I have a 4-mm thick Bluetooth keyboard which speeds up the writing. Otherwise it's Biro and notebook.

I have a 4-mm thick Bluetooth keyboard which speeds up the writing. Otherwise it’s Biro and notebook.

Many How To Write-type books go on about creating for yourself a special writing space. Often these guides go on to add that this could be the kitchen table, a desk, a spot in a local cafe, and so on – but it must be somewhere that you feel you can get out your muse and write.  To all of this I say Bollocks. Write anywhere. Anywhere you can operate a pen/keyboard/phone screen, you can write. If you’re anywhere for more than ten minutes, in fact, and poking at your phone screen for any reason but to write, then you are wasting valuable time.

I personally love to write in my car. That’s mostly because my car is where I am for big chunks of the week. I also like my garden – I write for fifteen minutes in the morning, if I am at home. But I can write anywhere. Same as I can read anywhere. Loud, quiet, busy, empty, whatever. I have very little time and so when I have a few minutes I write something down. Like now. I’m waiting for something to upload so I thought I’d quickly do this.  And now it’s basically done.

Here are some pictures of recent writing locations. Note the lack of a special desk, or special anything.

The view from my car session . It's by some waste ground opposite a new railway station, next to a Tesco superstore, and looking at an ongoing housing development. It was basically perfect.

The view from a recent car session. It’s some waste ground opposite a new railway station, next to a Tesco superstore, and looking at an ongoing housing development. It was basically perfect.

As you can see I don’t require much.

 

I like to be undisturbed, but with plenty to look at. City centre cafes are fine. Sitting up late at night on the sofa is fine. Sitting in the car in a car park is fine.

Another good writing spot.

Another good writing spot.

When I’m concentrating, distractions disappear anyway.

In 2013 I wrote just under half a million words and almost none of them happened at a desk. I’m not saying they were all golden words, but they were written.

Actually, the more impromptu the time and location, the more valuable the words feel. I’ve grabbed them out of nothing. I have brought them forth in the car park outside McDonald’s. It doesn’t matter.

Late night writing on the way home from a work meeting. I think this was in Yorkshire.

Late night writing on the way home from a work meeting. I think this was in Yorkshire.

 

All that matters is that I am making progress.

Special writing place: Not Required.

 

 

 

 

 

writing-sea1

Last and definitely favourite. Sadly this view is not available most of the time. 🙂