Right Where You Are. Write Where You Are.

Summary

The text discusses the importance and convenience of writing anytime and anywhere, emphasizing capturing ideas as they occur to prevent them from being forgotten.

Abstract

The article underscores the challenge of losing fleeting ideas if not recorded immediately, advocating for writing as a spontaneous activity that can happen in various locations, not just in a dedicated office space. The author shares personal experiences, such as writing a poem in a stationary car and using tools like Google Keep to jot down thoughts on the go. The piece acknowledges the pre-Covid inspiration found in public spaces like coffee shops and the value of people-watching for creative ideas. It also recognizes that while some writers have the luxury of writing at any time, others balance writing with full-time work and family responsibilities, yet still manage to pursue their passion for writing.

Opinions

Writing in various environments, even unconventional ones like a car, can be beneficial and inspiring.
Digital tools like Google Keep are valuable for quickly capturing ideas to avoid forgetting them.
Observing people in public places, such as a coffee shop, can spark a multitude of creative writing ideas.
The best time to write varies from person to person; some prefer routine, while others, like the author, find writing at any time of day effective.
Despite the demands of work and personal life, the author believes it's crucial to make time for writing every day.

Right Where You Are. Write Where You Are.

Writing on the go

That moment when you have an idea. You try to file the thought in your mind “that’s great I’ll come back to that later”. Only you won’t. Ever. Again. Sometime later after all of life’s necessaries have been taken care of you’re rooting around in the dark recesses of your mind desperately searching for “the idea”. The idea for words that you had some hours ago and you were convinced you knew where you’d filed it. Its bloody gone, like that pair of socks that disappeared into the sofa only to reappear some months, or in my case, years later.

I love my cosy office corner but now I’m writing everywhere. I wrote a poem in the car the other day. A stationary car I might add.

I’m pretty lucky lifestyle-wise that I have this opportunity to be able to do so. Failing that, Google Keep is very handy. I always have my phone on me so can quickly jot something down on that. I hate losing anything and that includes ideas.

Pre-Covid, even sitting in a coffee shop can give you ideas. People watching is great. I wonder about their lives, families, characters, hopes and dreams. That’s a whole load of ideas right there.

I do work, albeit very part-time and have many other activities going on but I still find time to write. I’ve read loads of really good articles on here about the best time to write and they’ve been really interesting and helpful.

But for me now, although I have tried to make a start at the same time as Mr Cockerel, the best time to write is any time of the day or night. Luckily I have the luxury of being able to do just that, nonetheless I do know that lots of us on here are working full time and running around after little people but they are still managing to write.

So I’d probably say to anyone listening and I’m a newbie here, I write every day because that is key but for me at any time of day works well as does routine timescales work for other writers.

So I shall carry on. Writing away, even in the car but not whilst driving!!