When I see photos online of bloggers and authors spending time in hotel rooms, cabins, Italian villas, and beside peaceful lakes, it makes me wonder. Not about whether or not any of those experiences and locations are required to produce good writing – we all know that’s not the case. But I wonder what it looks like when you write, on a Tuesday night, pounding out words and inspiration and story-telling in the midst of your day-to-day. I wonder what you have to have with you when you write, to be inspired or entertained or filled up so that you can pour out?
I think it’s easy to see those photos online and compare the quality of our words to the beauty of our surroundings. Can our words really inspire when they’re first typed hastily into a phone as you email yourself in the middle of a church service so you don’t forget your ideas as you rush from Sunday School to grocery shopping, nap times and playdates, tantrums and dressing up like Disney princesses?
I’d like to tell you that my best writing happens when I’m in the peaceful office I have at home. I’d like you to think that I come through that door with a cup of tea, light a candle, sit down with soothing music and all distractions removed and type brilliant words.
Let’s be real.
That’s not my reality.
If you were to get a behind-the-scenes view into what it looks like when I write a blog post, it looks a lot more like this: at some point between 8:30 and 9pm, my toddler finally decides she’s more tired than she claims to be and falls asleep. After much crying, gnashing of teeth, kicking, bedtime stories, one last trip to the potty, and deciding she needs socks/hates socks/will only sleep with one sock. I walk through the house in the dark because I’ve somehow convinced myself in the last 2 years that all extraneous light sources will keep said toddler from remaining asleep.
Though, frankly, once she’s asleep you could honk a car horn outside her room and she wouldn’t budge.
Once I’ve finished kicking toys, stepping on random snacks, and raiding the pantry for something – anything – chocolate, I sit on the sofa. Yep. The sofa. I turn on the TV, find something fun & mindless – So You Think You Can Dance works well {good music and just entertaining enough that I don’t feel like I’ll miss something if I look away}, and settle in. I check Facebook and Twitter, remember to upload a photo to Instagram, look at my email…ignore my email…and then open WordPress.
I use Edit Flow to keep track of my editorial calendar so I can try to write any contributor posts first, before I write anything to be published here. I grasp at the first idea that comes to mind and I run with it, trying to throw in a few “tweetable” phrases, not too many commas, and find a quote that works well for a photo. I find a photo, edit it in Canva, upload, schedule, play with the SEO options (though I honestly have no idea what I’m doing) and call it a day. The next morning I’ll do all of my social media scheduling/promoting using Buffer – also from that same spot on the sofa, usually with some Good Morning America in the background.
While the retreats and cabins and nights away at a hotel are nice, I can promise you this: if God has a story He wants you to tell, the heart you put into it is more important than the location of your laptop.
I’d love to know – what does it look like for you? Where do you write? What’s your routine?
Thanks for sharing your reality. A cabin or Italian villa sounds dreamy,
but I’ll happily settle for 30 min. of undisturbed peace in my home. I
usually write from a chair in my living room during my kids’ afternoon
rest time. Once every few weeks I get several hrs. to myself at the
library or coffee shop. I heard something recently that talked about
letting your kids be part of your writing. Not seeing them as a
hindrance but letting them see you write so that they understand that
you are pursuing something you love. By taking the time to tell them
about what and why you are writing, you are letting them be part of it.
Love this and it’s so my life, too. Glad to know I’m not the only one who emails herself in the middle of church. I’ve written a blog post on my iPad while sitting in carpool line. I finished my book night after night at 2am in Latvia adopting our daughter. I WISH I had a tranquil spot/time, but this just isn’t the season.
I usually begin with a legal pad, and I have them scattered all over the house and car because you never know where inspiration will hit you. But I’d like to know more about Edit Flow. Looking at the discription it talks about “for your team.” I am the only team member here even though I write for several different groups. This might be a great one for Dan to talk about?
As usual, you give wonderful information as well at inspiration.
(did better with commas, did I). 😉
This is fantastic! I think one of the big readers writers get stalled is because they’re waiting for the perfect chunk of time to get away and write . . . and that’s probably never going to happen.
Right now most of my writing gets done from my home office, but once baby arrives in August, that will definitely change. And just because most of my WRITING gets done in my office doesn’t mean that’s where my IDEAS come from. I’m constantly jotting phrases and thoughts on napkins and notebooks that are crammed in my purse to be fished out and added to the editorial calendar later.
I’m so glad I’m not the only one who does that 🙂 Inspiration strikes at the oddest moments sometimes!
I love this because I can relate so much. 🙂 I don’t have an office, and so my laptop usually sits on the dining room table, but I do most of my writing on the couch with the tv on or on the back porch at night after Mae is in bed. Oh, and I work best with noise. 🙂 Sometimes I do get a little envious of those views from a cabin…but I’d probably have to crank the music up anyway to get anything written! 😉
I’ve been thinking about you a lot lately…and still smiling over the chat we had a few weeks ago. You are a sweet gift…looking forward to our next hug! Have a wonderful day, sweet friend. 🙂
Yes! Noise is a must. If it’s too quiet I have to have Coffitivity in the background or music – I could never work in the library in college because I’d get so distracted by any small noise 🙂 I wrote most of my papers for finals while watching Gilmore Girls! {and I have that book for you – I just haven’t made it to the post office yet!}