Points of View: Authors Share a Look at Where the Magic Happens
Travel around the globe and enjoy a glimpse of the places wordsmiths spend their creative moments…
Hi Everyone! Happy almost-fall. I was counting on a burst of back-to-school-season energy that hasn’t hit just yet and so September’s newsletter is arriving closer to October. Hope you’re feeling more invigorated than I am these days!
In August, I attended Bouchercon, an annual mystery readers and writers convention. I had a chance to see a bunch of friends I’d previously only interacted with via social media or email, which is always fun and good for the soul. I also spent a lot of time lost inside the hotel, which had a Las Vegas-meets-Epcot-with-a-side-of-water-park vibe. (I discovered the quickest route to my room about 30 minutes prior to check-out.)
Still, I left inspired after listening to dozens of authors talk about all aspects of the writing life. A lot of things stayed with me and I hope to share them in upcoming newsletters but here’s the anecdote that gave me the idea for this one:
During his interview with Alafair Burke, Harlan Coben (author of 35 novels!) was asked if he has a dedicated space where he writes. The father of four joked that in his early days he mistakenly believed he’d be able to write from home while his toddler daughter (now a screenwriter) played quietly in the corner. As you can imagine, this was met with knowing laughter.
He said that typically he picks a place and writes in that spot until he “uses it up.” He said he once wrote at a table beside the Stop & Shop deli counter and would return home smelling like pickle juice. He then shared that back when Uber debuted, he decided to try it, justifying the expense because it saved him from Manhattan’s pricey parking garages. He’d also be able to write instead of fighting traffic. His prose flowed so smoothly in the backseat that he decided to take Ubers each day for the next three weeks until he finished penning The Stranger.
All of this led me to ask author friends to share where they do their best work…
Elka Ray, author of A Friend Indeed:
“I marvel at those writers who work best in cafes and crowded places. I'd just sit there and eavesdrop. If anyone's talking near me, it messes with my characters' voices. I also murmur the words out loud as I write them, which would surely scare people. Or get me arrested.
“I spend most days on a big covered porch, overlooking our garden in a small fishing village in Central Vietnam. When it's sweltering, I take regular breaks in the pool, or walk to the beach, about a minute away. Swimming is a great way to work out plot tangles.
“This house is a hideaway and my natural habitat. Years ago, I imagined a garden like this one and now it's real--a literal dream come true.”
Andromeda Romano-Lax, author of The Deepest Lake and co-author of one of my favorite writing-related Substacks: :
“House of Sand and Fog author Andre Dubus III wrote his best-known book in short bursts, for about seventeen minutes at a time, parked at a cemetery on the way to and from a teaching job. That anecdote means so much to me that having heard it several times on podcasts, I personally arranged my own phone interview with him (for a Writer’s Digest article, but really, for my own personal edification) in order to confirm it. It was true!
“We live on a small island in British Columbia, and sometimes I leave the house and park myself along the coast for an hour of writing or editing with a view. Or I use the time on our local ferry, which takes only 25 minutes. When I question whether it's worth taking out a laptop for such a short time, I remind myself that Dubus had even less.”
Julie Vick, author of Babies Don’t Make Small Talk (So Why Should I?): The Introvert's Guide to Surviving Parenthood, and one of my favorite humor-related Substacks: :
“During the day I try to get writing done at this desk in my office and get lots of help from my assistant Muffin (shown here standing on the desk). I've had a bad habit of writing while sitting on my couch with my laptop but have recently been trying to sit at the desk more because my back is happier and I think it helps me focus a little more. Of course, the desk is still cluttered with some remnants of things from when my kids were doing at-home learning during COVID, and I co-share the office with them so I often get kicked out went they get home from school so they can play video games. But in the day it makes for a pleasant (if not exactly pristine) writing space.”
Lisa Kusel, author of The Widow on Dwyer Court:
“My view? What can I say? I love it. It's my balm. I'm at once attached to the world outside my window, yet totally removed.”
Melissa Elder, author of the poetry collections The Mundane and Nostalgia:
“About once a week, I walk up to my favorite look out spot. It’s a viewpoint looking over a pasture. Nothing special, and I don’t know why I feel so much peace there, but for some reason the views clear my mind and allow me to think. At this specific spot, without fail, the ideas flow and usually poetry is born.”
Scott Blackburn, author of It Dies With You:
“The past few months, writing at the kitchen table while my kids eat breakfast and say outlandish, hilarious things has been surprisingly productive. At 6:30ish a.m., my brain seems to fire on the right cylinders. A friend of mine recently explained why: something about being halfway in a dream state that early in the morning, making it a powerful time to unload those words that have been stored in my subconscious.
“Are there moments where my wife has to tell me that my son or daughter has asked me, specifically, for more eggs or bacon for the third time? Certainly. But somewhere in her years being married to a writer, she's developed a level of grace.
“This routine is working for now, and I'll ride it until it bucks.”
Matt Witten, author of Killer Story:
“When I'm visiting my son and his family in Boston, my favorite place to work is the Boulangerie in Cambridge. It has my main requirements: a pleasant place, friendly people, and it's socially acceptable to hang out and write for hours. And the bonus: best chocolate almond croissants this side of Paris!”
Rebecca Taylor, author of Once Upon a Lie, and the soon-to-be-released, The Last Nanny:
“I love to write in airports, on planes, and on my layovers because I can completely focus on the writing without all the distractions that frequently call to me when I’m at home. I’m one of those writers that will procrastinate by doing other productive things like cleaning or doing laundry. Being away from home forces me to really focus.”
Andrew Knott, author of Love’s a Disaster and founder of one of my favorite parenting-humor Substacks:
:
“Lacking any designated office space or uncluttered flat surface of any kind, my laptop took up residence at the end of the dining table. I don’t remember when. I don’t remember how. That’s just the way it is and now I’m extremely committed to it. When my family happens to all have dinner at the table, laptop stays. We sometimes feed him scraps from our plates. It’s the least we can do considering everything he’s done for us (sat there whirring away, distracting attention slightly from game mountain).”
Now a look at my home office with my most challenging colleague, Boots.
Where I’ll be:
I’m leaving Boots in charge of the home office while I’m at these upcoming events:
Sat, Oct. 19: In conversation with author Andrea J. Stein whose novel Dear Eliza comes out Oct. 8: Barnes & Noble, Union, NJ from 4 to 6 p.m.
Sat, Oct. 26: In Conversation with Lisa Kusel, author of The Widow on Dwyer Court: The Book House in Long Branch, NJ at 2 p.m.
Sun, Oct. 27: The Thrill of Suspense: Four Authors on the Art of Crafting Spine-Tingling Fiction
Panelists: Laura Sims, author of How Can I Help You, Libby Cudmore, author of Negative Girl, Lisa Williamson Rosenberg, author of Embers on the Wind, and Liz Alterman, author of The House on Cold Creek Lane: Calvary Episcopal Church, 31 Woodland Ave, Summit, NJ, 2 to 4 p.m.
Register here.
Sat, Nov. 2: In conversation with poet Melissa Elder, author of the collections The Mundane and Nostalgia: at Howling Basset Books in Oldwick, NJ, 5 to 7 p.m. (There’ll be wine and snacks, so please join us if you can!)
I’d love to hear where you do your best work!
I love the variety of writing places and styles!
Liz, this was such an enjoyable post. I loved reading about where others write, and I loved the photos. I do my best work sitting at my desk which is placed in front of a large window. I gaze at the vineyards, clouds, little birds hopping around, and beautiful oak trees. Having the window open is an added bonus ☺️