Blogger: Rachel Kent
Location: Books & Such main office, Santa Rosa, Calif.
Today, I have a couple of “where” questions for you. These are questions you should answer before putting together your proposal.
The first “where” question: Where are you going to write?
Where are you able to concentrate? Do you have a specific place to go where you can write without interruption? Some people write well when they’re in a quiet location, or at home; others do better in busy coffee shops, or when they’re away from home. Also, you might need to find the right time to write. Many authors I’ve worked with get up really early or stay up really late so that they can have writing time with fewer distractions.
Question two is: Where are you going to do your research?
This is most important with historical projects and nonfiction projects, but I know research often is involved in writing contemporaries as well. Figure out what you are going to need to know and make appointments with people who can help you to learn. If you aren’t the expert, where will you turn to find one?
Is there a historical society that specializes in keeping records of the time period you’re working on? Do you need to follow an espresso machine repair person for a day? Do you have a reliable source for the statistics to support your nonfiction chapters?
Do the research as soon as you can, and writing the proposal will be so much easier because the details will be solid. Also, researching always sparks ideas for plot and content.
Where do you like to do your writing? Why is that your place? What time of day do you write best?
I typically write from 6-7:45am before work at Panera. For some reason, I can focus better there than at home. I believe it’s because I have absolutely no responsibilities at Panera but writing. If someone spills a drink, I don’t care.
At home, even if I’m holed up and my wife is taking care of everything, a scream or argument or loud noise will pulls me away and divide my attention. Then guilt enters.
Saturday mornings at Panera work even better than weekdays. Again, I believe it has something to do with the level of responsibility. During the week, I can be distracted by what the workday holds for me.
I have a home office where I do most of my revising, but I like to write at the kitchen table on a laptop. Maybe it’s because I can look out the French doors at the creek and the woods beyond. I’m also more in the flow of the life of the house there. While that probably sounds distracting, I actually find it more distracting to feel cut off in the office.
I write at home. In the morning after my kindergartner gets on the bus and before my two-year-old wakes up. Then again at night after everyone is in bed. I’ve tried working on my lunch break at work, but it’s not usually productive.
I’m still doing research on my historical, even though it’s completed. I want to make sure my facts are spot on.
If anyone has any research tips for historicals, mine is set in 1849 San Diego during the Gold Rush, please share.
Happy writing,
Melissa
Research is one of my favorite parts of writing, especially if it involves traveling to someplace I’ve never been or trying a new food. Trouble is, I am prone to distraction, but am learning to be a disciplined researcher.
I hadn’t considered writing in a coffee shop, until two friends from our writers group assured me it could be liberating. People watching is a “hobby” and I was convinced I’d be creating stories in my head about everyone I saw, neglecting my WIP. However, amidst the noise, the people, the constant movement and the aromas it emerged as an amazing training ground for concentration. And I realized, because I was not responsible for “taking care of” anything, I was free to write, write , write. Being able to let go of the activity surrounding me at this location, allowed me to establish boundaries for my writing time at home or wherever we are.
Rachel, the posts this week have sparked questions from others I hadn’t thought about…and I appreciate your responses. Thanks.
Another interest post, Rachel. I’m a night owl, so I usually write after the girls are in bed. My office is upstairs, so that’s where I write. Sometimes I write when I’m out and about, but longhand is too time consuming these days.
My office looks out over the backyard, which is wooded. I can see my birds and squirrels coming to feed. It’s very peaceful. I also have a painting from one of my clients that resembles the Outer Banks of NC. He knows we travel there each year. I can always look at that for inspiration.
I used to write in a coffee shop on my way home from Bible college, but I made friends with a talkative barista who sucked up all my writing time with chatting… even when I had my laptop out. Nice guy, but not the most productive environment anymore.
After a few years, I’ve finally learned how to force the distractions of home out of my brain and just write whenever I have a chance, though this is usually when the three year old is sleeping or otherwise engaged. Occasionally, my husband will book a room at a local hotel for the weekend and I’ll go into hermit mode and bang out a bazillion words. That works, too. 🙂
@Melissa I hope you’ve visited San Diego as part of your research! A little town in the mountains named Julian has some gold rush educational tours, but I believe the gold rush that spawned that town was later – like 1860’s. If it were me, Mission San Diego de Alcala and Old Town would be the places I’d hit first. There are several original and restored buildings from the 1840’s still standing. Plus some fantastic restaurants. Hey, that’s research too, right?
No particular place. Just near coffee. 🙂
Melissa, a good resource would be the San Diego historical society. I have found that the members and volunteers of such institutions are courteous, helpful, and quite happy to bring the information and history they safeguard to the public.
Another great resource might be any of the libraries in the San Diego area. Many libraries have old newspapers, photographs, or even personal diaries donated and uploaded onto online databases.
Depending on the openess of the colleges in the area, you might be able to use their collections as well. Besides the items already mentioned, they might have physical objects from the period; actually seeing or feeling something can drastically change how one views the past, giving you a greater connection to history and the experiences of the people who lived it.
More great questions, Rachel! I write at my computer while my high schooler does her homeschool work. Keeps me from nagging her, and keeps her from interrupting me. Unfortunately, blogs email, and Facebook DO keep interrupting me. Or, to be honest, I allow myself to be distracted by them. Gotta work on that.
My WIP takes place in two locations: Chicago (anyone know a good artsy community there?), and the fictional Battle Sands, Michigan.
Blessings,
Voni
I’ve forced myself to become a morning person for the sake of writing. I’ll often rise at 5:00 a.m. to write while saner people sleep. I write in 3 basic places: my home office, my desk at work, and Panera Bread when feel I’ve been cloistered for too long. The laptop lets me write in airports or while traveling overseas.
How and where I research depends somewhat on the topic. For instance, for my WW II novel, I sat in a library of my hero’s hometown and pored over microfilms of the local paper from the 1940s. The articles, photos, and advertisements provided plenty of colorful nuggets that breathed life into the time period. But I also chatted with veterans who served aboard bombers in order to learn about daily life on base and to hear firsthand anecdotes that never make it into official histories.
I get up around 5 am and write before transitioning into my work day. I am fortunate to have a room dedicated for writing and to minimize distractions it is intentionally quite spartan. Although I have Internet access (for research purposes), the computer is not configured for email and social media is steadfastly verboten.
I will write for at least an hour, but if I’m on a roll or not at a good stopping point, I will keep going, but never past 9 am. Given that I set my own schedule for my day job, my starting time for work is flexible.
Nap time is the best time for me to write, between 1 – 3 in the afternoon. Both little ones are at least in bed, and I get some quiet time. I tend to write on my laptop while on the couch next to my large K-9 companion.
I do enjoy research, but since I write children’s fantasy, it’s seldom something required. I do try to make the scenarios in my stories still very believable. 🙂 Thanks for the great posts this week.
I write whenever the kids aren’t home. This week they’re on spring break, so it’s nearly impossible. I have a writing shed, aka my office, in the backyard. It has a small couch and desk, and has a view of the trees.
Thanks for the post, Rachel!
I do my best writing from early morning until about noon. I have a big comfy chair in our den that I like to sit in, but as long as I have some music to set the mood and my earbuds, I can write anywhere. I use my desk in my bedroom to research because I like to sprawl everything out in front of me, and I usually edit/revise in bed!
You forgot the biggest where question; where should we submit our work? To an agent? A publisher? Which one?
Lance and Rick, are you writing at the SAME Panera?
Jessica, when I was in high school, I did all of my homework in bed. Now when I try to do anything in bed, I fall asleep. It’s just to comfy. You are very lucky to be able to work productively on your bed!
Janet, I’d say submit to agents first (via email or in person at conferences) and try to meet directly with editors from publishing houses at writers’ conferences. Check out which editors are going to be at the conference and make appointments with those who are looking for your type of book. Most publishing houses won’t take unagented queries these days, so the way to get their attention is to meet with them in person.
Thanks for helping each other with research ideas!
Lindsay and Larry,
Thanks for the research tips. I’ve haven’t been to San Diego, not something I can budget at the moment. 🙁 I have been to the historical sight, but I’ll be digging a little deeper now.
Lindsay, thanks for the name and mention of Old Town.
I love how everyone helps out on this blog. You guys rock!
Rachel, I love how you pointed out to decide where we will research prior to even completing the book proposal. That’s a wise decision.
I really like morning time ( for writing or anything awake), but my sleep is very interrupted, so I’m typically too exhausted to get up early. I write during my son’s nap time and after he goes to sleep. Right now, my writing location is a desk in the office. Like several of you, I love having a window to gaze out of periodically. I’ve found it really helps me process.