December 9th, 2009 / 7:18 pm
Craft Notes

STRANGE PLACES TO WRITE

I shot this video.  And added the music!  Thing is, I love the subway.  I like to write on the subway. 

When John Wray’s Lowboy came out, the soundbite about it was that he wrote the whole thing on the subway.  I don’t do it that frequently, but it is a regular thing.  Last time I had a “real” job, I would take my laptop with me to work and write during the commute both ways.  Now I do it when I’m running errands.  If you can’t find a place to sit, it obviously doesn’t work.  But nobody really fucks with you.  Except the “EXCUSE ME LADIES AND GENTLEMAN PARDON THE INTERRUPTION THERE ARE PEOPLE OUT HERE WHO ARE HUNGRY AND HOMELESS” guy whose voice was painstakingly engineered in a lab where they invent sound frequencies designed to kill dogs and quell riots.

But that guy usually leaves the train car one stop after he gets on.

On the subway I can’t get internet (a good thing) and somehow focus seems easier to come by.  At least if I’m already into a project.  I never would have expected that before I tried it.  (I worry about moving to a non-NYC place, having to drive.)  We all have our “strange place(s)” to write.  At least, a lot of us do.

What’s yours?

Tags: ,

8 Comments

  1. alec niedenthal

      when i lived in new york i found it hard to write on the subway. i got a lot of weird stares, and surely the shakiness of a subway ride can’t be good for a laptop.

  2. alec niedenthal

      when i lived in new york i found it hard to write on the subway. i got a lot of weird stares, and surely the shakiness of a subway ride can’t be good for a laptop.

  3. Ross Brighton

      I write in bars – having people around talking and shit makes me write well.

  4. Ross Brighton

      I write in bars – having people around talking and shit makes me write well.

  5. Nick Antosca

      They’re not all that shaky, really! Especially not the new trains.

  6. Nick Antosca

      They’re not all that shaky, really! Especially not the new trains.

  7. david erlewine

      i used to write on the train

      recently i’ve regressed to watching old BBC office episodes

      the brentmeister general will hopefully fade away and i’ll be back to writing short stories

  8. david erlewine

      i used to write on the train

      recently i’ve regressed to watching old BBC office episodes

      the brentmeister general will hopefully fade away and i’ll be back to writing short stories