(NOTE: I consider myself a good writer, but good only gets better by practice. So I’ve signed up for the WordPress Everyday Inspiration schedule to prompt me to write something different every day. This is the result of today’s nudge.)

I struggle with where to write sometimes. In my mind I fantasize about the kind of setup you see in stock photos, with my laptop open and free of power cords, a small notebook off to the side with a sophisticated-looking pen placed on it and a ceramic mug of coffee or tea within arm’s reach. Reality is far from that. If I go somewhere else to write it’s usually a moderately busy Starbucks or Panera. If I’m home then I’m…home, where everything around me is utilitarian and familiar.

The truth is I write just about anywhere. I’m in an office right now as I’m writing this. I’ll do more writing from home later tonight. There’s all kinds of advice that entails finding that perfect spot, or trying to right in a coffee shop or other busy location because the natural sounds of people talking will help spur creativity, particularly if you’re doing dialogue. But that’s never been my situation.

Part of that is because I’ve never been a pure writer. Writing is something that for over a decade has been what I do between all the other things I need to do, mostly my day job, whatever it is at the time. So I’ve never really had the occasion to find the “perfect” place to feed my creativity and really let loose with the word…stuff.

I listen to interviews with writers where they talk about their routine, whatever it is. Some have a home office where they have a dedicated period of time each day where they are working on a project. Some play it looser and try to jump on the inspiration whenever and wherever it comes to them. But they all do have some sort of routine. I want to be them. I yearn to be them.

Back to the topic at hand, I have no dedicated place to write. Sometimes it’s at my working desk, sometimes it’s at the dining room table, sometimes it’s wherever I happen to be at the time. Some environments are more conducive to effective writing, to be sure, but I can muddle through most anywhere.