Today’s post is written by Ashley Prince, a finalist in The First Ever Write It Sideways Blogging Contest. Welcome, Ashley!
One of the joys of writing is that you can do it anywhere. But just like picking a great place to meditate, get married, or raise a family, you have to pick somewhere that fits you and your style. What works for you may not work for someone else.
Luckily, there are many places to choose from. I’ve narrowed down my favorite places and each one has something different to contribute to my creativity. I tend to gravitate toward places that have people, but where noise is generally muted or kept at a relatively low level. I’m easily distracted, so the less shiny objects there are, the more I can actually concentrate on my writing.
1. Your Local Coffee Shop.
As cliché as this might sound, nothing invigorates me more than the smell of coffee. I tend to get my best writing done while sitting in a cozy chair in the corner of Starbucks. The combination of lighting, music, and smells is incredibly relaxing. Along with being able to nurse a venti white chocolate mocha, people are in and out all day and provide a great way to get inspiration for characters for your novel. Plus, nothing looks more important than an open laptop that you are furiously typing away on. You can pretend you are the next J.K. Rowling sans napkins.
2. Your Favorite Book Store.
While this might seem like an intimidating place to write, it can also be one of encouragement. Try sitting with your favorite book and write a mock interview with a minor character to get your creative juices flowing. If that doesn’t work for you, the biggest benefit of writing in a book store is the amount of resources available to you. If you get in the mood for research or simply want to find some writing exercises, you have the entire store at your beck and call.
3. Your ‘Writing Cave’.
Similar to a man cave, a writing cave is a perfect place to escape the distractions and focus on what you love to do most. My ideal cave has my laptop, iPod, paper and pen when I want to write old school, caffeine, and a plethora of snacks. Create your perfect writing cave and surround yourself with what you want. Don’t overcrowd yourself with distractions. If you don’t want to be in the same “cave” every time, try making it portable by using a tote to carry all of your essentials.
4. A Setting From Your Novel.
Now this one might be a little difficult if your novel takes place on the surface of the moon in the year 2313 or even if it’s in a different country. But you can manipulate your surroundings to make it become your ideal setting. For example, if your novel takes place in New Orleans during the Jazz age, try downloading some music from that era and play it softly or as loudly as you want while you write.
So look for places that you naturally gravitate toward. Try thinking about where you get most of your ideas, themes, character profiles, and quotes from. Maybe it’s at the corner booth in a sports bar, a plush chair in the middle of a book store, or a particular bench that overlooks a lake. There has to be some reason why you constantly end up at these places. Let your inner muse steer you in the right direction.
What do you all think are the pros and cons of writing in these places? Where are some of your favorite places to write?
Ashley is a wife, a student, and a lover of life. Currently living in San Antonio, Texas with her husband, she spends most of her time writing. She has two blogs—Byron’s Curse, and Open Eyes and Open Minds. Writing is more than her hobby, it’s her passion.
I would just like to be the first to congratulate you Ashley, on a wonderfully written blog. While I wish good luck to all the contestants, my vote will go to you!
Wow, I love this last location! It never crossed my mind to find a place to write that my character(s) would hypothetically be at. Great idea, and great tips! Thanks so much for sharing.
Congratulations on being a finalist by the way 🙂 I can see why you are one of them–excellent guide!
~TRA
http://xtheredangelx.blogspot.com
Red Angel, I actually had never thought of it until I was writing my NaNoWriMo book, Pearl. It is based on my sister in-law’s abusive relationship and I actually stayed a couple of weeks in her house where it took place. It really got to me and inspired me more than any other place so far.
Thank you so much for reading!
-Ashley Prince
Ashley, I love the idea of using the setting from your novel as a place to write! Even if you can’t fly to an exotic locale, using your imagination, trying to capture smells, sounds even decor, will definitely breed creativity. Something I’ll definitely try! –Debra Eve
Debra Eve, you will find so many things in a setting for your novel that you didn’t even know were there. The sound of the air condition coming one, the tapping of your dogs tail against the couch, and drip of a leaky kitchen faucet. Those are just a few things that I never thought to imagine.
I hope you find your inspiration!
-Ashley Prince
I chose this post as a finalist because, like some of the other commenters here, I loved your last suggestion. I do keep a playlist of songs to put me in the right frame of mind to write, but I’ve never really physically put myself in my story’s setting. I also love the suggestion to write in your local bookshop. We don’t have a suitable one here in the small town I’m living in right now, but back home we have a Chapters with a Starbucks attached, and there are plenty of chairs and couches scattered around the store. Thanks for an inspiring post, Ashley!
Suzannah, I actually debated putting as a “place,” your favorite song list, but luckily I remembered the setting! I am just such a huge setting place because of my theater years in high school.
-Ashley Prince
What a great post! I personally really enjoy writing in my livingroom. I try writing in my office, but I find I’m not as productive because it’s a more stressful atmosphere. My livingroom gives a more relaxed setting, and the opportunity to spend time with my boyfriend and my adorable cat (my boyfriend is currently working on his schooling, so it gives that added support as we move forward together). If I’m alone, I tend to throw in a movie that inspires me in a certain way, depending on the piece that I’m working on. I know that this is something that would distract a lot of writers, but I find that it helps me to create a very motivational atmosphere where my typing skills are not able to keep up with my writing ideas, lol! 🙂
Krissy, I also love writing in my living room. Strangely, I love it so much because of the stand up lamp. It gives it a warmer glow and it really relaxes me. I have a slight aversion to bright lights, so the dimmer, the better.
-Ashley Prince
I’m the exact same way! I can’t have too much light, activity or noise around me, or it sets my nerves in a tailspin. Glad to finally have a partner in crime! 🙂
Interesting ideas. Especially finding some way to bring the setting of the story alive. In similar fashion, if you need to learn about a setting, try going to Google and put in, for example, “Films with San Francisco”, and you can see these with Netflix, etc, often online. Also for settings, try “photos of…” and keep them around for descriptive help as well as for mood.
Marty, I love that idea of the photos. I will definitely try that.
-Ashley Prince
Ashley,
Great post. I too love the setting idea, with the potential of discovering the little details in the environment that I might miss if I don’t plop myself right in the middle of it. You’ve got me thinking how I can maneuver half a day of writing time “away,” so that I can try that idea!
And, I do have a writing cave, literally (it’s down in the basement), but I rarely write there these days. It’s still too cold down there. I tote my laptop around the house in search for the warmest spot available 🙂
Christi, the little details are what I love in stories and any writing at all really. It makes me feel like I am actually there.
I have always wanted a cave in a basement! That sounds so fun.
-Ashley Prince
Starbucks is awesome. Don’t know what it is about that place but I can write for hours and it just flows. Great post!
Nicole, thank you! And yes, Starbucks is awesome. I love it.
-Ashley Prince
Ashley, I think I might have gone with the man-cave, except mine has a regular PC and it does’t become portable.
As a young woman, I imagined the best of my stories traveling on the NYC subway system from Brooklyn to Manhattan (and back at night) and my fav was winter, at nigth over the Manhattan Bridge with a great view of the NY harbor, the Brooklyn Bridge and my imagination gone wild.
Love your post … it got my juices flowing 🙂
Florence, I would LOVE to travel via subway in NYC. That sounds absolutely amazing. 🙂
-Ashley Prince
Great ideas, Ashley! Like you, I love the ambiance of a coffee shop. However, I’ve discovered I need complete and utter silence for the words to come. So it’s ‘writing cave’ for me 🙂
Erika, there are days that I definitely need my silence, so I completely understand that.
-Ashley Prince
A great post with some sound advice. My favourite so far!
If I’m not writing at work or at home, a strange place where I tend to feel inspired is in the métro. That said, it’s impossible to write there during peak hour!
Gemma, thank you so much! 🙂
And the metro sounds like such an inspirational area.
-Ashley Prince
Definite truth in this. Has to be the right place in order for the writing to really flow, although I’ve written everywhere from the car to beneath a hair dryer.
Patricia, I have tried writing in a car and I just can’t do it. I get easily distracted by my surroundings. And I bet I would fall asleep under a hair dryer. 🙂
-Ashley Prince
Much like your suggestion of the book shop, I find the local library to be a fantastic place to write. It’s quiet without being silent, there’s plenty of interesting people to watch but not a lot of “shiny things” that act as distractions, and the free word processing computers don’t have internet access, so there’s no Facebook/Blog/Etc procrastination.
I can write, get up and walk around to stretch my legs, touch and look through books for inspiration, and then sit back down and keep writing. And there’s no danger of getting stuck watching TV, talking to family, doing housework, etc.
Plus, they have a coffee/tea vending machine that surprisingly provides amazing hot chocolates for $2 when I need a sugar rush.
Jo, I am so picky with libraries. It’s actually kind of embarrassing how picky. But I love the idea of writing without internet access. I get very distracted.
A coffee/tea vending machine? That sounds amazing! I want one in my living room.
-Ashley Prince
The best place for me to write is Borders and Barnes and Noble book stores.
I sit in the cafe sipping on coffee or ice tea whileam writing. The other patrons
in the store are quiet because they are reading or working on their lap tops.
And since I am writting science fiction, I pick out a few science magazines
and books in case I need to look up science info or detais.
James, I never though about looking at magazines for research purposes. I will definitely do that now!
-Ashley Prince
Ashley, the magazine section of the book store have a wealth of info.
Best of luck with your research.
I am still looking for my writing location. I’ve found the music that works for me now I need to find my location. So far the kids baseball practice has not worked out. Great post.
Thank you, Robert! I hope you find your writing location soon!
-Ashley Prince
My writing cave is almost literally a cave. It’s in an ugly office in an ugly room down our ugly true basement. I keep dreaming of the day that I’ll be able to set up my office the apartment that we rent out on the third floor of our house, but it brings in a lot of income. I’ve tried coffee shops and book stores, but I work best when it’s just me and my computer and my high-speed internet. I do love my beautiful, giant 23″ monitor — I can have several screens open at one time.
Susan, that actually sounds amazing! I have always wanted an office in a basement. And I also want a giant monitor or two so that I can move my work around easier.
-Ashley Prince
This is good! You’re ideas are fun and practical. I prefer non-Starbucks coffee shops, balconies (inside and out), and pit stops along public thoroughfares like train stations and mall food courts. My daughter painted her closet royal blue (even the ceiling), put in a bookcase that houses books, music, and maps, hung beads on the doorway, and stuck a small bowl chair in the space. She calls it Ireland. It a cozy place to write.
Linda, thank you! Non-Starbucks coffee shops are quite relaxing too. And cheaper if you find your self there for hours drinking cup after cup.
You daughter’s idea of Ireland sounds amazing. That is such a creative thing to do.
If you haven’t already, you can vote for this article on https://transfer.writeitsideways.com/vote-for-your-favourite-blogging-contest-finalists/ and select one other that you really like. Every vote counts!
Thanks again, Linda, Ashley Prince