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| Bryan Cohen |
Your Writing Sanctuary and/or Shack
by Bryan Cohen
I sat on the blacktop of my dorm's basketball court,
surrounded by construction noise when I realized that I could write anywhere. I
don't know what it was I was scrawling on a piece of looseleaf that day, as my
fellow classmates looked at me like I was crazy, but the machines were doing
their work and so was I. That was over a decade ago, and yet it was one of the
most important lessons I ever internalized. I didn't write my first book in an
office. I wrote it in other peoples' offices during temp jobs. I put together
some of it in my "economy studio" in which my office was the same
room as my kitchen and my bedroom. I later put the finishing touches on the
book on top of a luxurious $100 table my wife and I bought from Target. My
writing time was inconsistent and erratic but I got it done wherever I could.
I think some writers put too much emphasis on finding their
writing sanctuary: the perfect place to make their novel or non-fiction a
reality. There's some merit to locating a place where you feel less distracted
and blocked. I wrote part of my first book on an inherited queen size bed I
later had to toss out because of bed bugs. I wrote my latest half in my office
and half in my favorite, quiet, gluten-free pastry shop. Finding the right
locations for writing made an impact, but the major difference between my first
and latest book is me.
I grew from writing in all those different places. I
improved by putting in more time and absorbing the different energies around me
as I wrote. I think I needed to write in that tiny studio with the giant window
that let out nearly all of my radiator heat during the Chicago winter. I had to
reinforce the knowledge that writing could take place anywhere and under any condition.
I still get writers block, like any other writer, but I've learned the lesson
that I can find my writing sanitary or shack anywhere. Am I out of inspiration
in my office? It's time to go to the coffee shop! Coffee shop too crowded? I'll
try taking a trip to the edge of Lake Michigan. Or the back seat of my wife's
parked car. Or even a bench located underneath the growling Chicago Transit
Authority elevated train tracks.
If you can make your hallowed writing ground anywhere,
there's no such thing as writers block. The next 500 words may be right around
the corner. All you need to do is move.
About the Author
In honor of his new book, Cohen is hosting the “1,000
Prompts, 1,000 Dollars" Writing Contest on his website. Click the link
to find out how to enter!
Bryan Cohen is an author, a creativity coach and an actor.
His new book, 1,000
Creative Writing Prompts, Volume 2: More Ideas for Blogs, Scripts, Stories and
More is now available on Amazon in digital and paperback format. His other
books include 1,000 Creative Writing
Prompts, The
Post-College Guide to Happiness, and Ted
Saves the World. He has published over 30 books, which have sold more than
20,000 copies in total. Connect with him on his website, Build Creative Writing
Ideas, on Facebook
or on Twitter.
My sincere thanks to Bryan for his words of wisdom and offering such a generous opportunity to enrich writers and readers.
Toodles, ya'll!
