I write from this odd little rectangular office that is partially painted and filled with the sort of bric-a-brac meant to inspire writers such as myself. Whether or not this is effective is highly debatable and largely irrelevant at this stage, because it is also filled with piles of mess of the sort that makes any form of concentration exceedingly difficult.
Still I write.
Yesterday I wrote at a slick bar/coffee shop called Grand Central, which was built out of a old train facility in downtown Phoenix. I don’t think slick is even right. It lives in that space between hipster and genuine cool. The people that were there spanned multiple generations. There were groups of white hairs and groups of 18 year olds and everything–including me–in between. I liked it. I liked the dim lights and the music and the ‘just out of the way’ big screens projecting landscapes. This place felt good to write in, and I want to feel that way whenever I sit down to write.
The place you write needs to help your mood and energy, not distract from it. If your focus is on dealing with the place you are at then you aren’t accessing the stream. You aren’t joining with the idea of story and pulling the truth and message from that. Last night I was watching ‘Her’ at an indie theater and the seat I sat in was just below the AC vent. By mid movie I was completely frozen and had to get up and walk out several times to warm myself. It hindered the experience. I didn’t want to look for another seat in the crowded theater. Where I was afforded an easier and less disruptive opportunity to just walk out. However, the spot did make it hard for me to be fully in the film. This is the same way in which a space that is less than ideal prevents you from being fully in the writer’s mindset. In order to truly achieve excellence you ought to be fully in the writer’s mindset. The place you write ought to allow for that.
Some Thoughts:
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