Writing in public…

Now that I can write from home you'd think I'd be getting much more work done.  In theory, I suppose, yet somehow I'm discovering it's quite the opposite.  Home is the place of endless distractions, from the cat who insists my hand is there to pet her, not to click the mouse, to the dogs who normally nap for hours but *really* want a walk that very minute. Once the deaf one starts barking (a unique sound to say the least) the other two chime in and at that point forget getting ANY writing done! Then there's the calls from friends and family who *know* you are home. "It's just for a minute… I know you need to write…" they say, but those minutes add up. Then there's that piece of mail that requires follow-up and leaves you keying in an hour of menu options and listening to scratchy canned music. Groceries, laundry, cooking… there's always yet another thing waving for attention. Sneaking down to the boat with the laptop isn't much better. It's still quite cold, the space heater onboard quit the other day, and Annabel Lee is awash in unfinished work clamoring for my time.

I'm not a 'coffee' person, which is amusing because caffeine is my personal vice of choice, though I absorb it through countless cups of strong tea. But – and please don't laugh – I've discovered Starbucks. A few weeks back my daughter had an appointment, and our lovely spring weather here in New Jersey yet again involved a mix of snow and freezing rain: a less than ideal combination for her rear-wheel drive Mustang. I was hitting a writing wall and desperately needed to get out of the house, so I offered to drive her, joking that I'd sit in the Starbucks and write while I waited. We've all seen those people sitting in Starbucks, sipping their venti-soy-whipped-frappa-mocha-latte-whatever-chinos and tapping away intently at their keyboards – Family Guy even did a bit on it. I never thought anyone there got any real work done. I was only joking, but I did bring my 'ruggedized' laptop along.

I'm not joking anymore. No. Now I'm a convert, and you can find me there among the other regulars. I don't know if they are writers or business people or whatever else because conversations a few and far between with an unspoken understanding that we're all there to work on something. There's a certain pattern of people who arrive at the same time every day, stake out the same tables, set up shop and go to work. There's all the caffeine you could desire, (you can register a gift card and get free refills) comfy chairs, wifi, outlets, and your fellow co-workers will keep an eye on your computer if you need to visit the restroom. I tried the same approach at the library, which oddly wound up being more distracting, uncomfortably cold and didn't serve hot tea. So Starbucks it is, and the slightly wobbly table next to the window has become my workspace.  In fact, that's how I view it – as my new office. I can go there for four or five hours, settle in and work undisturbed, and since I've switched to this new system I'm getting immeasurably more writing done.  Who'd've figured?

So, how do you work best? What are your most productive hours and where do you find you get the most accomplished?

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