August 25, 2016
April 28, 2015
Mill Valley Public Library
Mill Valley, California
[photo by: Elizabeth Flock]
Writing is a solitary endeavor no matter what you’re working on, be it fiction, memoir, non-fiction or a combination of all, and I dont think I’m alone in saying that it is not for the faint of heart, this profession. You’re often so deep inside your own thoughts it can be jarring to be interrupted by any kind of sound but especially by conversation. And if you write at home that’s a whole basket of trouble. I’m betting if you write at home your home is as neat and tidy as mine is because I AM THE WORLD’S GREATEST PROCRASTINATOR. Everywhere I look I see dust. And of course it needs to go before I can possibly focus on my work.
My advice: take your show on the road and hit your local library. It’s like enforced study hall. And if you’re lucky you find a library like the one above in the picture (MVLibrary). I work out of the Mill Valley Library when I’m in Northern California and it gets too distracting at home. It’s got so much natural light it took my breath away when I first explored the place a couple of years ago.
The best part about working out of libraries? You won’t be tempted to dust.