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However, a close second would be my front porch. As long as the dogs are behaving, and the temperature is comfortable to warm (but there are no spiders nearby), I could not be a happier writer. There's something about sitting on my front porch, watching the sun move across the sky, listening to the birds chirp in the trees, seeing them hop across the lawn in search of lunch or circle in the air. If the weather is too chilly, but I'm at home for the day, I'll spend my writing time in my home office, pounding words out on the keyboard and wistfully staring at the trees outside my window, wishing the sun would shine so I could head outdoors.
Although these are my favorite spots, every once in awhile, I feel the need to switch things up. All writers need a couple of go-to spots to write, ones where they feel comfortable and "free" from unwriterly duties where they can focus on their task at hand. But sometimes, those spots feel stifling. There's nothing unexpected there, everything feels comfortable. I don't know about you, but when I start to feel "comfortable" I often forget to look around me and absorb the scene before me. We're writers. We need to be able to explain a scene in words, and in order to do that, we must first observe it. If our writing nook is too comfortable, we risk the chance of writing without seeing. When we write without seeing, our reader cannot "see" the world we've created either.
I challenge you, next time you're headed out to your favorite spot to write, take a few minutes, sit back and observe (feel free to journal these observations) the sights, sounds, smells, textures around you before you plunge into business. The few minutes you take to do so are well worth the time.
I agree with what you said, Kelsie. I've enjoyed hanging out at Panera. That was my spot in my old hometown. Now I mostly sit at my computer. But I find lots of good stuff happening with the creative juices if I go for a walk around my neighborhood and then settle down to write. The deep breathing that gets the oxygen flowing, the rhythm of walking, all of the nature sights and sounds. I always have at least one thing fresh and new by the time I'm home, and sometimes more.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your insight. I'm gonna have to try out my back deck (my front porch is 4'x4'-blegh!) and look out into the woods behind my house. That would be a really good place to summon my muse. :)
Cheers!
-Amelia
Amelia,
DeleteIt's so easy to be trapped in the computer world of writing and not actually thinking about what we're writing. I think you've found a good way that works for you--a breather BEFORE you sit down to write, to clear your mind from the day and get focused on writing before even sitting down and scribing a word.
I love bringing my writing outside, and I often find (even amidst the outdoor "distractions") that I am more inspired writing outside than in. Best of luck in summoning your muse outdoors!
Kelsie