A lot is made of where a writer writes and what it take, setting- wise, to get a writer in the proper head-space so that (s)he can work most effectively. However, where one writes should not necessarily be related to how one writes. There is a certain belief among some writers that sitting in a wood-panelled room sucking fresh country air through a window overlooking open fields or majestic fjords is a sure-fire recipe for literary gold. However, this is not the case. You could be floating on a cloud nibbling grapes and still the words might not come to you. And because very few of us have access to a field or fjord, assuming that your writing space is more like a shoe trunk than a cabin, writers more or less have to make do with whatever cube we’re stuffed into. This fact has created a demand for writers’ retreats, which offer fantasy writing environments where scribes can hide away in he hopes of finding the muse. Although this environment may be fine for some, I don’t think its for me. This is not to discredit the whole concept because being in a beautiful setting rife with natural stimuli and NOT writing actually sounds like a sweet deal. However, I believe that a writer should be able to write while settled in a cold ditch with a rock for a desk if (s)he has to. Besides, many writers can’t write anyway when they are forced into literary idyll. They may feel too pressured to write, and to write well. I can’t imagine what would happen to my self-esteem as a writer if after spending two weeks in the wilderness I had not much to show for it. So, pick and choose your places to write carefully. But make them comfortable and routine. Because that is what will get the writing done over the long haul. ~ Irene