When I first started writing, I will sadly admit that the bulk of my poetry was written in class, usually in Computer Science, History, or Math. I wrote in small font in the margins discretely, then if I liked it all, or thought my parents would, I would copy it out more legibly when I got home. I became a writer of prose first, I used to spend a lot of time on my families computer in high school, or when I could not wrestle it from my brother, scribbling diligently in notebooks. Thankfully in college I got my own laptop which is when I first started venturing out to write, a corner stone of my routine as a writer now. It greatly increased my ability to set aside packets of time to do nothing but write.

Some writers can’t bare, or understand the idea of writing in public, but perhaps because I grew up in a loud, wonderfully talkative family I find it easy to write with a lot of noise around me. I also like the energy some cafe’s have, if a lot of people are working diligently on there varying tasks. It is not home where I can be distracted by the dishes or my art supplies. I know why I am here, I spent 2-3 dollars in order to get coffee and spend a couple of hours doing diligent work.

If I do write at home I try to recreate a little bit of the coffee shop experience by making tea and sitting down to work with a cup of it by my side. I used to listen to music in headphones while writing, but now I rend to avoid that in less the coffee shop is overwhelmingly loud. I feel like I observe better without them. Light and windows in the coffee shop has become increasingly important.

Sometimes I like to leave my laptop at home, bring a note book and a book of poems or prose, and spend a couple of lovely hours sipping coffee and reading and writing.

What routines work for you in relation to writing?