As writers, we are often spoiled for choices about where we can work. Luckily, unlike many other professions, you don’t have to be tied to an office desk as a writer. Instead, there is an unlimited choice of the best places to write. You can change your workspace based on where you feel like writing at the time.
All you need is a laptop and a Wi-Fi connection. Although even Wi-Fi isn’t required if you’ve done your research in advance – and just want to disconnect without distractions.
You can also use your smartphone to create a personal hotspot so that you can be connected to the internet in any environment or location.
While I spend lots of time writing at home or from Airbnbs as I travel, I also like to get out and mix it up in different places.
I’ve written in many places, such as coffee shops, co-working spaces, libraries, and even airports, in many countries worldwide, from Thailand to Colombia.
However, one of my favorite places definitely has to be cafés. I find it very intimate where you can still be around people but still alone with your thoughts.
I’m not a big coffee drinker, so I love to get a smoothie and a toasted cheese sandwich and spend a few hours just getting lost in my writing. The background noise helps me to focus.
Let’s look at different writing places to help inspire you and boost your productivity and focus.
Best Places To Write Ideas
Here are some of the best places to write in 2022:
1. Write From (Someone Else’s) Home
This is probably the most obvious choice, as most writers do most of their writing from home. It is comfy and a place where you can write whenever you like. Hello, bed or sofa!
But, are you a night owl who likes to write at 3 am? Well, your home is probably one of the only places where you can do that.
Do you have a spare room that you can transform into a writing space? It doesn’t even have to be an entire room – just a tiny corner of a room can work well.
Creating your own writing environment at your house can help you get into a creative mindset each time you sit down to write. It should also be somewhere you can write without distractions from family, kids, or roommates.
Another option as a writer can be to work from someone else’s home.
You could rent an Airbnb for a weekend or even a whole week or month and have a writing retreat. Choose a place that inspires you. Perhaps you always wanted to write while staying at a cabin on a lake. With Airbnb, anything is possible, and many hosts offer generous discounts for weekly or monthly rentals.
While it’s nice to write at home, often writers, myself included, want to leave the house and change their environment to find inspiration and find a different place to write.
2. Cafés
Cafés are, without a doubt, the favorite spot for writers to find inspiration outside their homes.
What could be better than relaxing with a coffee in a cozy café while people-watching? You get to create your own little space to be alone in your thoughts while still surrounded by other people.
The background chatter at coffee shops is welcomed by many writers, as it provides a good balance between silence and just the right amount of noise.
Although for writers who prefer to work in complete silence, you may want to bring some noise-canceling headphones.
Most cities have many different cafés, each with its own vibe. So you can try out a few different ones to find the one that is most inspiring to you.
3. Library
Being surrounded by books is usually a heartwarming and emotional experience. Moreover, it is highly motivating to be amongst such literary royalty. It evokes thoughts of your book joining all these other great books one day. And, what better place to experience this than at a library.
Public libraries make an excellent place for writers to get to work. It is a quiet work environment where you can focus entirely and be surrounded by many other writers. In addition, a library is an environment where knowledge is empowered. Also, who could forget the invigorating smell of real books!
Another benefit of working in a library is unlimited resources if you need to research a challenging subject.
But, when working in a library, you should be aware that no snacks or drinks are allowed. So perhaps you can set yourself a goal, and once you meet it, get yourself a cheeky snack or lunch, and then return to the library for another session.
4. Botanical Gardens
Getting out in nature is one of the best ways to increase your creativity and morale. Is there anything better than connecting with nature, enjoying the fresh air and the immaculate landscape around you?
Botanical Gardens often feel like a magical place to visit, whether for a short stroll or to spend an afternoon basking in the surroundings.
They make a great writing spot year-round, with many plants providing refreshing shade during the summer. While winter and autumn offer a comfy writing environment with spectacular scenery.
There are lots of benches you can sit on or relax under a tree or on the grass. Just bring a blanket with you, and ensure you charge your laptop before leaving, as there likely won’t be any power outlets available.
Many botanical gardens also have cafes, so you can grab a coffee and take advantage of the cafe seating.
5. Public Park
A public park is similar to a botanical garden. It provides a tranquil environment for you to relax while connecting with nature. In addition, it makes a great place to write.
You can also go for a nice relaxing walk or run if you need to take a break from writing.
There are many options when it comes to writing in a park. You can either sit on a bench or relax under your favorite tree. You can also bring a fold-up table and chair and set up a makeshift writing space.
Bring along a flask with your beverage of choice, and you can write for as long as you like. Most parks also provide public toilet facilities.
6. Art Gallery
Art and writing often go hand in hand with each other and provide many sources of inspiration.
Take in some of the best and immaculate art, from abstract, renaissance, modern, and photorealism. An art gallery is full of culture and rich in history, which makes it one of the best places to write.
It will surely stimulate your mind while offering a wealth of information to help you find the perfect settings, plots, and characters for your novel.
7. Museum
Much like an Art Gallery, a Museum can provide writers with a lot of inspiration. You can write surrounded by old artifacts, gorgeous sculptures, and some of the world’s most significant objects and materials with strong historical, cultural, and religious history.
Museums are great for provoking deep thoughts and provide many answers to what-if questions from different cultures and periods. So bask in the rich history and let it inspire your own story writing.
8. Train
While it may seem like an unusual place to write, a train can actually be very productive and inspiring. Just look out of your window for inspiration at the constantly changing scenery and at other passengers for character ideas.
Long train rides are ideal for writing, as long-haul trains often have Wi-Fi, foldable tables, and comfy seats, and you can also use the onboard restroom.
Although, you can also squeeze in a session during your daily commute, especially if you find it challenging to make time for writing in your busy life.
If you’re cramped for space, most writing software has a smartphone app, so you can write on your phone – and have it automatically sync up with your main writing project.
The instantly distinguishable clickety-clack sound of the train on the tracks makes the perfect background noise to focus on your writing and tune out all the outside noise.
9. Train Station
As well as writing on the train, you can also get some writing done at a train station.
A lot is going on, and you can observe the hustle and bustle of people rushing to catch their trains or getting off at their stop and rushing to their destination.
There is also free Wi-Fi available, although the seats are not always the most comfortable for long sessions.
There is also a timer to try and get as much writing done as possible before your train arrives.
I’ve spent time writing at many train stations worldwide and was surprisingly productive in a short amount of time.
10. Airport
Do you have an extended layover? Or perhaps you’ve arrived at the airport well before your departure time?
Writing at airports is a much better way to spend your time than browsing duty-free stores. There are often many places you can sit and write for an extended period.
When I was at San Francisco airport, I had a 10+ hour layover while flying from Cancun to Singapore. I was surprised that it felt more like a coworking space than an airport, but it makes sense with the huge tech hub in San Fran.
There were desks and quiet spaces everywhere, and I completed a full day’s work.
11. The Beach
A beach may seem like one of the best places to write in the summer. What could be better than sunbaking and enjoying life on a picturesque beach?
We’ve all seen the pictures of people relaxing on a beach with laptops. But more often than not, it is just a photoshoot rather than someone getting some serious writing done!
If you plan to write at a beach, pen and paper might be better than your laptop. Likely there will be a lot of glare, making the laptop screen difficult to read, and you may get sand in all the cracks on your laptop!
12. Office
When thinking of inspirational writing places, an office is likely not on anyone’s list. But if you have a career and are trying to juggle writing on the side, it can be a very productive place to make progress on your novel or creative writing.
You can either stay back late after work or come in early and get some serious work done in a focused environment. You can also use your lunch break to write.
While writing in an office environment with fluorescent lighting and wearing restrictive corporate clothing is not the most creative environment for everyone, it certainly helps you prioritize your time and use it most productively and efficiently.
13. Co-Working Space
If you can’t work at your house, a co-working space may be a good alternative. They have many options, such as daily, weekly, or monthly passes. There is also a strong community, and you can meet like-minded people to network with, especially freelancers and startups.
Most of them have quiet spaces so that you can focus on your writing without distractions.
Different co-working spaces have different vibes, and most have a free trial, so you can try them out before you commit to one.
The one negative of co-working spaces is that they can be expensive, especially for daily or weekly passes. You’re basically paying someone to work in their (cool) office.
14. A Pool
Writing poolside is a great way to unwind and relax. It sounds like a dream laying back on a sunlounger while writing the next best seller. Or perhaps you’d prefer to dangle your legs over the pool’s edge and dip your feet into the water. Writing at a pool can be a very soothing experience.
If you’re feeling adventurous, you can even stand in the pool and use the edge as a makeshift standing desk for your laptop.
But, writing by a pool obviously has a considerable risk that you may cause water damage to your laptop and, at worst, completely destroy it.
15. College Campuses
College campuses have many creative places around the campus for students to do their work.
Many people don’t realize that you don’t actually have to be a student to visit a campus.
Colleges and Universities are vast and immaculately kept. In addition, there is much greenery around the campus. You’ll find hundreds of different places around campus for students to focus on doing their work and higher learning. This makes them the perfect place for you to get some writing done.
There are tables and benches everywhere, so you can choose the spot that feels right for you. You’ll also find many shades and water features to create a calm and tranquil environment.
There are also places to charge your laptop and free Wi-Fi. Also, University campuses have a large selection of cafeterias, fast food restaurants, and vending machines to grab some snacks or a coffee.
You may also be able to work in the on-campus library if you’d prefer some silence.
16. Shopping Mall
A mall is a great place to unlock some of your best ideas for characters and dialogue. People from all walks of life and ages are at the mall.
It makes an excellent place to create compelling and believable characters and eavesdrop on conversations that you can use for backstories. Find a place to sit down and observe the people passing you by. You can use your phone to take notes as you watch people.
A nice trick is to use the voice memo on your phone to quickly get down your ideas before you forget them.
17. Restaurants
Another option is to get some writing done while at a restaurant, although it is not so common in most places in the world. A restaurant can work well for short writing sessions while enjoying its exquisite food.
Although, it may feel a bit uncomfortable at times to pull out a laptop while at a restaurant. Especially if you are the only one doing so. So a notebook or writing on your phone is probably the best option.
Also, the waiters may be unhappy if you spend extended time at a table after finishing your meal during busy periods.
I’ve had it happen to me before, where I felt pressured to leave, even when they weren’t busy.
18. A Bar
This may be a shocking entry on the list when thinking about the best places to write, especially for quiet introverted writers.
But sometimes, going to a lively spot with a lot of action can be just what you need to overcome a challenging part in your book. Try switching up your environment at least once.
Just remind yourself that watching intoxicated people dance badly while drunk, hit on the bartender, or tell some of the most unbelievable stories can inspire your own characters and provide endless ideas.
Best Cities To Write
Want to combine a vacation or travel with writing? You can visit new cities or even a new country and soak up the culture while being inspired simultaneously.
Here are some of the most popular places to visit for writers:
19. New York City
New York City is one of the most glamorous cities and romanticized places in the world for writers. As a result, many aspiring writers, novelists, poets, journalists, and blog writers move to New York each year to pursue their writing careers.
There are many writing jobs available for prestigious companies and great places for writers to hang out and find inspiration, such as The Writer’s Room, Old Town Bar, and the Lobby at the Ace Hotel, amongst many others.
Whether you want to relocate to New York or are looking to just travel and be inspired, it is one of the best cities for writers. The only downside is that there is so much to do that you can easily get distracted!
20. Edinburgh
Edinburgh is Scotland’s hilly capital city and features a medieval Old Town, neoclassical buildings, and beautiful gardens in an exquisite Georgian-style New Town.
You’ll find the perfect backdrop of Edinburgh Castle, the final resting place of the Stone of Destiny and Scotland’s Crown Jewels. Arthur’s Seat provides the city’s best views, and you’ll find many memorials and monuments in Carlton Hill. Edinburgh can quickly feel like you are in a fairytale as a tourist.
But, for writers, JK Rowling has forever put Edinburgh on the map as a famous destination. She wrote many essential parts of the first Harry Potter book, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, at Nicholson’s Cafe while sitting on the 1st floor at a table in the window. For anyone looking to recreate the magic, the cafe has now unfortunately permanently closed.
21. California
What better place to be a writer than Los Angeles? Whether you want to be a novelist or a screenplay writer, it is the best place to be to break into Hollywood.
Living in the city of Angels, with its perfect year-round weather and strong community of creatives and writers, is excellent for networking.
It has many hot spots for writers, such as Caffe Luxxe, The Getty Center, Starbucks, and Soho House West Hollywood.
Being in California, there are also many places you can visit to connect with nature, such as Yosemite National Park and Joshua Tree National Park.
Want to discover more of the best cities for writers? Here are the 13 best cities for writers in the U.S. and worldwide.
Skyler’s Final Thoughts
It may seem like you need to find an exciting place to write, either in your hometown, a big city, or a magical place on the other side of the country or world.
But, the truth is, you can find inspiration in writing from anywhere.
While some places are better suited than others for writing, you can be productive and get writing done no matter where you are. You certainly don’t have to be in New York City to write the next best seller.
Also, just because you are at a very inspiring place to write doesn’t mean you will be productive and get work done. Writer’s block can happen anywhere.
Don’t wait for inspiration based on a new laptop, writing software, or being at one of the best places to write.
Instead, write anywhere when you have time.
Either use your laptop, a notebook, or even your mobile phone – after all, your phone is the one writing device you have with you at all times.
Try out a few different spots and choose your best place to write that makes you feel relaxed, inspired, and most importantly, focused and productive.
FAQS – Best Places To Write
What are good places to write about?
Good places to write about include real locations such as New York (Breakfast at Tiffany’s by Truman Capote), California (The Black Dahlia by James Ellroy), London (Great Expectations by Charles Dickens), and Edinburgh (Trainspotting by Irvine Welsh).
Many stories take place in these locations. Otherwise, you can make up imaginary places that don’t exist that can be inspired by real places.
Where do people write the most?
People write the most from home. As a writer, being able to write in your own house is comfortable. However, it is not always the easiest place to write. There can be many distractions, including family, kids, or housemates, as well as Netflix and the internet. Cafés are also hugely popular with writers and provide a great place to people-watch, enjoy a coffee, and be productive while having a focused writing session.
Which is the best country for writers?
While there is no ‘best’ country for writers, it may be surprising to learn that Iceland has the highest number of writers globally, per capita. One in four people works in a creative field, and one in ten people has published a book. While Iceland has a small population of 366,000 people, they are highly supportive of writers compared to other countries.
What is the best place to write online?
The best place to write online is with Google Docs. It is a free online word processor with excellent collaboration features. It also offers offline functionality. Wattpad, the world’s largest online reading platform, is the best place to publish your work online.
Skyler Benson is a full-time blogger. Join Skyler on SkylerBenson.com and learn how to start an online business and create a life of freedom. Before starting this blog, Skyler worked online as a freelance content writer. He worked with digital marketing agencies and B2B companies for four years. Skyler reviews the best software for your online business and teaches you how to write better and start your freelancing career.
