Wednesday, February 6, 2013

Writing Out

Writing in a cafe sounds so romantic.  You picture artsy people in berets surrounded by coffee scents as they pen deeply atmospheric tales.  I wonder if it's like that for some people?  I'm used to working alone, so going off into a crowd to write was definitely a new experience. 

I didn't actually go to a cafe.  I went to my local Chic Fillet.  First thing I learned; the food is a major distraction.  I thought I'd eat a waffle fry, type a few words, take another thoughtful bite... nope.  I inhaled my food in just a couple seconds.  Which meant I had no excuse to not type.  I had an hour and a half to kill between one errand and another, and I had been smart enough not to bring my Nook.  It's amazing how the threat of dying from boredom can motivate a person to write.  

On the down side, I have not yet learned how to really get into my story when someone is conducting an interview at a nearby table and people are randomly walking in and out, so I mostly did edit work.  Chances are, as I write out more often I'll get better at tuning out my surroundings.

I've read about people who write entire novels in coffee shops and restaurants.  In fact there are some who draw inspiration from being surrounded by people. 

 If anyone knows their secret, clue me in! 

5 comments:

  1. There are a couple of places where I write while I'm out. For me, people-watching is a nice activity while I'm trying to sort out a scene. Not that it directly inspires what I'm writing, but it gives me something to do that's only mildly distracting. {Smile}

    Anne Elizabeth Baldwin

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  2. I find it a lot easier to doodle when I'm out -or jot notes.

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  3. Each to their own. I've been much of a doodler. I'd rather jot down ideas, whether notes or scene-snippets that I hope to build a story out of. Maybe that's analogous to doodling, but sometimes I get proper stories out of it anyway. {SMILE}

    Anne Elizabeth Baldwin

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  4. I think it's a good analogy of doodling. I like to write snippet notes too, but unless they're for a specific story (and labelled as such) I usually forget what I was noting about, so when I come across it again, I'm left scratching my head. If I have a little sketch or doodle it sometimes helps me remember what I was thinking -since I can SEE my thought. :)

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  5. I can see how doddling would be an advantage. {Smile}

    I do try to label idea-snippets enough so I know what to dow ith them later. It isn't always easy, but it really helps in the long run. {SMILE}

    Anne Elizabeth Baldwin

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