Recently, I came across an article in one of the magazines I read for lawyers that mentioned a special place, part of I mansion or a historic building that has been turned into a haven for writers.
They showed a picture of it, along with the proprietor, an ex-lawyer, herself.
Its décor is San Francisco Victorian, lots of reds, wood, and big wing chairs, as I recall.
You might call it warm and chummy.
Anyway, the article suggests that business is booming. Writers pay a monthly fee to ensconce themselves there for several hours, so they can do their craft, in peace, free from the distractions of their offices, homes and families.
Recently, I was on a ski trip to Lake Tahoe, and I stayed at a cozy place that gave me a living room right on the lake. The place was relatively empty as it was the off-season, and almost perfectly quiet.
But I felt no compulsion to write.
Apparently, peace and quiet and beauty are not prerequisites for putting my fingers to the keyboard.
In fact, I don’t mind a certain amount of racket around me as I compose, and some of my best writing has been done at coffee houses, where there are innumerable distractions.
I think I may even enjoy having a certain amount of humanity around me as I write. It makes me feel less isolated.
All of which brings up this key question: Where do YOU like to write?
I think it’s an essential query, because if you know, you can be efficient and happily productive. Also, you can avoid the frustrations and the fish-out-of-water flailing that can overcome you when you try to do your thing in the wrong locale.
If we were perfect, we could write anywhere about anything. But we’re not.
So, experiment.
Try different locations, and use those that work for you, because the “ideal” writer’s spot is the one where you produce.
Dr. Gary S. Goodman, President of Customersatisfaction.com, is a popular keynote speaker, management consultant, and seminar leader and the best-selling author of 12 books, including Reach Out & Sell Someone® and Monitoring, Measuring & Managing Customer Service, and the audio program, “The Law of Large Numbers: How To Make Success Inevitable,” published by Nightingale-Conant. He is a frequent guest on radio and television, worldwide. A Ph.D. from USC’s Annenberg School, a Loyola lawyer, and an MBA from the Peter F. Drucker School at Claremont Graduate University, Gary offers programs through UCLA Extension and numerous universities, trade associations, and other organizations in the United States and abroad. He holds the rank of Shodan, 1st Degree Black Belt in Kenpo Karate. He is headquartered in Glendale, California, and he can be reached at (818) 243-7338 or at: gary@customersatisfaction.com.
For information about coaching, consulting, training, books, videos and audios, please go to: http://www.customersatisfaction.com