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Where do you go to write when you REALLY need peace and quiet?
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When I wrote my one and only novel more than four years ago, my den provided all the undisturbed privacy required.Being retired, I could write for several hours during the day, while others were at work. Friends and acquaintances all know better than to phone me merely for idle chit chat and "call waitng" allowed me to ignore calls from unfamiliar sources.
Even in such an ideal sitting, it took me fourteen months to produce what I felt was a completed, polished manuscript. If there had been distractions, I might still be trying to finish it.
You describe your library with so much feeling, I could see you're a writer from the first paragraph)Sounds like a place I'd love to see. But I have to admit, even a silent place like the one you described wouldn't be good for me. I've spent 5 years on my first book, and it wasn't just because I had to improve my English for finishing it.
I was procrastinating a lot while I was still at the University and living with my mom. But once I'd moved out, I wrote the whole English manuscript in 5 months or so (with a full-time job and a lot of other activity). The first draft (Russian version) took me a year, and it was 2 times shorter. But the most important thing, I didn't feel myself inside the story as I wrote it, you know? Turned out, all I needed was a quiet room where I was sure no one would bother me. I wrote for hours in a foreign language and forgot about everything else. It was the most magical time in my life.
i don't have a quiet place. its just my headphones inet radio and laptop wherever i am. because my life is chaotic and i dont have a means to escape other fleshbags
When I need peace & quiet, all I have to do is open the door and gaze out across arguably one of the most beautiful landscapes in the world. I moved here specifically for that peace and quiet and so that I could dedicate myself to my writing without having to deal with the plethora of mindless distractions present in most urban environments in the 'developed' world.
Want to know more about where I am ? Here is my first publication Glimpses of Guatemala (May 2012) that will give you an inkling of what I am talking about.
Want to see more ? Here are the links for the book:
http://www.blurb.com/b/3183261 (print format)
http://www.blurb.com/b/3195786 (digital format)
http://www.amazon.com/author/alexmorritt (author profile)
They don't call it 'The Land of Eternal Spring' for nothing :-)
I kick everyone else out of the house. But it doesn't happen very often. Usually in the evenings I can get an hour or two when everyone else is in bed.
Happy you found the place that brings you peace, joy and inspiration.
I'm easy, my bedroom. I have one of those throw pillows that give comfort and support for my back while also supporting my arms as I type, I have a laptop tray that fits almost anywhere but works amazing in the bed (even a cup holder for any refreshing drink of my choice), TV for when I need a break if not accomplishing other duties, bathroom attached across the room for any emergencies, I put notebooks, cell phone and whatever else I can fit in that bed. I'm out of breath now...that was one long sentence.
I'm easy, my bedroom. I have one of those throw pillows that give comfort and support for my back while also supporting my arms as I type, I have a laptop tray that fits almost anywhere but works amazing in the bed (even a cup holder for any refreshing drink of my choice), TV for when I need a break if not accomplishing other duties, bathroom attached across the room for any emergencies, I put notebooks, cell phone and whatever else I can fit in that bed. I'm out of breath now...that was one long sentence.
It's just hubby, the rodent gang (degus, gerbils, and rats) and myself, and hubby's pretty good about leaving me in peace when I say I want to work on some writing. He's very supportive of my writing, and happy to leave me in peace to work on it. Although, there's a chance - quite a high chance, in fact - that this is at least in part due to the fact this then allows him to play his video games in peace, LOL!Now, if I could just get the rest of the world to leave me in peace when I want to write, I'd be all set! When I want to write, hubby does try to take charge of the answering of the phone and door, and the breaking up of rodent squabbling. But - as you probably know yourself - sometimes things need your attention, whether you want to deal with them at that moment or not.
I find it difficult to write in total silence and with no distractions. I'm a caregiver for special needs adults and the most quiet place I can get to is their home after they've gone to bed. But, it's too quiet.My stories are a product of my surroundings, things I see, hear, experience, etc. I think when I completely shut the input off, the output slows to a crawl, too. Maybe the story I'm working on is primarily the stuff of something I took in fifteen years ago, but I need some intake at the same time I'm doing output.
I do a lot of my writing here in my living room or at a local coffee place. With the dogs here, there's no complete peace and quiet. If they're in one of their rare semi-quiet modes, I turn on a little music.
Thanks for some excellent comments to my question. What a varied lot we writers are, and what a variety of places we like to write... In bed, when the house is empty, in a coffee house, my library, by looking at the out-of-doors, in the space created by our headphones…I agree with those who try to avoid complete silence. Even when creating our own internal, literary world, it's important to feel part of the wider world around us. And in the library there is always some background noise around us: people coming and going, talking softly.
The important thing for me is the lack of interruption when I really have to concentrate on a difficult patch, and the quietness to let the creative impulse flow. I can never work with music playing for instance, much as I love it and can often hear a particular piece of Vaughan Williams or Purcell playing as a kind of inspirational soundtrack to the book in my mind.
Of course, there are also times when the Library is definitely not the best place for me to work. When I'm editing, for example, I usually read over the work out loud. It's a very good way of picking up gaps in the narrative or over-written passages. And sometimes, when the dialogue is working, I'll get up and pace around the desk during the composition, acting out the parts and speaking the words with passion and gesture.
At such times the privacy of one's home is the best place to be. In the Library, all I'd get is angry looks and remonstrances from the duty Librarian to "Shoosh…"
http://www.anthonyhillbooks.com
This is an interesting thread. Some like silence, and some don't... Others have a special place, or a time they put aside.Me? If my laptop is open I hear nothing... TV... music... doorbell... phone... cooker bleeper...
I see nothing except what's going on in my head, which is why hot drinks go cold.
The only successful interruption would be by the latest pup, or he thinks he is. He's huge, heavy, and a paw on the keyboard creates havoc. According to him, he's writing a bestseller.
As for when I write: most of the time from waking until I go to bed, in the early hours usually, like now!
I joked with my hubby that I needed him to build me a tiny house in our back yard so I could get some quiet. I have 4 kids, 3 of them still at home and are young so they don't quite understand mommy needs to write. Heck sometime the hubby doesn't since he's the talker in the relationship. LOL I try to get most of my writing done while my boys are in school, but my mind doesn't always want to cooperate when it has those quiet moments. If I need to write and life is happening around me, I put on the nice headphones the hubs got me for Christmas 2 years ago, put on a little music and tune out the rest of the world.
If I need peace (and maybe quiet) I head out to a pond or fountain nearby. If I am really desperate during the summer, I head out to the family cottage which is located on a lake in Amish country in Indiana. Most of the time I have some sort of music going, but not always.
Interesting ideas about going outside to write. I know many authors do it, but for myself I'm usually too distracted by the scenery and the delights of nature to concentrate on the work. A friend has a desk in an airy room opening onto a lovely garden. Again, I'd find that too distracting. My desk at home looks into a corner of the wall, and the desk at the library has a high blank back with a bookshelf (although I can sometimes look through the window slots at the distant lake.
In bed with the tablet I can see the blankets and my dressing gown, and at the dining table the remains of last night's dinner. Nothing too interesting and distracting there.
As Sarah said, it only goes to show what very different types we writers are, and the variety of the techniques we use. There is no right or wrong of it in this business ... only what works best for each individual author.
The two distractions I can't write with, Wife asking me a question or Tiny Demon (14 m.o.) wanting me to hold her while she has a bottle.Given a situation where I Wife and Her Grace are keeping each other occupied I can write just about anywhere. Once immersed in that other reality I tend to tune out everything else. A chunk of unobtanium could drop through the roof and I wouldn't notice.
I wait untill everybody sleeps at the evening, then I can write anywhere. ALthough I always wanted to try what you hear from others when they go away alone for some weeks seeking solitude...One day maybe...
Stephen wrote: "I always wanted to try what you hear from others when they go away alone for some weeks seeking solitude..."I'd love to do that too!
I actually go to sleep early, and wake up early at 5:30 when everyone else is sleeping. You don't have to worry about the phone ringing or anything like that. It's a great time to write for me. When I need solitude, I often just go to a library though. It may not be an option for everyone, but I have several libraries very close by to me.-Nihar
www.niharsuthar.com
Before my fingers ever touch the keyboard I do massive amounts of writing in my head. I see my story like film director that analyzes dialogue delivery and how characters move within a scene. I do take after take in my head until I'm satisfied. I do the same with any narrative. I can do this anywhere where as long as I don't have to engage in meaningful conversation with someone. When I sit down to write via keyboard, I can tune everything out and lose track of time.
I write when everyone else is at work during the day at my kitchen table. Then when they all go to bed at night, I write then.
I'm a retired accountant and converted my home office for writing. I prefer to write later in the day and sometimes well into the wee hours. I don't have any problems with quiet or privacy. Everyone knows my office is off limits.
The conversation is moving into another fascinating reach: the time of day that we write best. Some prefer to write late at night when the house is asleep. I know this was the novelist Patrick White's habit. My muse is at her best in the early hours of the morning – say from about 6 to 10 a m. If I try to write (or even edit) after 7 o'clock at night I can't sleep, for the creative imagination comes from the same place our dreams do.
Conversely, I have a practice of always stopping when I know what the next words will be. I never write until I run out of ideas and face the horrors of the literary black hole. By stopping when I know how to go on, the ideas tumble round in the head for the rest of the day, and I'll often dream them at night. So that when I wake next morning, the words are generally already waiting for me.
Oh I'd be thankful if I could even find the time to write..and of course having the right mental frame for it as well..I'm writing a little bit of humour, so unless I'm in a happy place thats a tall order for me.
I find tranquility in the middle of life's chaos.No, I know that sounds pretentious, but I sort of do. Nothing sets my teeth on edge when I'm trying to concentrate than an almost quiet environment. That ticking clock, the traffic outside, the clanks and sloshes and gloops of the central heating system, they all drive me absolutely bonkers.
So instead I go and write in pubs and bars, where there is noise and chaos all around me, but none of it relating to me directly, and I can get my head down and scribble, knowing that even if anyone is taking any notice of me at all, they almost certainly just think I'm a massive tosser. And as it's not a great idea to make eye contact with people who think you're a massive tosser when they've had a few units of alcohol, I keep my head down and concentrate all the harder.
No, Andrew, it's not pretentious at all. It's refreshingly honest. And very funny.
I'm glad you enjoyed! My nearest library is a bit of a walk for me, but I should give it a go one day.
For peace and quiet there is a writer's loft in my town called The Ink Spot. and for a small fee a year, I can use it on quiet writing days. But, I definitely prefer to write later in the day, and they have early morning hours. So, I don't make it anywhere as much as I'd like. But I love the option.
Andrew wrote: "I find tranquility in the middle of life's chaos.No, I know that sounds pretentious..."
Not pretentious at all. I'm the same way.
The idea of a writer's loft sound marvellous. Just like my nook at the National Library.http://www.anthonyhillbooks.com
The National Library would be an excellent place. How cool.
There is no 'where', only 'when'. When everyone goes to bed and the house turns into darkness.
Currently, the only place I can write is at home where I have access to electricity and a square block of stone to place my laptop on. For me, it doesn't really matter where. All I need do is to just begin to write... and, like magnet, my muse finds me. I always fancied I'd still write in Hell. All I'd require is electricity and the promise that my laptop won't burn.
I always write at my desk. However, there is an outdoor track I go to in order to run or power walk. It has always amazed me how many plot twists, writer's block releases, new spins etc have come to me while I have been on that track.
I love sitting in a coffee shop with a latte and my laptop. Don't ask me why this works, when I have a perfectly good desk. But I also have a needy family and a frisky dog. Love them all, but they tend to be be very distracting!
I can't cope with distractions - no people, TV, radio, clutter, nothing but the ability to focus on the research and the writing. Hence, I have a writer's room into which my writer's cat will occasionally enter to sleep lazy or perch on window sill. Such quietude allows me to "meet with" my characters.One drawback is that I'm also a consultant, so I have to draw serious lines as both work and writing take place in the same space.
Yes, it's the absence of distraction when we have to concentrate on the writing that seems to be the common need in most of the comments. Whether it's that space between the headphones, a coffee shop, a corner of the house, the aloneness of the outdoor track, or my desk at the library, it's the ability to allow the mind to focus on the work, when we need to, without other outside interruption that is the most important thing.The place is secondary, and so is the time of day. Such things are entirely individual ... but the requirement of a writer to have a time of peace and quiet to allow the creative thought to flow free and unimpeded seems an almost universal one.
Sincere thanks to everyone who has contributed to this very enlightening discussion.
I usually go to my terrace where it is quiet.. the birds fly. the breeze is quiet. It helps me to concentrate well and allow my thoughts to flow well .Sometimes I do not get disturbed by anything. I just feel like writing and I write. :-)
A few months ago I thought I was going mad with interruptions. Because I work from home, there are always other calls upon my time. Tradesmen, book deliveries, telephones, emails, letters, bills, visitors, pressing household jobs… All part of daily life.
Yet I’d reached a difficult stage with the new book, and really had to apply my mind to the work in hand if it was to be finished. What to do? Where to go? I wondered if friends had a spare corner of the garage? Maybe a caravan? Should I rent an office, or even ‘go bush'?
And then the answer came! For some years I’ve had a ticket to use the Petherick Room at the National Library of Australia in Canberra, where I live. It’s a place where academics, researchers and professional writers like myself can read rare books, access archival material, and keep reference books from the collection on the shelf for up to three months. And tap into the wealth of knowledge among the Library’s ever-helpful staff.
I’d used the Petherick Room occasionally. Now, faced with a desperate need for silence, I thought : Go there, sonny! It doesn’t cost anything. It’s a short bus ride from home. It’s a perfect place to think. To both read as well as write books. Naturally. It’s a Library.
Since then I’ve been going two or three mornings every week. And it’s amazing just how much can be accomplished within a few concentrated hours.
This week we moved upstairs to a new Special Collections Reading Room. Formerly, people using the manuscripts, maps, music, pictures, oral history, photographic and ephemera collections had to go to separate rooms. Now, we’re all sharing the same quarters … an efficient use of space, time, and incidentally creating a more interesting place to write.
No doubt there’ll be a few settling-in problems – but already it feels like home. I hope you have as good a retreat, not just when you have to find peace and quiet to read and write … but for anytime you want it.