Jamie Banks: What’s On My Desk?

Welcome back to our series where we snoop through the workspaces of our fellow editors. This week, Jamie Banks tours her workspace with us.

The essentials

My setup is simple but intentional. At the moment, that means a notebook computer and a handful of small objects within reach, like pens and sticky notes. System notifications are turned off on my computer, browser tabs are kept to a minimum, and my phone stays out of sight. For deep focus, I might close the door to keep out household noise.

Tools for flexibility

On my desk is a small basket filled with printouts of current manuscripts, one or two books, some mail, and more pens and sticky notes. On particularly long days, I move around the house so this basket is easy to carry with me. I might begin at the kitchen table in the morning and finish in the living room by evening, though this only happens a day or two each month. Most of the time, I remain at my desk because familiarity helps me focus.

A clear workspace

I keep the surface of my desk tidy at all times. Desk drawers make everything else vanish from view. The fewer visual distractions I have, the easier it is to stay inside the work for long stretches. A clear desk does not mean an empty one, but it does mean that everything visible has a purpose. 

Reliable lists and processes

Paper checklists remain one of my most relied-upon tools. Drafting, revising and doing final checks are essential. Digital lists are efficient, but crossing something off by hand carries a small but satisfying sense of completion at the end of a task.

Books within arm’s reach

Behind my desk are bookshelves filled with volumes collected over many years of reading and work. Gregory Younging’s Elements of Indigenous Style, Lorna Stuber’s The Fresh Freelancer: Starting and Building Your Freelance Editing Business and most recently Jamaal D. Pittman’s The Copy Editor’s (Life)Style Guide sit alongside novels and essay collections. One entire bookshelf is devoted to cookbooks, which I enjoy browsing through even when I am not planning to cook a meal. It is my dream to one day edit a cookbook professionally. As a former librarian, my books are carefully organized by topic and author.

Fuel for the day

Food and drink play an important role in any workday. Since I work from home, I do not keep many snacks on the desk itself; the kitchen is only steps away. The bottom desk drawer holds chocolate, though! Either Whitakkers or Cadburys, usually fruit and nuts. I start the day with a small cup of coffee and then make the switch to tea, usually Tetley’s or Yorkshire’s orange pekoe. I do not use sweeteners or creamers anymore. I used to wonder, “Who drinks their coffee or tea that way?” The answer to that question is currently, and somewhat surprisingly, me.

Light and windows

Good light is my final requirement. Natural light keeps my energy steady and makes long stretches of focus feel doable. The first school library I worked in was in the centre of the school without any windows or natural light. In the cold Edmonton winters, I would enter the school in the dark and leave in the dark. So now I enjoy the blue skies and sunshine of southern Alberta, even on a cold day. I also enjoy catching sight of local wildlife. Seeing deer or birds outside the window gives me a welcome excuse to step away for a moment. Once, a cheeky squirrel came and looked into the window, probably wondering where all the bird food went. (Gone… as I realized I was just feeding the squirrel.) Those brief pauses are enough to bring my attention back refreshed, grounded, and ready to return to work with clarity.

What’s on your desk, fellow editors? We would love your contribution to this series! Send us an email at blog@editors.ca or send a message via the website.

___

Previous post from Jamie Banks: Maintaining Your Joy as a Copy Editor

The Editors’ Weekly is the official blog of Editors Canada. Contact us.