I used to write every night, starting somewhere after 10pm and going until my eyes blurred at midnight, maybe 1am. OK, not every night was wildly productive. At home, sitting on the couch or the floor, my laptop and book and maybe some research materials spread out around me. I'd immerse myself in the world of BENEFICIARY: A Novel.
When I stopped writing altogether from August to end of December 2008, something changed drastically as I tried to settle back into routine. For some reason I cannot write at home now. It drives me crazy. My work on A Hunger has been exclusively at Starbucks in Auburn, MA. Once a week - Thursday or Friday night, and easier since I was out of work - I'd put in three solid hours and they were always three very productive hours. I also continue to do an overnight in Maine alone once per quarter, with 20 pages per night the goal.
Now, at home, I'm victim to distraction and I let them overrun me. At Starbucks I don't have internet access (can't blog or go on Facebook or check box scores on ESPN) or television, no excuses. For whatever reason I am at the mercy of all that other nonsense at home, even though they never bothered me before. It's some type of writer's block and I allow it to best me night after night.
1 comment:
I've had a similiar change in my writing habits too, except mine is the flip of yours. I used to write outside my home all the time (in Starbucks, Panera...anywhere I could sit with my laptop open). That was more from necessity as my job & commute left little time (or energy) for writing at home. But now I find it very difficult to write outside my home because I find it distracting. How funny is that!
Post a Comment