It’s my day off from the library, so as soon as the kids were packed off to day camp this morning, I schlepped off to the nearest Panera with my Netbook and as many of my plot notes as I could cram into my bag.*
There’s much to be said about writing in a different setting, away from the usual distractions. And more to be said about a setting with hot- and cold-running caffeine and sugary baked goods.
Wayne E. Pollard knows this (more of his wonderful and all-too apt writerly comics may be found here):
Franch Vanilla is nice enough, but I choose my writing spots on the quality of the chai tea lattes. Love them. Had two of them this morning in lieu of breakfast. And an orange scone.
The perfection of the chai lattes at Panera was a great comfort when I realized that the pacing is all wrong in the section I’m working on. Plus, it’s infodump. It’s a rushed infodump.
That’s when I bought the second latte. And the scone.
I tore apart a couple of darlings with great savagery and heartbreak** between sips, and everything is going much more smoothly now.
If I’d been at home, with nothing more than a half-drunk diet Pepsi and a handful of my kids’ cheddar goldfish crackers, I would have given up and spent the time following my blogs and webcomics and watching Youtube. I might have done that at Panera, too, except their Wifi appears, ironically, to need several very strong cups of coffee.
So, yes, sometimes it’s good to get out of the house towrite.
As long as there’s chai. And scones. And wonky Wifi.
___
*That would be one file folder, two quarter legal pads, and a lot of little pieces of paper. I buy shoulder bags for capacity first, strong straps next, and style last.
**I’m not quite as purple on paper, I swear.
Earful of Cider 