My office is a small 9×13 foot space on the bottom floor of our home. Though it is small, I’ve made the most of the space, filling it with all the things I love and things to keep me motivated.
As you can see, I keep motivational quotes all over my walls. Some of my favorites are from Theodore Roosevelt and Harper Lee. My oversized bookshelf is my favorite thing in my office. It makes the perfect backdrop for Zoom calls and book clubs, which I’m doing more and more of these days.
My shelves are lined with cards from readers, more quotes that I love, fan art, decorative writer-themed mugs, newspaper articles about my books, and other mementos from throughout my career.
On the left, you can see my printer and table-top filing cabinets where I keep stickers, magnets, Chapstick, and other swag for giveaways and for readers to purchase from my store. You can also see my GRIT banner gifted to me from a friend for a special accomplishment. I keep it hanging up as a reminder of all that I’ve done and all that I still hope to do.
The green envelopes on the bottom shelf and the white boxes next to them are what I use to ship signed copies of my books to readers.
Here you can see a closer up shot of my bookshelf, complete with all my favorite things: books that I love, of course, as well as art from my daughter, several quotes that keep me going, plenty of thoughtful cards from my readers, and lovely fan art they’ve gifted me with throughout the years.
You can also see my ring light, which I use for Zoom calls, and of course a sweater hanging on the back of my chair for when I get cold.
I think it’s so important to have things that put you in a positive headspace around when you’re working. These items make it easy for me to feel motivated to start writing.
Here’s a close up of my desk. I keep Chapstick, hand sanitizer, and lotion in my drawer for clean and moisturized hands and lips. I also have dozens of pens, sticky notepads, rolls of tape, packaging supplies, hair ties, gloves, a lighter for my candles, and my construction-grade soundproof headphones in the drawers. I have a mini-space heater next to my keyboard because I always end up super cold while I’m writing, particularly my fingers, so I point that directly at my hands while I work. There’s another quote on a desk plate just under my computer and several quotes and artwork from my daughter on the wall. I keep a desk calendar beside me, so important dates and deadlines are always right at hand, and a notebook on the other side so I can take notes and refer to them as I write or edit.
You can see the headphones in this photo, as well as my pen caddy and a small desk calendar with positive, affirming quotes for each day.
This is the view to the right of my desk. I keep a dry erase board on my wall strictly for release and sale dates that I lay out in December for the next year and update it when I need to.
There are also photos from various points in my career and, of course, more artwork from my daughter. You can also see my collection of signed books on the top shelf of the tall, brown bookshelf, as well as a few cards I’ve collected through the years.
The small, white and gold square between the bookshelves is my travel desk that I use to write from the road or the couch, if I’m ever unable to work at my desk.
I think it’s so important to build a safe, happy space for your mind to create, whatever that looks like for you. For me, it’s all about bright colors, tons of positive quotes, my favorite books, art from my daughter and my fans, gifts and fan mail, and important mementos and photos from moments throughout my career. This is where my mind feels safe to create and explore!
Kiersten Modglin is an Amazon Top 30 bestselling author of award-winning psychological thrillers and a member of International Thriller Writers. Kiersten lives in Nashville, Tennessee with her husband, daughter, and their two Boston Terriers: Cedric and Georgie. She is best known for her unpredictable suspense and her readers have dubbed her ‘The Queen of Twists.’ A Netflix addict, Shonda Rhimes super-fan, psychology fanatic, and indoor enthusiast, Kiersten enjoys rainy days spent with her nose in a book.
