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The Best Places For Productive Writing

By on August 3, 2017
The Best Places For Productive Writing - Writer's Life.org

We all have those days where we find it difficult to write productively. Where we find any excuse to put it off, and when we do finally sit down to write, we just can’t seem to concentrate or find the inspiration. Worse still are the days where we are feeling productive and inspired, but little distractions such as children interrupting, the phone ringing or outside noise can mean that we find it impossible to get any writing done.

Often simply being confined to the same four walls every day can make it difficult to feel creative, and going elsewhere could suddenly fill you with a new creative energy.

While it may not always be possible to move your writing office elsewhere, if you find you are constantly getting distracted when you try to write, it might be that a change is just what you need!

Here are some great places to try:

A library

The library is often a go to setting for writers who want some peace and quiet. It’s frowned upon to be loud, there are comfy chairs, and you have all the information and resources you could possibly want at your fingertips!

Your work office

While you might like to keep your day job and your writing separate, if you get in early or stay a bit late, the office can actually be a serene and productive place to write in. You’ll be in that ‘working frame of mind’ too which will help you to concertante and really get things done.

A bookstore

Bookstores are wonderful places - the smells, the rustling of paper, the rows and rows of gorgeous new books to inspire you. Lots of bookstores have places to sit and skim through books before you buy, making them ideal places to hang out and write in for a while.

A museum or art gallery

Museums and art galleries provide big, open spaces, are usually quiet, and have lots of inspiring things to look at too!

A church

OK so a church might not be everyone’s writing cup of tea, but they certainly are atmospheric! You’ll find it’s pretty quiet here too!

The quiet carriage of a train

Public transport can be the ideal place to write - if you get lucky of course. Wedged up against someone’s armpit and amongst screaming children isn’t ideal, but if you bag yourself a seat in the quiet carriage, or stick on your headphones, trains, buses and planes can be great places to get some work done.
While we’re on the subject, places that don’t work so well are:

Coffee shops

You might think a coffee shop is a great place to write, but they are usually busy, noisy, and you have to keep buying coffee if you want to stay there!

Friends houses

Your lovely friend might offer you some refuge from the madhouse that is your own home, but we bet you do ten minutes work before opening a bottle and gossiping about your other friends instead.

The Park

Being in nature is very inspiring, but parks can be difficult to write in. You are at the mercy of the elements for a start, there is rarely somewhere really comfy to sit, you can’t get WiFi and you are a target for weirdos to come and start talking to you too!
Writing productively can be tough if you don’t have the right atmosphere to work in. So next time you feel as though you could do with a change of scenery, try these places and see how you get on!

Bethany Cadman -author of 'Doctor Vanilla's Sunflowers'

Bethany Cadman -author of 'Doctor Vanilla's Sunflowers'

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