My guest today is Christie Kelley, award winning Historical Romance author with Zebra Books. When Christie and I first spoke of visiting Over Coffee, she mentioned that she had written her lastest release, Every Time We Kiss, in a coffee shop. Being a writer myself I could appreciate the difficulty with writing to a deadline in a coffee shop, or anywhere public. I thought it a wonderful story to share with my readers.Thank you, Sia for having me today!
I have a dear friend who tells me she writes so much better when she is out in public at a coffee shop or café. I have admitted that I never understood her reasons. The idea of being in public where people are always walking in and out, plus the conversations and the general distractions would make me crazy.
I have a dear friend who tells me she writes so much better when she is out in public at a coffee shop or café. I have admitted that I never understood her reasons. The idea of being in public where people are always walking in and out, plus the conversations and the general distractions would make me crazy.
Or so I thought.
In the fall of 2007, my husband and I decided to do a major renovation to our 60’s split-level home. I don’t think we really knew what we were in for. I was just starting to write my first deadline book, Every Time We Kiss, and my husband worked from home. Within a month, we had no choice but to move into our 12x14 living room with our two boys. Suddenly, I had no place to write.
I started going to Atlanta Bread or Panera every morning once I had my youngest off to school. I quickly discovered one plus of writing in cafes: Free refills on coffee! I was in heaven.
The first few days were a little stressful. The mornings were usually quiet but then the lunch crowd would come in. Big groups and much more noise. I tried the library one day but found it was actually louder with all the little kids who didn’t know how to use their library voices. Determined to make this work and with a deadline I couldn’t miss, I went back to the cafes.
I discovered the joy of Internet radio and headphones. Thank goodness for the Internet! I would plug in a classical station (I can’t listen to music with words when writing) and start typing. The hardest part about writing in the cafes is writing a love scene. I kept feeling like people were trying to look over my shoulder, even though I knew they weren’t. But by getting into the café early, I could usually pick a seat where no one would really look at my screen.
In the fall of 2007, my husband and I decided to do a major renovation to our 60’s split-level home. I don’t think we really knew what we were in for. I was just starting to write my first deadline book, Every Time We Kiss, and my husband worked from home. Within a month, we had no choice but to move into our 12x14 living room with our two boys. Suddenly, I had no place to write.
I started going to Atlanta Bread or Panera every morning once I had my youngest off to school. I quickly discovered one plus of writing in cafes: Free refills on coffee! I was in heaven.
The first few days were a little stressful. The mornings were usually quiet but then the lunch crowd would come in. Big groups and much more noise. I tried the library one day but found it was actually louder with all the little kids who didn’t know how to use their library voices. Determined to make this work and with a deadline I couldn’t miss, I went back to the cafes.
I discovered the joy of Internet radio and headphones. Thank goodness for the Internet! I would plug in a classical station (I can’t listen to music with words when writing) and start typing. The hardest part about writing in the cafes is writing a love scene. I kept feeling like people were trying to look over my shoulder, even though I knew they weren’t. But by getting into the café early, I could usually pick a seat where no one would really look at my screen.
The only other problem I found was one I couldn’t get away from: Friends. While I live in a big metropolitan area, the section I live in is very “small town.” Inevitably, I would run into someone I knew while I was writing. Most people didn’t know I was published so then they wanted to sit down and talk about it.
But in some ways, I think the experience made me a better writer. I can focus more when my son has a Nerf battle going on his room with two friends. Or when my oldest wants to come in and talk. I always stop typing for a 16-year-old boy who wants to talk to his mother.
But in some ways, I think the experience made me a better writer. I can focus more when my son has a Nerf battle going on his room with two friends. Or when my oldest wants to come in and talk. I always stop typing for a 16-year-old boy who wants to talk to his mother.
I just finished book 3 in my Spinster Club series and that book I was able to write in my new office, which even has a door! Although, some days, I was tempted to pick up my laptop and head to the café. Maybe I just wanted the free refills.
So for the writers out there, where do you write? And for the readers, I noticed many people coming into the coffee shops with books, where is your preferred place to read?
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Christie Kelley was born and raised in upstate New York. As a child, she always had a vivid imagination and the bad dreams that go along with it, or perhaps the dreams were caused by the five brothers and three sisters she lived with. After seventeen years working for financial institutions in software development, she took a leap of faith and started her first book. Seven years later, her first book, Every Night I'm Yours was bought by Zebra books and won the New Jersey Romance Writer's Golden Leaf Award for Best Historical.Every Night I'm Yours: A WOMAN YEARNING FOR A TASTE OF THE FORBIDDEN; A MAN READY TO TEACH HER MUCH, MUCH MORE.
Every Time We Kiss: GUILT KEPT THEM APART PASSION BROUGHT THEM TOGETHER. WHEN DESIRE’S THIS SWEET, ONE TASTE WILL NEVER DO...
Christie now lives in Maryland with her husband and two future romance heroes. Come visit her on the web at www.christiekelley.com or http://www.romancebandits.blogspot.com/
