Which Do You Prefer When Writing?

By Susan Reichert, Editor-in-Chief for Southern Writers Magazine 

J. K. Rowling, author of the Harry Potter series said, “And the idea of just wandering off to a cafe with a notebook and writing and seeing where that takes me for a while is just bliss.”

We writers are funny creatures. We have places we like to go and write. Some of those places are in our home, some outside in a park, or a café as J. K. Rowling said. I know some writers who go to the beach when they are writing a story.

Some prefer to go up into the mountains and stay at a cabin while they write.

Whichever we choose it needs to be a place of comfort. The location I choose must not have distractions. I am a creature of habit when I am engrossed in writing. I like it quiet.

Some authors however, want to hear music, or the ocean waves or the birds chirping or kids playing in the room. It boils down to what fuels the words.

I admire anyone who can write with people talking in the room, children playing, dogs barking, music and nature.

K. A. Applegate, an American young adult and children's fiction writer, best known as the author of the Animorphs, Remnants, Everworld, and other series said, “I really love writing, but I am very easily distracted: my two cats fighting, a rainbow, a TV show... I have to use every trick to keep myself at the computer.”

I guess each author has to determine which is best for their writing. There is no right or wrong here, only what works.

Happy Writing!