more the feel that I have for my periods because of the research I have conducted. I don't need to give too much information because people pick up on the atmosphere - if that makes sense!?

@angbane

Жыл бұрын

@@writerlywitterings yes- what I enjoy so much about your books is how immersive they are. I guess it’s all the small sensory details which put the reader right there with the characters.

@writerlywitterings

Жыл бұрын

@@angbane Thanks, Angela - and in case there's a lack of opportunity - hope you all have a Very Merry Christmas!

Another saying is, "If a cluttered desk is a sign of cluttered mind, what does an empty mind represent?" Exactly. It is a good representation of my own desk.

@writerlywitterings

Жыл бұрын

You have a good filing system like me, clearly!

HI MIKE,yOUR OFFICE LOOKS VERY NICE,EVERY AUTHORS OFFICE MUST BE LOOKING THE SAME

@writerlywitterings

Жыл бұрын

I think very few have this much dust and mess!

@hemantkothari909

Жыл бұрын

@@writerlywitterings I think that is okay at least you know which story is lying we're

How do you focus and not get distracted when your working?

@writerlywitterings

Жыл бұрын

When it's a real problem, I take my Freewrite and sit away from phones and computers. However I have been doing this for thirty-odd years now, and I find it is easy to lock my mind off from interruptions, and work in one-hour blocks. In one hour I will type about 1,000 words, which in my books is about a scene. After that time I go, check emails, listen to the radio for ten minutes while making a cup of tea, and by the time I get back to the desk about ten minutes later, I'm ready and refreshed for the next 1,000 words.

Dah. Tidying up is overrated. My office-cum-study is my sanctum sancturum. It’s untidy and full of books, papers, articles, jurisprudence. And I know where everything is. Brings to mind a quote: better a cluttered desk than a cluttered mind.

@writerlywitterings

Жыл бұрын

I usually know where things are ... but not when I've tidied!

Hope that post-it on the iMac is not a password. If it is, you should change it ASAP

@writerlywitterings

Жыл бұрын

Many thanks, Felipe - and yes, it was an old one! Forgot it was there, to be honest!

Really enjoyed the tour. I see you have a metal detector. I think I spotted one in a previous video as well. Do you have any treasure hunting adventures or interesting finds to share with us? I live in the USA and also go metal detecting . I like digging up old relics and researching what I find.

@writerlywitterings

Жыл бұрын

Ah, Bruce, I have a brilliant old detector, but haven't had a chance to use it since before Covid! I hope to get out again next year when I get some spare time.

I have that same Oxford dictionary!! Don't you have a magnifying glass that came with it? I love my book too! 😁

@writerlywitterings

Жыл бұрын

I do have the big magnifying glass, but it's plastic, and since I've owned it for - what, thirty years or so? - it's scratched. The old rectangular one on my table is a glass Victorian one, and that works much better for me, especially since I can hold it portrait and see much of a column at a glance.

@lindahawke7953

Жыл бұрын

@@writerlywitterings Ah, yes! My Oxford magnifier is a round, like 1/2 a ball, so only the smallest center is readable. I need to get a good square one! Love your office, I could get lost there!!

@archivist17

Жыл бұрын

I am jealous of your OED edition!

@writerlywitterings

Жыл бұрын

@@lindahawke7953 I feel lost here most of the time! Merry Christmas, Linda.

@writerlywitterings

Жыл бұрын

@@archivist17 To be fair, I think you can get copies second hand quite cheaply now. Lots of copies available since so many people now go straight to the internet to get a (usually wrong) definition!

Do you have a scheduled reading time for each day, or do you read at random times? Also I have not read any of your books, where should I start?

@writerlywitterings

Жыл бұрын

Always just before bed, but otherwise, whenever I get a little time spare. It's not that often, sadly! If you want to try mine, I'd recommend THE LAST TEMPLAR, REBELLION'S MESSAGE or FIELDS OF GLORY. They are all the first in their own series, so they give a feel for those specific types. LAST TEMPLAR is a medieval crime story (my first book); REBELLION'S MESSAGE is first in a Tudor humorous crime series; FIELDS is the first in a trilogy following a vintaine of archers during the long march to Crécy. Enjoy!

Thank you! Very informative. You spoke of books you need to clear. Is shipping to Canada an option? Do you have a list of available titles? Are there books you would like to sell which are not from your hand? Best wishes to you and yours for a safe and prosperous New Year!

@writerlywitterings

Жыл бұрын

Hi, Inez, and yes, sure I can post to Canada. I don't sell other people's books, only my own (in case I want to go back to re-read the other guy's works some time). That's a really good idea. I will type up a list of the books over the weekend and put it up as a separate video. Thanks for the idea. In the meantime, are there any specific titles you're interested in from me, or is this your first foray into Jecks' works? And a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you too!

Michael, I don't normally read fiction any more, but I like your style in these videos, so I wonder which of your books you recommend I could start with?

@writerlywitterings

Жыл бұрын

Many thanks - well, it depends. The Last Templar is a good one, since it was the first book I wrote, and kicked off the crime series, but then again Fields of Glory is a good one (Battle of Crecy, and the long march of the archers to the fight), and Rebellion's Message is a good one, since it is the first of my light-hearted series starring the incompetent Tudor assassin Jack Blackjack.

you have a yellow iMac, I have a green one

@writerlywitterings

Жыл бұрын

Ah, I did think about that, but yellow was always a happy colour for me!

Hello from New Hampshire USA

@writerlywitterings

Жыл бұрын

Hi, Anji!

You mentioned a book on the rivers of London. What's the title?

@writerlywitterings

Жыл бұрын

Apologies, that is THE LOST RIVERS OF LONDON (imaginative title!) by Nicholas Barton. First published by Phoenix House and Leicester University Press in 1962, but my edition is a revised edition by Historical Publications Ltd, reprinted in 2005, ISBN0 948667 15 X. Best of luck!

@petehalbeisen1566

Жыл бұрын

@@writerlywitterings Thank you for the detailed response!

Hello from Paris, France 😀

@writerlywitterings

Жыл бұрын

Welcome!!

Have you read any of Robert Ludlum books Michael?

@writerlywitterings

Жыл бұрын

I have tried a couple, but I have to admit, I couldn't get on with them. I think I may have to try them again (you can never tell why a book doesn't work one day, but pick it up a week later and you may love it).

@johnmooney9403

Жыл бұрын

I recently bought ' The Religion ' by Tim willocks about the Ottoman empire. An Historical novel. Its supposed to be bloody and very violent Michael.

@writerlywitterings

Жыл бұрын

@@johnmooney9403 Hi, John. Yes, I know Tim well, and I love his books. They are definitely historical (mostly - he wrote one about a penitentiary in the US which was quite brilliant). He's written about the Knights of St John, various wars, and they're all highly researched, but superbly readable. To my shame I haven't read that one, though. Another book I'll have to buy! I hope you really enjoy it.

Thank you for showing your work space, Michael. I was interested to see what you keep at hand. A very happy Christmas to you 😊

@writerlywitterings

Жыл бұрын

Thanks so much, John, and a very Merry Christmas to you too!

Rhodesian Ridgeback!

@writerlywitterings

Жыл бұрын

And a very happy one!

@hannahroedder936

Жыл бұрын

@@writerlywitterings When I worked at Marine World all the security dogs were Rhodesian Ridgebacks as they were the only breed not freaked out by lions and elephants and giraffes and suchlike.

@writerlywitterings

Жыл бұрын

@@hannahroedder936 I have to admit, mine wouldn't freak out by the sight of such things. She'd make damn sure she was too far away to see them! I do love Ridgies. This girl is my fifth - sadly, with my income and increasing age, she may have to be my last, but I'll try to get another one in before I fall off my perch. Meanwhile, my wife and I were going to have a holiday to celebrate our wedding anniversary this year - instead we'll try to get our fourth Bernese Mountain Dog. Soft, amiable, friendly and devoted!

Hi Mike, once again, i would be happy to know about your plants as i heard you mentioned something about chillies ( what type and if you put the chillies phot on your instagram profile would appreciate

@writerlywitterings

Жыл бұрын

That lot? There are some Birds' Eyes, Prairie Fires, Lemon Drops, Habanero, Naga and Alberto Locoto (a strange variety which did nothing this year). Next year I'll start the seeds off earlier, though. Not a very large harvest this year, only enough for two jars of sauce. The habaneros were lovely!

I GOT IT IN GREEN

@writerlywitterings

Жыл бұрын

Um ... ?

My wife, of 63 years, thinks my desks are messier lol.

@writerlywitterings

Жыл бұрын

Show her my video. She'll never complain again!

@larryglatt2548

Жыл бұрын

@@writerlywitterings She did, I win

@writerlywitterings

Жыл бұрын

@@larryglatt2548 Thanks for the first laugh of my day!

@larryglatt2548

Жыл бұрын

@@writerlywitterings I am an 85 yr old retiree (professional photographer) and now struggling very amateur 'artist' wannabe with every type of art material (except oils) scattered about a 7' X 9' room with a 60" desk/full desktop computer w/monitor, printer, shelves of books (like you), an art table, rolling multi drawer supply cart, and a pull out (when needed) day bed. Oh, and a 3'wx7'h window..Have great holidays sir.

@writerlywitterings

Жыл бұрын

@@larryglatt2548 Oh, boy. Your office sounds much like mine! Have a great holiday, Larry. All best wishes.

Troubled Blood is a deeply problematic book. Have you read it yet? J. K. Rowling has some issues and misconceptions.

@writerlywitterings

Жыл бұрын

It is sitting on my desk. However I disagree with the idea that she has issues. She is a very intelligent woman, and is expert at making other people's viewpoints clear, and getting inside people's minds. In the same way I've been accused of certain thoughts or ideas which are certainly not my own. As novelists it is our job to put down unpalatable concepts in a way that explains people's motivations. What goes into a novel is not necessarily my own thoughts and experiences, and nor are the things JKR puts in hers.

@hannahroedder936

Жыл бұрын

@@writerlywitterings There is more to this than her fiction; her non fiction articles and posts. Do look into it. I ordinarily urge reading a book before reading commentary on that book, but really: a crossdressing killer and queer coding villains. Such tired and, frankly, hurtful tropes she should be above.

@writerlywitterings

Жыл бұрын

@@hannahroedder936 Oh, I'll be reading it as soon as I've some free time. However all authors suffer from the same problem. I can remember when it was seriously difficult to have a gay person as a murderer because that was too hurtful to the gay community, and the same with having a Jewish perpetrator, or even a female. Now, happily, all people are considered equal. Anyway, thanks for that. I'm going to look forward to reading the book with even more interest now!

@hannahroedder936

Жыл бұрын

@@writerlywitterings I wish we lived in a world in which we were all free and could live without persecution. People in my demographic are murdered even more often than every day (even in the UK), and prominent politicians promote campaigns to further harm and marginalize us (even in the UK). J.K.Rowling has aligned herself with these with the platform afforded her by her notoriety.