Favorite Writing and Reading Spots

When I imagine my perfect day my mind goes to reading and writing. A scene in my mind puts me in a favorite place for both, but they're different places that offer different things.

Reading is one of those things that can be enjoyed anywhere. At the doctor's office, waiting in the car for my husband, the coffee shop. But for me, the reading experience is enhanced by my setting, so cuddled up with my cat on the couch is a perfect place for me to read. Windows let in natural light, it's fairly distraction-free, and I can sink into the pleasure of my current read.

While indoors affords me a high degree of comfort, free from insects or weather, a nature space is also a favorite place for me to sit and read. Fresh air is always welcome and since I like sunshine and cloudy days equally well, as long as the outside temperature is doable and there's no rain, I'm happy to sit in nature and enjoy a good book. That nature could be a park, a beach, or simply my backyard. Sitting in nature combines my fondness of being among trees and grass or sand and water with the experience of reading. It's a full-senses thing that refreshes and relaxes me.

But ordering coffee and pulling up a chair at a coffee shop or bookstore is equally satisfying. For me, there's a certain rich ambiance in a bookstore that can't be topped, though a library is pretty good, too. However, the background noises of coffee machines and chatter at a coffee shop warm my heart and put me in a reflective mood. I love coffee, so having access to it is not to be minimized for putting me in a state of relaxation. I can sit back and read on.

But those same background noises and qualities of ambiance inspire my muse, so a coffee shop is on my list of favorite places to take my laptop and write. It's handy to have "rewards" available, which I take advantage of. When I want to make progress on my WIP but my fears are disrupting my soul, I can distract them with promises of a blueberry muffin or cinnamon roll and coffee shop coffee. The trick is to get there, because once I'm at my computer, coffee and appeasement in hand, the fears fall away and I can get to work doing something I love. I can hunker down and write on.

As a freelance writer I typically have deadlines and I have a dedicated writing space at home. That's where I write most of the time and it's a favorite place of mine to be, for no other reason than that space is associated with writing. But I imagine other spaces; fantasize about having an office in a downtown building where I work alone or with a fellow writer, but surrounded by other types of workers in their offices. I imagine lots of creativity and energy flowing from office to office. I fantasize about a loft in my home where expansive windows look out in a serene natural view. In that loft there's a large, comfy window seat where I could spread out and read in between writing spurts. I could write and read on to my heart's desire.

I know of some writers who write in front of the television or among family goings on. Some people can read anywhere while others need a quiet place with no distractions. We're all different and have our own versions of favorite reading and writing places. What's yours?