WHERE WRITERS WRITE.
WHERE WRITERS WRITE. I remember seeing a complaint by a writer that the questions people asked him were usually directed at how he wrote and where–did he use a typewriter or a pencil? I think people ask this kind of question because readers often feel that they are in a conversation with the writer, and imagining the writer in the process of writing makes the conversation more vivid. Here is the link to a survey of where some three dozen contemporary writers do their writing. (the wonderful link is from Howard Johnson).
I read a lot of writers’ blogs, and I remember one of them complaining about how many aspiring writers ask them these types of questions. Personally, I find it very interesting for the reason that you named; I love imagining my favorite writer’s work space, where the magic happens. It’s the same for artists–the more battered and paint-spattered the workspace, the better! The writer in question, however, suggested that the aspiring writers are grasping desperately for an element they can control, an element sure to make them a success because clearly it worked for this published writer.