Last year I officially signed up to participate in National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) and so am getting emails from the Colorado NaNo people. As noted earlier, I’m taking a modified approach** this year, so when I received an email about a write-in happening at a coffee shop near me I decided to attend. Big deal, right? Wrong.
I do about 99% of my writing at home and wasn’t sure it’d be a good fit. But I liked the idea of all that collective energy, so packed up and went. I arrived two hours into the session today and people were busily writing away. I found a seat in back, put in my ear plugs to muffle the loud music, and got to work.
Image by Angela Yuriko Smith from Pixabay
Wow. I wrote 2500 words (many of which were keepers) in about three hours. Part of my success was because I didn’t ask for the wifi password which meant I couldn’t procrastinate online. When I’m at home, closed off in my writing room, I find all sorts of ways to waste time. Despite all the sounds and movement taking place around me, something about writing in public kept me more focused. It felt all official-like or something.
I thought I’d be writing this novel at my standing desk, but will most definitely be going back to that coffee shop for more writing sessions!
** My goal is to finish a draft by the end of December.
Tracy Abell 
Sounds like a great writing experience. I’ve never tried writing in public, like that…
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It really was a wonderful session, Becky. I opted to write at home today and am struggling to reclaim that flow. I hope your projects are coming along well…
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I’m moving forward in my new writing but having trouble finding enough time to keep up with submissions at the same time, especially now that I’m supposed to be also packing to move to the other apartment:) It will all come together, I’m sure…somehow!
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Oy, that’s a lot to handle all at once! Moving is a huge deal all on its own. It will all come together, one way or another!
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It is, but at least I’m just moving within my current building. Some things won’t need to be packed as carefully. It will work out:)
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I love coffee shop writing! I listen to my playlist and it puts me back in that setting and mood.
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I don’t know why I don’t have playlists like so many other writers. I guess it’s because lyrics interfere with my thinking because I get caught up in them. But somehow the muffled music playing in the coffee shop was more background noise than distracting for me.
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