The Pleasure Of Writing In A Café
Posted on 11. Feb, 2008 by Joanna in Creativity
There’s something about cafés that helps us to write.
Sometimes it’s the opportunity to sit, dream and wonder. Sometimes it’s the chance to people watch, to pay attention, to be truly mindful of what’s going on – and then write what we see. Perhaps it’s something to do with the ‘time out’ signal we get in a café – away from our routines, deadlines, things we’ve ‘got’ to do.
And I don’t know about you but there’s something about the environment of a café – the sounds of the coffee machine, smell of the cakes, light streaming in through lettered windows, the hubbub of conversation – that makes me want to write.
Natalie Goldberg describes this in Writing The Bones:
“Writing in a café can work… to improve concentration. Instead of reducing stimulation, the café atmosphere keeps that sensory part of you busy and happy, so that the deeper, quieter part of you that creates and concentrates is free to do so.”
It’s one of the reasons we’ve set aside ‘café’ time in our programmes – time to relax, to take time out, to people watch, to be mindful, to find the creative space to write.
Notes From The Elephant House Café
Edinburgh’s full of literary cafés and pubs, places where famous authors have sat and penned their works. I popped into one on Saturday, partly because I was thinking about just this – the relationship between cafés and writing – partly because I wanted to record a message to share with you all here, oh and partly because I wanted to do some writing 
The voice thread below has some pictures from the Elephant House Café, one of the cafés where J.K.Rowling wrote Harry Potter, and a thread of my voice. Just press the arrow to start it playing,and it’ll then scroll automatically through the three ‘pages’.
Although I believe we can use our written words to create a powerful connection – and that’s one of the things we’ll be working on in the conversation – it can only take us so far. We depend on other things – photos, the sound of someone’s voice, to create a fuller impression… until, that is, we get the chance to meet in person.
If you like the sound of café writing in Sardinia, let us know! Just drop us a line at info@absorbingwriting.com and we’ll take it from there.
from Joanna in Edinburgh
February 2008
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Great post! I love writing in cafes for many reasons. It gets me out of the home office. When I go to the cafe, I work on my creative writing. Going elsewhere helps me to not get distracted by work and email.
It may be the caffeine, but cafes are so stimulating to my creativity.
I love being around others. There’s always an opportunity to eavesdrop, and my Muse is sooooooo curious about people and what they’re doing. Half the time I want to walk around polling people, asking them what they’re doing. But I must remain focused!
Cafes give a warm fuzzy feeling, and when I leave I always feel that I’ve accomplished something.
Hi Cynthia, it’s good to hear from you.
I don’t really think it’s the caffeine – and by the sound of it you don’t either
More the chance to break state, switch our attention, give space to the muse…
I’m glad it works for you.
Joanna
Hi Cynthia
Thanks for stopping by. It’s always lovely to meet other cafe writers.
I always think I’m going to get less done in a cafe but I leave buzzing at just how much I’ve got written.
Oh, and, you’re right, the eavesdropping is good, too!
Emma