Writing is a solitary function, necessary but isolating. When the words jam up between thought and keyboard, I sometimes head for the local coffee shop. I don’t seek out company. With a steaming latte and a comfy chair, I start to write. The hum of activity, comings and goings, the hiss of the expresso machine oddly ramp up my energy. I morph into the coffee shop energy vampire. No harm comes to my unknowing hosts. The words spill from my head faster than I can type, and I usually return home with some good stuff.
Another method to reboot your writing skills is to take in a writing workshop, or an entire weekend of workshops. Salmon Arm, B.C. is a town of festivals. There is the Film Festival, The Roots and Blues Festival and The Shuswap Writers Festival. If you can find a writers festival in or near your community, I recommend seasoned and beginning writers to give it a try. The Shuswap Writers festival will host its ninth annual event next May with a varied line-up of authors, editors and publishers. More news as plans for the 2012 event unfold.
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