When you finally get to the cafe, how do you get yourself settled down to write? Do you have a ritual that helps you begin? Or do you open your laptop, check your mail, cruise around Facebook, Twitter, Wattpad, Instagram, Wordpress, etc., looking for distraction, frittering away your time before you think about writing?
Confession time: I do that, too. At home, which is why I write in cafes. Once I open the laptop, I want to see if anyone has thought of me, what everyone is talking about. I know that opening up my social media apps really leads to a whole lot of screwing around and time-wasting, when I could actually be making things up.
So, for me, that's the advantage of writing by hand in the cafe: I don't have the internet to distract me. Every morning, I order breakfast, sit down, check mail on my phone, then put my phone away and open up my composition book. If I've already got a topic in mind, I can write an introductory paragraph or two before my bagel comes.
Don't get me wrong: I think the internet is the greatest invention in the history of humanity. I also know I can scroll until my eyes bleed, if I don't set some limits on myself. Therefore, I don't check Facebook or Twitter in the cafe.
What are your limits? Do you choose to write in a cafe without free wifi? Do you avoid asking for the wifi password until you've reached your writing goal? Or do you use an app to limit your Facebook session so you can settle down and write? (If you do, please name it in the comments.)
Is it easier for you to clear your head before you fall face first into Twitter? Does what you read online really inspire and spark your work?
Or are you the sort of person who gets emotionally caught up in other people's drama? Wouldn't it make more sense to pour that emotion into your writing?
I don't think there's any right way to keep social media out of your brain while you write. I do think, though, that it's crucial to value yourself and your time and create what you need to, without the message chime constantly interrupting you.
Your thoughts are worth a moment of peace and quiet. How are you going to give yourself that gift?
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Writing in Cafes: A How-To Guide for Authors
Non-FictionJumpstart your writing by taking it to the cafe! How do you pick a cafe in which to write, which tools should you use, should you bring a friend along: I'll answer these questions and give you more to think about.
