Hello! I’m Christen Krumm, author of the new Sunrise novel, On the Golden Cliffs. I’m really excited to be here with Inspired by Life and Fiction!
While writing On the Golden Cliffs, my family and I lived in both a two-bedroom apartment as well as a 250-foot RV (after we moved out of said apartment due to a pipe bursting and the apartment flooding). Being in small spaces with three kids between the ages of seven and twelve, meant many times I worked in libraries or coffee shops. My writer’s bag was always packed with what I lovingly referred to as my “office on the move.” We are now in a house, and I’m on to working on my next Big Sky book, but I still have my writer bag packed with all the essentials so whether I’m escaping to my bedroom, or our small-town coffee shop, I always have what I need.
What’s in my writer’s bag
Laptop | 99% of my writing is done on my computer via Scrivner.
Molskine Notebook | I have one of these for every single project. It is my project Bible. I will drop everything from photos for character inspiration, character bios, random notes, scene ideas, and anything else that I drop in here. Generally, this notebook goes everywhere with me (writing or not) while I’m working on the project.
Various Oils and Creams for Sore Muscles | Being a writer means I type — a lot, and as such my shoulders love tensing up on me. I make sure I always have some kind of cream or oil on hand for these moments (and the peppermint oil is because I love putting a drop in my water. It really wakes up the senses, and peppermint is my favorite anyway J)
Lotion | To make sure my hands stay moisturized.
Snacks | When I’m writing, my favorite snack is some kind of sour gummy — worms, bears, octopi. But this week I’m eating all the chocolate.
Earbuds | I love listening to music while I write.
Pens and Other Writing Utensils | For those times drafting via computer just isn’t working or I need to jot down a quick note.
If you’re a writer, what is something that’s always in your writer’s bag? If you’re a reader, what is something you make sure you are never without? I’d love to hear!
Thanks so much for reading! I’d love to connect with you on Instagram (@christenkrumm). If you shoot me a DM and let me know you found me on Inspired by Life and Fiction, I’ll drop some happy mail your way!
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Welcome to Inspired by Life and Fiction, Christen. Thanks for the guest post.
Not including when I am attending a conference or retreat, etc., I rarely write anywhere but in my home, usually in my office. I never caught the “write in a coffee shop” bug. So I don’t have a writer’s bag ready to go. But if I did, it would look a lot like yours. I’d have my Deep Blue lotion for the shoulder muscle pain, hand lotion, different colors of Ink Joy Gel pens, my Apple EarPods (although I’ve fallen out of the habit of listening to music as I write), and my MacBook Pro. My notebook would probably be one of my Circa notebooks because I like that I can remove and add pages wherever I please. I’d have to have lip balm (Carmax). For several years, my sweet of choice is Hershey Milk Chocolate Nuggets. Yep, very much like your bag.
Welcome, Christen! I’ve never gone outside my home to write, but your bag of goodies looks just about right. If you could shove a fireplace, a soft blanket, and a cat into your bag, that is all the improvement I would need. I enjoy writing by the gas fireplace in my house, cuddled under a blanket with a cat nearby. Other than that, you nailed it. 🙂
Love this post (and welcome, Christen!) I do sometimes write in coffee shops or libraries and before I subscribed to the online version of the Chicago Manual of Style, I used to carry the print version with me. (I know! It’s heavy! But I’m an edit-as-I-go writer.) I also have a headset for my music, money for coffee, and sometimes a bag of M&Ms (though I’m trying to cut way back on sugar). Happy writing!