I’m heading to a writing retreat this weekend and I’m hauling half of my office along with me. I trust that I’ll get some good writing work done, spend quality time with writing friends, eat good food and enjoy the beach between rainstorms. I’ve been thinking today about why certain settings and certain spaces help me write. When I have a journal that looks appealing to me I enjoy the writing process more. If my pen writes smoothly and feels good to my hand, the words slide out more easily. When I’m in my kitchen nook looking out at beautiful green trees and brightly colored flowers the tone is set to think creatively. Is that true for you?

It’s not always like that. Often I just churn out the words on any old hunk of paper available or I do the work on the computer. And then I’m so busy interacting with the ideas and getting the organizational things right that the ambiance doesn’t matter. But sometimes comfort and beauty give the writing process a joyful, artistic feel and then the flow of words is very satisfying in inself. I guess it’s like the different gears of a bike. Sometimes I’m just meandering along and other times I’m grinding my way up a steep hill. Yes, writing is hard work, but the whole process is so satisfying.

We’ll see what I accomplish while in the midst of friends and the beauty of the Oregon beach. What settings work for you? Let’s compare notes.