Essentials for a Writer's Desk: Summer Diaries
- Devangana Sharma
- Jul 26
- 3 min read
Devangana Sharma| The Atlantic Muse| Summer Diaries| 2025-07-27
Does your desk reflect your mind? If that's true, then mine has quite the story to tell. It's a part workspace and part sanctuatry. Every object on it has a reason for being there, even if that reason is: I just didn't feel like moving it.
Here's a look at my desk's essentials, and why they matter more than they should.
Desk Essential #1: The Books
There is a stack of books; I insist on keeping nearby. Some that have yellow stick tabs, receipts—oh shoot! I have been meaning to return this shirt, though that’s going to be hard when the receipt is covered in highlighter ink. At least it's pastel; it says something about my trustworthiness. Right?
Some books are for inspiration, specifically, my coveted copy of Maud Lewis—The Life, Art, and Legacy of Maud Lewis by Ray Cronin. Some are just for entertainment, such as Hit & Mrs. by Lesley Crewe. Some are there to judge me—when are you finally going to read me? They ask.
Desk Essential #2: The Planner
Next to the books is my planner. Its presence? Overwhelming and daunting. I have used mass mediums to write out my life’s biggest tasks: a pen, pencil, marker, and Sharpie. Some functions are crossed out three times—I guess I was really done with cleaning up my room. Others have migrated from one day to another—I guess I really didn't have time for those.
Desk Essential #3: The Candle
There’s also a candle: Cactus Bloom. Of course, I have to follow the lead of every writer, reader, and artist. I light it in the hopes of writing something meaningful, but it ends up being a mood placebo.
Desk Essential #4: The Tea
A mug sits nearby, filled with authentic chai made by my father. It’s his way of showing love. Somehow, the warm scent of this delicious concoction finds its way to me—a mixture of ginger, cardamom, cloves, and sugar—breaking the mental fog. He doesn’t say much, just places it, and gives a nod. But to me, that gesture is everything, a ritual I will endlessly follow.
Desk Essential #5: The Laptop
In the middle sits my heated laptop. Its keys are ready to be clicked, and ideas are ready to be poured. Half of its memory is taken up by drafts, good copies, and in-progress works; the other half is eBooks. My 2025 vision board greets me every time I open it. As of right now, a blinking cursor waits for me to finish this article.
Desk Essential #6: The Notebook
Beside my laptop is my notebook, just a notebook. I fill it with words that are interesting and inspiring. If ever in need of a creative refresh, I look to this journal. It’s my draft's draft, filled with wrong spellings, odd punctuation, and run-on sentences. After making all the edits to a piece, I look back at this notebook and see the growth that happened.
It’s amusing how neat my desk appears from a distance, but if you look closely, there are a few moments of chaos. It’s nothing catastrophic, just the kind of chaos that shows “I was thinking.” I always thought that a desk had to be a certain way. But I realized that’s not the case. A little mess is needed. It’s not failure in any sense, just a sign of movement, of thought. It's a balance between my distractions and routine. That’s fine, more than fine. That’s exactly how a desk should be: almost perfect.
