My writing space. I used to look directly over the monitor and into the yard, but I often had the sun in my face, etc. It's got a door, but that's rarely closed. Noise doesn't really bother me. Of course, if I'm required to interact...to get up and let the dogs in or out, or to go repair the latest malfunction in the home, or to answer the door...that does take me out of my writing.
But if anything, it's quieter than I'm used to for writing. In the days before COVID, I loved to write in a combo sandwich-coffeeshop. There is one in Plymouth, NH called Chase Street Market that was great for writing. There's one in South Portland, ME called CIA that was pretty good, although it usually was a bit too warm in there for me. Others would love that, I'm sure. Arabica on Free Street in Portland, ME was great, even with very limited food options, but the table I liked to sit at, in the back on a raised portion, has been removed and the last time I went, I liked it less. I wrote in Petite Jacquelines once, in Portland, and the wine was certainly a nice addition, and it happens to also be one of my favorite restaurants. I've written in coffeeshops in Paris, Prague, Lisbon, Beirut...all this to say, it doesn't need to be silent. Meals (awesome if both breakfast and lunch), open early, temperature is comfortable, furniture is sturdy and comfy, but there is another issue...
I like kids. I really do. However, some coffeeshops pre-COVID were doubling for daycare centers. By all means, I think parents should be able to take their children into coffeeshops, but where they lose me is when they don't keep track of their child, and expect all the other patrons to participate in the free child care. Let's not do that.
I typically wear headphones or earbuds in a coffeeshop. I can still hear what is said, but it's down a notch. I can listen to music, even with lyrics, while I write, as long as I know the lyrics very well. Otherwise, I'll be trying to listen to the words being sung, and that does impact my ability to write.
Usually, all you'd see at a place like Chase Street Market, is me, sitting alone at a high top table in the corner near the street-side window, typing, taking an occasional sip of Orangina, sometimes eating a sandwich, earphones on. I sometimes can write with another person, but most people sitting next to someone else for a few hours, will eventually talk to them. Once that happens, I'm no longer writing.
I grew up in a small, northern Maine town. Much of my childhood was spent outside in the forest or streams. Even now, I live in a small coastal town, but I find good writing energy sequestered in a city apartment with good wi-fi, nearby markets and pubs, and sweet, blessed anonymous seclusion. That is a recipe for writing from 5:30 a.m. to 11 a.m., with a half hour to eat a little fruit, bread, and a couple soft-boiled eggs. In such an environment, I can write-and-revise as I go, about 18,000 words per week. Afternoons are for walks, lunch, and getting lost in the city. Evenings are for dinner, a read-through of the day's work, and maybe stream a movie. In that environment, I could write and revise a novel every 60 days- 30 for the first draft, 30 for revision.
In real life, lately, I had a vacation around the holidays. Ten days off from the day job, about 6 hours of writing got done. Everything that needs doing, outside of work, ends up piling up and waiting for weekends and vacations. However...hopefully...rearranging my home writing space will lead me to prioritize what I love to do over what I think has to be done.
Good luck with your writing!
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