Everyone knows how a writer creates a masterpiece. They hibernate in secluded woodsy cabins, channeling Thoreau, as they cuddle next to a roaring fire, penning profound theories and communing with nature. Some writers become recluses, hoarding poetry in self-bound volumes, and sharing their creations with select friends and family members. Writer’s block frustrations dissolve in alcohol and abdicate their importance in the face of inappropriate behavior. Today’s modern incarnations frequent coffee shop drive-throughs, with laptops and earbuds, they compose caffeinated diatribes while sitting in their cars.

There is no perfect writing space. The challenge of putting words, sentences, and thoughts on a page is also what makes the process so rewarding. I scribble ideas on napkins, sales receipts, and the back of parking tickets. I pound my fingers on the keyboard while sitting in hospital rooms, doctor’s offices, and waiting areas. Notes appear on my phone when the mechanic repairs my car and in the quiet moments of mundane Zoom calls.

I have found a little difficulty, a bit of a struggle to overcome, helps hone my resolve and forces me to dig deeper, concentrate on my assigned task, and do the work. Some days I perch on my milk crate, with my laptop balanced on my knees, content with my makeshift desk. None of it matters when the narrative flows. Time stops, reality recedes, and for a while, I live in my fantasy world.

Do you have a favorite place to write?

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Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer