Do you have a special writing place? I usually write on my laptop in my home office, but occasionally, I'll write with pen and pad. I'm not one to go to a coffee shop to write, but many people do.
I've often wondered if they find some inspiration among the others nearby. Or do they just like the feeling of having others around them?
When I first started writing, I sat at my kitchen table and typed on an electric typewriter. The bad part about that was that I had to clear the table of all my papers and the typewriter before the next meal. Later, I set up a card table in one of the guest bedrooms which was a light, cheerful room. Maybe that helped my mood as I typed on my typewriter.
Our next house had 4 bedrooms, so I deemed one 'the office' and shared it with my husband, although I used it far more than he did. By this time, I had graduated to writing on a computer. Now, we have a His and Hers desk in our home office which works well.
I have friends who enjoy writing in a bookstore or coffee shop. With ipads and electronic notebooks, it's easy enough to do. Even with pen and spiral notebook as our photo for today shows.
Some writers can write sitting in bed with pen and paper or on their phone etc. That doesn't appeal to me at all. The only time I ever write in bed is to jot down a note regarding a thought that comes to me or from a dream.
What about writing outside? I have a feeling that people like Thoreau, who wrote about nature, wrote while sitting outdoors with the subject enveloping them on all sides. Inspiring? I think so. You might like to sit at a picnic table by a lake to write, or in a flower garden. When I visited Monet's house in Giverny, France, my first thought was how wonderful it would be to sit in his glorious garden and write. It's where he painted time and again.
Do people ever write on a bus or commute train? No doubt, some do. You might have a seatmate craning his neck to snoop a bit. When your stop comes up, you may be in the middle of a great section of writing, but you must quit or end up somewhere strange.
As a college student, I wrote some of my papers in longhand while in the university library. I had a lot of company as many other students were doing the same. I had to type the paper back at the dorm. The click-clack of the keys would not have been welcomed in the library.
Those of you fortunate enough to have a front or back porch, or a screened-in porch have a lovely spot where you can write. For me, it might be too distracting with people walking by, birds and squirrels drawing my attention, neighborhood children playing. Pick the right time of day, and it might be quite nice.
The important thing is to write where you feel comfortable and where you can produce best and fastest. Somewhere that you are not constantly distracted. Do you have a favorite place to write? Share in the Comments section.
Many years back I wrote in a studio building outside our house, but on our property. I know that a lot of writers would kill for that solitude and privacy. It worked for me, but I learned something in the process. I'm better off writing in the house in my own writing room, because outside the house caused me to miss many opportunities to write. With the studio, I tended to only go out when I had a half-hour or more available time. I guess I could have retrained my brain and my habit, but I decided the closeness to my computer downstairs is a better fit. I write more often and I'm more productive.
ReplyDeleteInteresting thought about writing in the house or in the studio.
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