Writing Remotely with a Close Friend
I'm reading this cool article from Cal Newport about remote work and how drawing inspiration from professional writers; as it relates to the choices they make when deciding where to write, might in turn give those who are currently working from home a moment of reflection when determining whether or not separating their job from where they live is the best option. As a teacher, I currently have no reason to contemplate separating my job from where I live; that is unless the pandemic forces us to work remotely again as it did during the 2020-2021 school year. Even if that did happen I am not so sure I would seek out spaces, close to my home, where I could teach remotely. Teaching; whether in person or remotely, is a very social act and I cannot imagine doing what I did during the 2020-2021 school year in a public space. Writing on the other hand, that's a different story.
For the last 5 weeks I have spent at least one day writing remotely with a close friend. Those of you who read this blog know that I am not a professional writer; the time I spend writing is not "mission critical" to my day job as an elementary classroom teacher. My writing, at least recently (within the last seven years), has leaned more towards being dilettante; dabbling in areas of interest but not going too deep. That doesn't mean I cannot benefit from the writerly move of leaving my home (and its scant interruptions) to write. In this blog post I will...
Tell you where I've gone to write remotely
With whom I've chosen to write remotely with
Why I've chosen to write with my close friend
What writing remotely, with a close friend, has afforded me
Where I've gone to write remotely
There is an amiable and unassuming general store, 23 minutes away from my home, in a small town (where my close friend lives) that provides the backdrop to the remote writing I've engaged in for the last 5 weeks. It's full of knick-knacks, essential grocery items, bins full of whole bean coffee for sale, and an assortment of olive oils to purchase, just to mention a few things. There are also booths to sit in and; the main reason to go there, in my opinion, a full coffee bar from which the owner and or her help are more than willing to make any drink you'd find in a corporate establishment like Starbucks. It is here that my close friend and I sit and write.
With whom do I choose to write remotely with
Yes, I come to this general store with my close friend to write. We've known each other for over 19 years. She was (and remains to this day) a mentor of mine. A former teacher herself, she's currently enjoying a well deserved retirement. We have a lot in common, have had similar experiences in the teaching profession, and have collaborated on many writerly experiences over the course of the 19 or so years we’ve known each other.
Why I've chosen to write with my close friend
The main reason I write with my close friend is that we just enjoy each other's company. We have such a great time talking with each other about a variety of topics. She's also really good at keeping me accountable for either having something to share that I am working on or, at the very least, ideas that I'm currently exploring.
What writing remotely with a close friend affords me as a writer
Some might say that driving 23 minutes away from your home might just be a little too much friction as it relates to sitting down and getting any (amount or substantial) piece of writing done. It could be argued that I could get 23 more minutes of writing in if I just stayed home. Some could say that sitting with a close friend, in a general store, drinking coffee and talking to each other might in fact slow the amount of writing down to a stand still. In my particular case, paying for the gas that allows me to drive 23 minutes to get a cup of coffee, in the general store, with my close friend does in fact afford me more time spent focused on writing and; more importantly, the opportunity to hang out with my close friend. When we are together, we usually write for at least 30 minutes if not longer; sometimes pushing 45 minutes. We call these sessions "sprints."
NOTE: This paragraph was written during one of these "sprints," which lasted 45 minutes, 27 seconds.
I usually cannot write that long at home unless I am fully immersed in the writing. That focused time, at the general store with my close friend, affords me a chance to "get out of my own head" thinking more about the writing and my close friend than thinking about; me. One way to strengthen a relationship is to spend more time with the person you have the relationship with, engaged in things you both like to do. Hanging out with my close friend affords me the opportunity to strengthen our relationship, through the act of writing and the discussions we have both about and around that writing. Writing remotely with a close friend (W.R.W.A.C.F.) is something I strongly recommend; if you are seeking the opportunity to "get our of your own head," you enjoy the company of said friend, and you and that friend enjoy the act of writing.
