Via Clarion classmate Mart, I spotted this post about Amtrak’s Plan to Give Free Rides to Writers.
One of my most productive days ever was on board an Amtrak train from Chicago to Champaign. I think I wrote four Wise Bread posts (including this one in praise of Amtrak), as well as getting some fiction writing done.
Related to that, I have been meaning for a while to link to this post about using cruise ships as workspaces. The cruise ships don’t offer free travel for writers, but the repositioning cruises are relatively cheap (because they tend to be dull—long days of crossing the open ocean–and because you end up on the other side of the world and end up having to fly back home), so you can do it yourself.
I’m always intrigued by ideas like this (such as rolling my own coworking spaces locally) because writing can so easily turn into day after day of solitary sameness. In fact, though, my desk in my study is a great place to get work done.
Speaking of which: progress on the novel continues apace. I’m averaging 1000 words a day, and it does not seem like a strain to do so. (Whereas trying to average 1667 words a day for NaNoWriMo did feel like a strain. Maybe I’ve found my sweet spot.)
I love the train for writing, but saddly, I don’t get to ride it much. Someday, though, I’d been up for a three day trip with my computer and notebook. Since I live in Flint, there aren’t too many spaces that are friendly to someone occupying a table for three hours. I don’t like to admitt this, but nowadays I tend to find my table at the MacDonalds around the corner from my house. It’s some level of wrong, I know, but I’ve found if I buy a buck fifty drink and fill it with water all day, it’s okay. Oh, and if I have my headphones. Glad you’re progressing on your novel. Yay for 1000 pages a day!
Yeah, as long as other patrons aren’t standing around, waiting for a table, most places are happy enough with people sitting around with their laptops. I’ve had good luck with libraries, and with the University, as places where it’s okay to hang out and get work done.