A Change of Scenery

I have to admit that I think this blog posting is going to be a bit short today because I honestly thought of my topic last night while I was sitting in a busy coffee shop last night working on my latest project. Yes, I am one of those NaNoWriMo'ers, where I am attempting to pump out 50,000 words in less than a month. It would equate to roughly less than half of a novel, but it would give me a nice head start on a potential book that could interest my editor. (Yay!)

But I digress from my main point of writing this morning/afternoon. A couple months ago I wrote about my private lair (aka office) where I get most of my writing done. I stressed the importance of having things around you to stimulate the senses and the imagination as well as things that immediately set you at ease. I still stand by all these arguments.

However, there are times when you need to leave the sanctity of your private lair and venture out into the real world (shudder) with your laptop and get some work done at another location. One of my favorite little spots is a Panera Bread Company not too far from my house. It has free wi-fi, excellent cafe mochas, and if you're lucky, access to a electrical outlet.

I will admit that I bring along my MP3 player to block out the excessive noise and conversation that is flowing around me, but for the most part I have to admit that I am a people watcher. After typing a few hundred words, I'll gaze up from my computer as I think about a turn in the scene and I will watch the people shuffling about me. My mind will wander for a second as I think about what they could be saying or thinking. I wonder why one woman is eating alone or why another couple is eating breakfast together but are both hiding behind parts of the newspaper instead of talking to each other... The world around me starts to take on shape again.

Sometimes, my word count for the time frame isn't as high as it might have been if I had stayed home and worked in my office, but I don't mind. I feel as if I took a moment to refill my creative well. If you spend too much time locked in an office, I think there is a fear of losing contact with humanity and that is generally what we are all writing about. Of course, it could be just me and my introverted nature. It may sound strange, but sometimes me going to a coffee house reminds my vampires what it means to be human.

Do you have a favorite space in the real world? Are you a people watcher too?