Finding the Right Place to Write!

From Cheryl's Writing Crate

As I've mentioned before, January truly is one of my favorite months.  I'm just coming off that "New Year's" high where that blank slate in front of me is beginning to take a bit of shape.

Because this year I'm really not setting resolutions, but intentions instead, I have challenged myself to be extra creative in finding new places to write this year.  Don't misunderstand--my writer's crate is my first choice because I have fabricated it to house my most prized writing possessions--favorite resource books, inspired quotes and photos, past and present journals, pictures of my family and most important--my vision board which lists all my writing dreams and desires as if they've already happened.

Now, realistically, for those writing dreams to happen--well, I need to actually write!  So with this brand new year still so fresh I sat down and brainstormed some fun new places to make some magic on my pages this year.

Here's my recent list of places I hope to be frequenting in the year ahead as I feed my muse and my passion--all things written!

1.  The Mall -- Don't underestimate the flow of ideas and stimulation you can get from grabbing a cup of hot chocolate and sitting in the food court at the mall.  Not only is the people watching great, the abundance of material for magazine articles, a short story or even your novel is there for the taking.

2.  The Registry of Motor Vehicles -- Are you booing and hissing at the thoughts of this?  Face it, when we go to the registry we usually end up waiting for at least an hour or more.  I have to renew my license this year as well as take care of some title business on one of our cars so I plan on bringing my laptop and hunkering down right in my very own DMV.

3.  The Airport -- One of my favorite movies is "Love Actually" starring Hugh Grant.  The opening scene to this movie is in Heathrow Airport in London.  I have always been intrigued by airports and find myself wondering where everyone is traveling to and why they might be doing so.  I'm going to hit our state airport in Rhode Island in February and see what excitement I can stir up in my writing this winter.  

4.  The Bowling Alley -- My kids love to bowl, and I love to watch them bowl.  Their expressions when they get a near strike or better yet when they get a gutter ball are priceless.  There is something very "grass roots" about the local bowling alley, so I'm going to give that location a whirl this year as well.

5.  A Church Parking Lot -- My family belongs to a large parish right on campus at The University of Rhode Island.  The activity in the parking lot alone after Mass is something to behold.  I think the good Lord would be pleased to see me perched in the church parking lot some Sunday after Mass where i can reflect on all the blessings in my life and turn those thoughts into something memorable on paper.

How about you?  Do you have some creative spots in which you hope to pen some wonderful works this year?

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?