Places I've Written: A List
From Locker Rooms to Oceanview Perches, You Really Can Write Anywhere
by Amy Stuart
Places I’ve written and/or edited over the past ~20 years, graded for quality.
1 — The “cafe” at SkyZone, a suburban trampoline park, while my three kids jumped their brains out, circa 2016. Loud, bad lighting, sticky table, BYOCoffee or else. Grade: D-.
2 — A bunkie / cabin in Dwight, Ontario next to my parents’ former cottage, circa 2007-2021. Beautiful, rustic, quiet, could be buggy. Grade: A+.
3 — In my desperation to meet an editing deadline on my second novel, my son’s locker room during a hockey practice. As horrific as it sounds. Upside: the warm stench made me hyper-focused on getting it done. And the door locked, not that anyone would disturb me there. Grade: D+.
4 — Arena lobby overlooking the rink. Cold, noisy, open to interruptions, but bright and readily available to me as a hockey parent x 3. Grade: C+.
5 — The Toronto Writers’ Centre, 2009-2019 on and off. Lovely place and community of writers dedicated to keeping the quiet room quiet and the lunch conversation lively. Still friends with many people I met there. Grade: A+.
6 — Planes, trains, too many to count. Always too tight a space, but romantic in its way, circa 200? to present. Grade: range C+ to A- depending on seat mates and trip length.
7 — Coffee shops, also too many to count. Also romantic in its way. Grade: C+ to A+, depending on quality of coffee, chairs, access to plugs and music/musak.
8 — Libraries. Many, but primarily the Bloor/Gladstone and Toronto Reference Library branches, both magical, if crowded. Libraries forever. Grade: Always A.
9 — Airport Hotels. Hot tip: if you are on a panic deadline, book yourself into an airport hotel using a last minute booking site. Deals galore! Get one with a mini fridge and bring sustenance. Lose all sense of time and place. The view will be terrible, planes will soar too close overhead, and outdoor walks will be highway adjacent. But… you’ll get into such a rhythm with your writing that you’ll enter zombie mode and might even get a wellness check from housekeeping. Circa 2015-2022. Grade: Consistently solid B.
10 — A shed in Prince Edward Island, custom built for me by my lovely husband Ian, circa 2022. Personal, quiet, lovely, perfect view of the Atlantic ocean. Grade: A+.
But wait. Said writing shed was picked up, Wizard of Oz styles, by the winds of Hurricane Fiona in September, 2022. It landed on its head about 40 feet away, destroyed. Grade: F-.
But wait, again! Said writing shed was rebuilt in 2023, this time fixed to the earth. Beauty, again. Fills me with gratitude. Grade: A+, always.
The moral of this story? Sometimes you’ll get that lovely room of one’s own, and sometimes, you’ll end up in a locker room or way-too-loud coffee shop. One great way to expand how when you write is to expand where you can write. Give a new spot a try, and let me know how it goes.
Get writing,
Amy