AUTHOR’S GAB, READER TALK.
A LETTER TO YOU, THE READER, SO THAT YOU CAN FINALLY FIGURE OUT WHAT I’M THINKING.
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THIS MONTH: Where to write
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“When I write, I imagine places more than people.”
— Paula Hawkins, Zimbabwe-born British author, best known for her best-selling psychological thriller novel The Girl on the Train (2015)
Dear Reader,
Sometimes, you just wake up with good ideas. And, this morning, I woke up with a really good one for this post. I knew I had to write something for June and had fallen asleep wondering what I was going to write for it. Then, I woke up and it occurred to me: why not write about where to write? There are so many places to write that it so often comes down simply to what kind of space you prefer. But, perhaps, over the years, I have left out the simple question of “where” in my blogging, simply because I felt it was a-given. I sat down with intent to write and did, without thought as to where I was doing it. Or, maybe, I did give that thought, depending on what mood I was in. Maybe, it did matter. And, maybe it matters to you, too, where you put pen to paper.
For me, I often find myself writing in my home, usually when I’m not working. Something about the comforts of home and the dedicated headspace that comes with that is just a space I feel comfortable writing in. Sometimes, I will go to a cafe, like “The Proving Grounds” in Milford, where I wrote “The Nativity” in December. They have a corner table, cappuccino and English breakfast sandwich that really speaks to me, and I can write easily there. Other times, it’s just where I’m at that inspires the poem, like when I wrote “Jazz Concert Jag” at Interlochen. I heard the music of a jazz concert playing, sat down and listened to it and wrote the poem based on what I heard. If you listen to it, you can still hear the music in the poem.
“Fame” is a really good example of a poem I wrote back in 2008 that was based on location, or where I was when I got the idea for the poem. I actually visited “The Elephant House” in Edinburg, where J.K. Rowling first drafted “Harry Potter”. It still sports the “Birthplace of Harry Potter” logo on its storefront today. Apparently, I’m not the only writer to prefer a cafe to write in, but there are some other pretty interesting spots where famous writers have fleshed out their writing, such as a train, a hotel and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. So, the lesson is that it ultimately comes down to you and your mojo and where you feel you can write best. It might seem like a strange spot to other people and perfectly natural to you. And, your best writing might flow out of it, as it did with these authors.
https://www.bustle.com/articles/94946-8-places-where-successful-authors-write-because-finding-your-special-spot-is-half-the-battle
But, what about when you move or travel and all your old, usual, comfortable writing spots change into new writing spots? How much change can your chakra and mojo withstand before your creative juices give out? And, how can you find that creativity again in your new home and new writing places and spaces?
By the time June’s Ad Lib is published, it will probably be well known that I’m moving from my apartment to my first home, a new condo. This is because the deadline I set for myself for doing so was May 31, 2020. I decided to make the move to put equity into a new place, so I would have at least something if, God forbid, anything were to happen to me or anyone I care about. Plus, this would be a good opportunity were I to pay off the place and put the money towards a new home. Renting just doesn’t do that for me. Also, I found myself in need of more space my tiny apartment couldn’t offer, including an extra room for office and guest room space, and workable appliances, such as a dishwasher (let’s be honest: it’s the main feature) and a washer and dryer I didn’t have to walk outside during the Michigan winters for, fight for in a communal laundry room and pay for (goodbye PayRange, it’s been nice knowing ya). Overall though, this has just felt like the right financial decision for me, Midnight and for my family, as well as helping accomplish a long-term goal of mine to own a home. I can finally break free of this stigma and situation that has been a part of my life for so long. So, if I have been thinking about one thing, it’s definitely been that.
It also means that my usual writing space, shortly, won’t be my writing space anymore. Indeed, I might get a new desk. In fact, I plan on it. And, the office I will be writing in next month probably won’t be part of the open floor plan I currently have set up right now, which also includes my living room and kitchen. In fact, it will probably be on the second floor, close to my bedroom. I will probably be looking out a window with a ledge and be slightly irked about the bathroom attached to the office, because who has an office bathroom? It was intended to be a second bedroom, good if I ever want to rent it out or if I have guests, and I will probably be constantly reminding myself of that. I will probably want to do something about the ugly blue and purple walls the last owner put in that room and get rid of the grandma-style curtain in the walk-in closet. And, I will probably be reclining in my Omega gaming chair from Secret Lab, instead of the pint-sized desk chair I’ve had for the past 10 years. It’s served me well, but it’s time for it to go and the new to come in. In short, things will probably look a lot different in my writing space than they do right now. Although, I do plan on keeping my cork board. 🙂
I think the space will limit my creativity only as much as I let it. I could get caught up in the stress of moving and feel overburdened by work and my writer’s block will surely kick in. I could also feel blank or apathetic and not want to work in my new space at all. I could feel nostalgic about my old space and wish to have it back and use that as fodder. Or, I could feel confident and inspired by my new space, and it could produce all kinds of creative mojo. Because, to me, it’s there. My creativity never went away; I’m just drawing new inspiration from my new space I’m in. And, if I can tap into that, I can find my swing again with my writing and new ideas will flow.
Travel is much of the same, but I think I draw more inspiration from the space I’m in because it feels so new to me and I’m amazed by what I’m seeing. But, at the same time, travel can be fast-paced and schedule-oriented. You might have only so much time to do what you came there to do and see who and what you wanted to see. Depending on the trip, you might only get that rare moment where you can actually sit down and describe what you’re seeing on paper. And, that can be a unique moment that you treasure forever, because you may only get to see that place a handful of times, or just once, as in “The Elephant Cafe” for me, or get that writing environment only that one time. Personally, this is why I keep a small notebook on me, because I can pop it out and write down what I’m thinking at any moment and it might become a unique poem or story. But, you might not get that second to write things down. You might need to go from memory. And, sometimes, when traveling, I find that this hampers my writing a little bit. Because, all that awe and wonder is in that one moment, and you might not get it again. So, I miss those moments, simply because seeing them with my mind’s eye isn’t quite as thrilling as what I can see and hear in the space, if I only had that one second to write it down.
So, I think the best way to reclaim your writing mojo in this space is to simply stop, if you can, and take a few notes you can use later to pair with your mind and craft what you want to say. Make that place your writing space, even if it’s only for 15 seconds. It might even be a fun challenge to see how much you can observe in 15 or 30 seconds. Or, set the timer for a minute on your phone and see how much you can jot down by the time it goes off. Then, run off to your next destination or catch up to your group, or go on to your next activity. Be smart about this, too, guys. I don’t want anyone getting lost and missing their flight home. It’s just a good, fast way to get what you want down on paper, then make a mental note to yourself to write it down later. Or, if you are able, write the whole thing then and there.
But, I think the most important part of this is your headspace when you are in that different location later. Close your eyes and envision that spot again. Smell it. Taste it. Feel it. Be there all over again. Then, you should be able to find your creativity again while traveling, craft what you want to create and make the right edits to your writing. Also, take some time and breathe. Traveling can be hard. Don’t worry about your WiFi connecting automatically. Pen and paper are fine tools until you get home, let the jet-lag wear off and can use the internet again.
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/top-10/literary-cities/
So, we’ve covered the norms of space and where you feel comfortable writing and what happens to your “writing place” if you move or travel. And, there are so many unconventional places you can write. I have found that each place I’m in denotes a new and unique inspiration I’m not going to get anywhere else, simply because of where I’m at in time and space. In fact, I’ll link a few ideas of where you can go to write below this paragraph, just in case you run out of any.
But, the final type of “writing place” I want to discuss is actually something I referenced a little earlier when I was talking about travel: headspace. It’s the only place that goes with you wherever you go. You can access it at any time, and it holds all kinds of memories and ideas about the previous places you’ve been, where you are now and where you’d like to go next. So, I’d say it’s your most important place you need to go to write. If you’re headspace isn’t right, you’re probably nothing to get what you want written that day and catch a case of writer’s block. If you don’t have the right information in your head, you’re probably going to accidentally write lies. And, if you’re not remembering something correctly, chances are you’re going to draw a blank and watch the cursor pulse until you remember something correctly. Or, you might just give up entirely and go watch Netflix. So, if you’re going to get anything written, you have to have your headspace jive with your space. That’s half the battle right there.
We did this exercise at Interlochen Fine Arts camp where our teacher had us stand up, open a blank Microsoft Word document, close our eyes and type for like 15 minutes. I’ll never forget it because you had to type continuously, and there was no wrong to what you were typing. It taught me not only to uncork my mind and refuse to edit anything prematurely but also to engage my headspace and be in tune with the rawness of my mind. Then, I was able to integrate my headspace and physical space better, because I was in tune with my head before anything else. So, I encourage you to do the same. Stand up, open a word document, close your eyes and type, wherever you are, for 15 minutes. Get in tune with your headspace. Then, open your eyes, think about where you are and what you’ve just written and edit it accordingly. I guarantee your writing will get better as a result with this as a regular practice.
“Where” is one of the 5 W’s and an H for a reason. It’s always significantly important to remember where you’re writing, because it will definitely affect how you’re writing, maybe even what you’re writing about. Ever considered, for instance, writing about Barcelona in Prague? Or, writing about home while away from home? Or, writing about someplace far away while you’re at home? It’s not undoable, but my guess is that you’re most comfortable writing about where and when you are right now. You can see it, you can smell it, you can taste it, you can hear it and you can feel it. And, that’s why picking a writing place is so important, because it’s going to impact your worldview, even subconsciously, and rub off into your piece. Similarly, if your head isn’t in it, you’re not doing yourself any favors. You have to be in the right headspace to complete the right kind of writing you want to accomplish. If place and (head)space match, however, then you probably will be able to write smoothly.
Think about that. ~
Sincerely, Your Writer,
Jessica A. McLean
The Rose 