Where is your ideal writing place?
While I was attending RWA’s National Conference in San Francisco, the Outreach Chapter planned a wonderful nighttime tour of Alcatraz. The prison closed in 1963, but parts of it have been restored.
There is a walking tour and other interpretive programs. I regret that didn’t have more time to explore and learn. I’ll definitely go back and schedule a longer visit. I’m sure I wasn’t the only writer who look at the cells and thought, “What a wonderful place to write!” Those small cells certainly would provide an interruption-free place to write. 
Of course, without the interaction and distraction of our busy lives, we might run out of things to write.
Then again, maybe not. Sometimes it helps to change out regular routine and refresh our writing by changing our writing venue. There are many places where we can write using a laptop, AlphaSmart, or (gasp!) a pen and paper.
- A coffee shop
- A library
- Waiting rooms
- A car
- A favorite chair
A lot of writers like to escape to a nearby coffee shop. That works well as long as you don’t sign up for their Internet access. A library is usually quite and reference books are handy. However, most libraries now have some sort of Internet access. If you spend a lot of time in waiting for your doctor, dentist, mechanic, or your children, make sure you are equipped with a method for writing. You could use a voice recorder, but you’ll probably get many strange looks. I know a fellow writer who escapes to her car to write. She doesn’t go anywhere, just sits in the car and types away. Just moving away from your desk into your favorite chair can generate a renewed enthusiasm in your writing. 
The is the view from my beach house. My muse usually stays close by when I’m there. Maybe she stays there when I leave, and that’s why I can’t find her in the city. To see where other writers work, check out these writing places. Check this out if you’d like to see the writing place that inspired this post. I’m off to rent Escape From Alcatraz. Where is your ideal writing place? Write On, Lynn Jordan
[...] the Alcatraz tour, our group consisted of an Australian, a US citizen who lives in Brazil, a woman from Sweden who [...]
Hi! I was surfing and found your blog post… nice! I love your blog.
Cheers! Sandra. R.
I have six kids(yours mine and ours) that live with us and the oldest is 13 and the youngest is 7. It is an almost impossibility to find anywhere to escape to for uniterrupted writing. I am ashamed to write this but here goes. I have recently discovered that i can steal anywhere from 30 minutes up to one hour IN THE MASTER BATHROOM. I have witnessed my husband take his favorite book or the Sunday paper into the bathroom and lock the door and remain for over an hour. No one ever bothers him , once they see him gear up with coffee, newspaper and a pen, lock the door and turn on the running water. Four of our kids are in middle school or 5th grade and just started needing their “own privacy” for cell phone calls, text messages and computer time. I tried it last week and as long as I actually stayed in the restroom i was left alone. as soon as I emerged; I was bombarded with questions.
I read the comment about the person who likes to write in their car. Thank god there is another human who does this. I love to write in my car. it started when I used to sit for over an hour in carpool. What better way to pass the time productively. Then it moved on to times I wait for kids (6 of them) to attend soccer practice, football cheerleader, music, etc) you can log in a lot of time doing this. I generally do not answer my cell during this time. I am a lawyer so I can’t write in my office because if i have time to be writing I will get my butt chewed out for not working on a case. My car has become the most private, peaceful escape I have ever found . I like it so much that i find myself remaining in the car from anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour when I get home from just about anywhere (presuming do not have court or somewhere I have to be) take kids to school- spend time in the car in driveway when I get home, run errends , I do the same. Grocery store or bank-same and I also (now this is probbaly not the best advice because it is not a safe idea, but I enjoy sitting in the car outside stores pharmacy, just about anywhere. I do really find complete solitude something. Sometimes I listen to music other times just silence, often I drive around and sit in my car at a variety of locations during the day. I have my cell for emergencies but try not to use it. I get so engrossed in my writing I can easily pull off 2000 words and not even flinch. AND (***I know this is bad) I can smoke in my car when no one else is with me, no kids no hubbie, no one to tell me how bad it is. I love to enjoy a cigarette when i write. I cant smoke in my home or anyone elses, not in any library or coffee shop, so my car is my sanctuary