Writing in Public

From Cheryl's Writing Crate

Writing in a public venue is a refreshing alternative to the way most writers such as myself spend their days—alone.  Though my writer’s crate is comfortable and easily accessible when I want to escape with my thoughts and my laptop, there are also numerable distractions such as never-ending piles of laundry and dirty dishes, two feisty dogs that love to play, and usually two or three kids vying for my attention at any given time.

Recently, Kate and I met some very dear literary buddies at a trendy coffee shop in town to celebrate the friendships we’ve created all because of our love of reading.  We decided we’d meet earlier than the rest of the group so we could entertain our muse and spend some quality time letting our restless pens have a vigorous release in our favorite journals.

The timer Kate brought along beeped and then we began to write fast and furiously for ten minutes.  There were no rules for this writing exercise except to allow our words to flow in whatever direction our thoughts would take us.

I was afraid I’d have writer’s block sitting amidst a bustling café but instead, the words bounced off my pen and on to my crisp tablet almost as effortlessly as the playful beams of sunshine bounced off of the nearby tables and warm wooden floor that surrounded us.  I was filled with ideas, almost too many to make sense of, but after inhaling the rich aroma of freshly brewed coffee and hearty bagels being toasted right beside me, my mind focused on one particular theme and for the next several minutes I escaped to a delightful adventure on my pages that left my pulse racing and my imagination whirring for hours after I stopped.

Once our friends arrived we tucked the timer and our journals away and enjoyed a lovely morning full of wonderfully engaging conversation and many, many laughs.  The morning was just perfect!

Later that evening I pulled out my journal to review what I had written, and much to my delight, I realized I had just written a good portion of a chapter in the novel I’m working on.  It was completely unexpected, and I honestly don’t think I could’ve captured the same essence if I had tried to consciously write like this at home.

This exercise was such a great reminder that it’s important and necessary to shake things up in our writing routines, even if it means physically leaving our usual writing space and finding a nook elsewhere in this busy world to make it happen.  Not only do we as human beings have to think outside the box when we want to get creative, as artists, we have to write outside the box as well.  I’m already looking forward to the next time I can grab my pad and pen and adapt to another busy location where my thoughts can once again come alive in a public forum.

Does writing in coffee shops or other public places work for you as a writer?

Writing in Public

From Kate's Writing Crate... 

            Cheryl and I were scheduled to meet with two friends to celebrate a birthday and career change at a favorite café recently. We decided to arrive early and complete some timed writing sessions.

            There was a line although we arrived after peak morning hours. We caught up on news about kids, dogs, and other happenings while we waited to purchase a gift certificate ignoring the rows of delectable pasteries in the glass cases. Five minutes later, we were seated and opening our spiral notebooks.

            The beeping as I set the digital timer wasn't loud enough to draw attention. I hit start. Without hesitation, our pens raced across our pages. The bustle of people coming and going, chatting at nearby tables, and hurrying to fill orders provided a cadence lacking in my home office.

            Writing in cafés is a tradition for good reasons. I felt more alive. I was more observant.  My pen was moving faster than usual as the energy reverberated inside me.

My senses, on full alert in this vibrant space, were almost overloaded as I usually write in quiet solitude. I concentrated on the strong scent of coffee brewing, a noisy blender creating a fresh berry smoothie, and ice being scooped out to fill orders for iced tea and coffee on this warm day.

I wanted to capture as many details as possible, enjoying the rush of writing there. The pressure of the timer kept me focused. My job was just to keep writing, if possible, without stopping. My pen felt weightless as I moved my hand scribbling down my thoughts and observations. No time to feel self-conscious only conscious of writing this post.

When I was stalled, I quickly looked around and saw two teenaged girls grab their coffee cups, bagels, and purses off a nearby table and rush out to claim one of the tables shaded by orange umbrellas on the deck. I hoped we could do the same when our friends arrived, but went back to writing.

             For inspiration, I listened for any stray phrases from conversations at nearby tables. Nothing coherent reached my ears this time, but I remember overhearing years ago an earnest discussion of whether an evening can be enchanted or not at another table when I was out for dinner with friends. The loudest man was convinced that is was not possible as only people can be enchanted.

            It was such an unexpected topic of conversation I've never forgotten it. The group left the restaurant still talking about it. My friends and I (mostly writers) had paid our bill, but were finishing our coffees. Out of curiosity, we followed them to see if they came to a resolution in the parking lot. They did not.

             Time was up as the first of our friends arrived. We moved on to the reward phase of writing in public: fresh-squeezed orange juice for one, coffee, bagels, and a yogurt parfait for everyone else followed by good conversation, book discussions, and a lot of laughs.

                       

Do you enjoy writing in public?