Today and tomorrow my much-anticipated garden office shed construction thing is being installed. Clearly, this is going to revolutionise my working life and turn me almost literally overnight into the rich and famous author I really ought to be by now.
However, for this to happen, there must be rules of behaviour in my shed-office. (Behaviour by me, I mean: no one else will be allowed in it, evah.) There must be things I may not do and things I must do and, obviously, times at which things may or may not happen. This is (*stern face*) to be a working environment and therefore certain restrictions on pleasure must be enforced. With suitable punishments on the breaking thereof.
What should these rules be, my friends? I'd like to say "All suggestions welcome", but I admit that some will be more welcome than others.
I will eventually publish my chosen rules and display them in the office-shed-garden-thing.
When the shed is there in all its glory, I will also have a competition to name the shed. Don't give me any ideas now, please - you need to SEE the edifice first, to understand its soul, to breathe in its aura. [Edited to add: actually, I rather think that Mike Jarman has already named the shed, inadvertently, this morning on Twitter, when he called it the Crabbit Hutch. I think that could be unbeatable!]
Rules, please, now. And be as strict as you like.
I became known as the Crabbit Old Bat because of my honest advice about writing and publishing on another blog. But I've stopped all that and gone back to being a children's writer. HOORAY! So, welcome. Share the pleasure, the pain and the chocolate. But wipe your feet first.
If I ever had a shed of my own, my only rule would be no internet access. If I wanted to blog, or even research, I'd have to go back into the house! I am weak when it comes to surfing.
ReplyDeleteYou are probably right, but I will have to have internet access because although i often can't work with it I also can't work without it. I just tooooo often need it. Emails for a start. Also, I plan to do online events and the shed will be where I'll do them from - no phone to interrupt, you see!
DeleteNo drinking any fizzy in the Shed. Coffee, tea okay. Popping the cork is fine once day's work is done and you're back in the house.
ReplyDeleteExcept, of course, during the festivities when you celebrate the opening of the Shed.
Thank you - that seems clear.
DeleteYou are not allowed out of the Shed until The Work Is Done. And this includes loo breaks (so keep coffee to a mininum!). Ooh, I am strict!!
ReplyDeleteBUT you may reward yourself with chocolate OUTSIDE the Shed.
You *are* strict! But probably right.
DeleteThere shalt be no interesting desk toys, as Twitter is distracting enough. Or, instead, lots of toys but a twitter off button. I need one of those.
ReplyDeleteInteresting - I have no desk toys. But I do have Twitter...
DeleteThere will be a mechanised tin of chocolate which will open for 5 seconds on the hour every hour. Exception: at the completion of every major task it will open for 6 seconds.
ReplyDelete:)
DeleteNo shoes to be kept in the shed at all. (too distracting) Only spare wellies in case it is raining.
ReplyDeleteShoes are not distracting at all. They just sit on my feet. Kuh!
DeleteAlright - no pretty shoes to be worn in the shed.
DeleteThou shalt enjoy possession thereof! :-)
ReplyDeleteRule 1: it shall be called The Crabbit Hutch as that is so completely unbeatable as to be not worth anyone else even trying. Also, it will get called that anyway.
ReplyDeleteRule 2: it must have a kettle, a fridge and working electricity, otherwise you will be forever popping back to the kitchen
Rule 1 definitely is unavoidable. Genius.
DeleteHmmm. I likes some of your rules more than others.
ReplyDeleteCat - very lovely!
Jan - it definitely has working electricity. I'm not sure about the fridge. But the kettle, yuss!
Definitely a fridge, only big enough for one half bottle of fizz and a small bar of chocolate. This is so that:
ReplyDelete1. as soon as you hear about your next success you have an immediate means of reward and celebration.
and
2. you can't get too inebriated and can carry on working towards the next success.
I love how you manage to combine generosity with logic. And you set rational boundaries - you clever psychologist, you.
DeleteNever let children in, or if they are allowed in, they have to respect that it is your workplace and not a Wendy House.
ReplyDeleteIts important that when you work from home your children know its a workplace, it can be hard to make young people understand that "its not that you don't have a job, its that you work from home", and another reason is that its just another room to mess up!
Sarah Waddell
Always tidy up before closing your shed for the evening (makes your heart smile when you open up in the morning). If you have a radio tuned to R4, it's OK to switch off the boring stuff and hear the birds instead.
ReplyDelete