Writing In Coffee Shops

I do. I try to alternate where I write so I don't wear out my welcome, but for some reason, I can tune out conversations and just work on my book in public. At home, I actually have to listen to the background conversations . . . mainly because half the time they're directed to me. *grin*.

Heck, when I was in Scotland back in 2003, I had a book chapter breakdowns due the week after I was due back. So, when I wasn't at the World Kendo Championships, I was writing in the hotel lobby, at the bar, on the grounds of the University of Glasgow . . . anywhere I could sit down and open up my notebook. (Had to type all my notes in once I got back to the states, but I outlined a 23 chapter book while on tour.)

The people at the bar thought it was great that I was "writing" while I was there. Had lots of suggestions (a few even useful).*grin*

I really like writing in coffeeshops But here in my area, we have tons of space, so folks stay farther from you by nature than in more urban places. It would be very odd to sit close enough to read over someone's shoulder.

Watching strangers helps me write, definitely.

I have no interest in going outside of my house to write, but if I did, I think I'd rather do it at the library, if that wasn't available, then the coffee shop. Here in America, parents with kids don't generally go into coffee shops. At least I've never seen any when I bring my kids.

I write at home. Here they set time limits for loitering in coffee shops.

I used to when I was in the States. There was a really nice on in Ybor City who had no customers during the morning time. I lived in London for ten years, and never once could I sit down to write. I've been in France for a year and a half. Here it depends on the coffee shop and the time of day. Still,I don't really write in the coffee shops any more, unless I have a super idea, that I don't want to forget about.

I've never written in a coffee shop, but I've done calculus homework there. Got tons done. Could only stay for 2 hours though, because that's as much free internet time I get at Starbucks and I need the internet so I can listen to good music while I'm there. The music at Starbucks fucking sucks.

But yeah, as long as I have tunes, no problem.

Last time I checked, you had to pay for internet at Starbucks.

Shadow_Ferret said:

Last time I checked, you had to pay for internet at Starbucks.

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In the US, you can sign up for a card that's free. You have to put $$ on the card to buy your coffee with, but that's all it takes to get 2 hours free when you go.

I couldn't find any that took the card anywhere outside of the US (I was hoping to get free internet over there most of all).

It it's a pure coffeeshop, babies and children are never a problem in my area. High school and college stidents, now, are another story. Don't know about Starbucks since we no longer have one, but we have a bunch of places that have free WiFi, so that's not a problem.

But when writing away from home, weather permitting, I prefer to grab a knapsack and a thermos of coffee and write out in the woods, or, when pressed for time, at a nearly park.

When weather doesn't permit, I often write at the library. Ours has a coffee and sandwhich shop, private reading/writing rooms, free WiFi, and a fair number of other amenities, including an auditorium where visiting writers often come and give talks, and where a stage play makes an appearance every month or so. Not bad for a city of under 20,000.

But noise never has bothered me. I can write in complete silence, or I can write in restaurants, at conventions, etc.

I do a lot of writing at coffeeshops. Half the time the point of it is to get away from my giant shiny monolith of a computer, with all of its music and games and other distractions, in the office with all those books and craft projects...and go someplace with my dinky laptop where there's nothing to do but write.

It really depends on the coffeeshop, though. There are probably two dozen of them in biking distance alone, and only three or four that I consider worth my while to visit. Good outlet spread, comfortable chairs, decent coffee, not hideously loud music... All very important factors. And reliable wireless, of course. I can't write without internet access.

I wrote about a third of my novel in coffee shops. I find the noise to be nice -- I always like white noise when I write, though. A lot of voices talking so that I can't make out any particular words works well for that. Plus the steam of the espresso machines.

mwahahaha i imagine "coffee shops" could possible be a very stimulating place for the creative mind

The majority of my writing happens at my desk, at home. I have a great coffeepot in the kitchen. My internet is paid for.

I do 90% of all of my writing in a coffeeshop. It is only 2 miles from where I live, and just a few minutes from where I work.

I write here, because if I didn't get out of the house, I would get cabin fever so bad I wouldn't be able to concentrate. Here I can people watch, drink coffee, tea etc, and plug in my headphones and get a lot done.

So, every day after work, and all day on Saturdays and Sundays, I'm here. On weekends I will get here at 9 am and I'll stay all day, and usually leave between 7-10 pm.

This coffeeshop serves coffee, beer, wine, sandwiches and salads, AND they have free live entertainment every night.

So, I get my writing done, and get free entertainment, and a place to write. On saturdays and sundays, I will always leave for an hour or so, just to go somewhere different for lunch, and when I do so, I will leave my briefcase, along with my laptop set up, my kindle etc etc. When I get back, it's always there and I just sit back down and keep on writing.
Nothing has ever been stolen because all the employees here know me and would recognize someone messing with my laptop etc. Plus there are 4 or 5 other regulars that are here every day, and they keep an eye on my stuff for me too.

I am divorced, so there's no problem with not being home a lot, and anyone who needs to reach me always knows where to find me.


ETA - this coffeeshop has free wireless internet too. So, I'm all set.

I am, in fact, in a coffee shop right now, specifically to get some writing done.

...given I'm browsing these forums instead of doing so, the actual effectiveness of this approach is left in question. But, hey, I've got plenty of intent!

fadeaccompli said:

I am, in fact, in a coffee shop right now, specifically to get some writing done.

...given I'm browsing these forums instead of doing so, the actual effectiveness of this approach is left in question. But, hey, I've got plenty of intent!

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me too.

LOL

I envy those who can get any work done in any location!

I did write a bit in a shop, but that was when I had an insane housemate. He'd leave me alone to write, but the TV was always on, and I couldn't block it out the Cartoon Channel running 24/7. Once I set my desk up outside in blazing heat/humidity + mosquitoes to get work done.

The coffee shop down the road was great, though. The people knew me, some were fans, and one of the guys kept sneaking me free tea when the manager wasn't looking.

Got rid of the housemate. No, a wood chipper and a catfish pond were NOT involved, though I was sorely tempted.

Can't do coffee shops now. Too hard to focus. The music is either not to my taste, some moron is always yakking on her cell, kids are running all over, or I'm accosted by little old ladies asking "are you a writer?" followed by questions on how much did I pay to get published.

Tried to go tandem with another writer. We met up at her favorite coffee shop. It was worse. There was a prayer meeting going on at the next table and next to me two socially challenged college kids were struggling through a first date. The stumbling, bloody-awful dialogue was seeping into MY dialogue! I was also hard-pressed not to yell at the girl, "He's a brainless loser! Run for your life! You deserve better!!!"

And of course my friend is typing nonstop as though taking dictation from a fast speaker. I got a paragraph, she got ten pages.

The cookies were good.

The chairs too hard.

These days I have the luxury of having a house to myself. I put on the music I like, cocoon into a reclining chair, put the laptop on a special table to take its weight, prop my head juuuust so with a pillow, support my arms with other pillows, eyes on the screen, and only my fingers moving on the keyboard as I dive into an alternate reality--

Until the f****** phone rings!

I have, as of this past NaNo. (It made a convenient spot for write-ins, then I kept going.)

I tend to hole up on the side patio (weather permitting) or at a corner table; haven't had any interruptions so far when I'm there on my own, and got quite a bit done. We had a bit of confusion at one write-in when a study group from the local college was there at the same time -- too many people with laptops! -- but that was more amusing than a problem.

I do a lot of writing in coffee shops. It isn't always ideal, but sometimes at home I get distracted by Things I Must Do Right Now--like chores that can wait!

I never used to. Most of the time, I find being in public too confining/less comfortable, and I can be fairly productive at home. However, now that I write FT, I have begun going to coffeeshops periodically; it helps to break up the day and add some variety. I still have to bring headphones, though -- chit-chat at nearby tables is way too distracting.

Writing? No. Editing? Yes.

best thing EVER!

I suppose I am obsessed with coffee shops in general, though. I spent my whole life in the Coffee Bean during finals week earlier this December... I just work better when lots is going on around me.

ChaosTitan said:

The majority of my writing happens at my desk, at home. I have a great coffeepot in the kitchen. My internet is paid for.

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Yeah, honestly, I'm just too darned cheap to pay for coffee I can make just as well at home.

I did this a lot for NaNoWriMo in November. This was sometimes the coffee shops in Borders or B&N and sometimes in "stand-alone" places like Starbucks Once or twice I wrote by myself because I was out-and-about, had nothing to do and there was no write-in at the time. But these were generally "social" affairs, if you count talking for a couple minutes and writing for a couple hours as being social. And the coffee, yeah, that was the admission for the write-ins, as was the Netbook and the Model M Space Saver keyboard. There are some things I cannot be without, and a Real Keyboard is one of them.

But yeah, despite having net connections 90 percent of the times (there was one place that didn't have its wifi working that day, and I spent ten minutes trying to connect to the other signals around, but then ended up writing 3k words in about two hours), we generally wrote. That's mostly thanks to a few excellent ML's and their whips.

ETA: I never paid for Internet connections at any of these places, including Starbucks. They were all "open access" with a page that comes up with your first access of any web address, it has a "I agree to conditions" button you press, and then you're surfin'. I've only been to one place with a password (Atlanta Bread Company in Cumming), it's printed on your receipt when you buy something, and it's been "ABC12345678" for a couple of years now. So now with this info you can park outside and access their wifi, as easily as most anywhere else.