The Best Places to Write in Raleigh

So you’re looking for the perfect little spot to craft your short story, novel, or script. (Aren’t we all?) It can be difficult to find that perfect balance of ambience and serenity, but we still try.

Here are a few solid suggestions  😃

Crabtree Valley Barnes ‘N Noble

Photo by Steven Swain

Ah, this place. Not only can you get some great vanilla chai, but the ample window space means you get some great light while you write.

 

Pullen Park

Yep, it’s always this pretty. Photo by Raleigh Parks and Rec.

The long trails are perfect for figuring out the ending to that puzzling first draft, and the myriad places to sit and work on a notebook or a laptop is perfectly peaceful. Heck, you can even go paddle boating as a reward for finishing your story.

 

Cameron Village Library

It’s just as beautiful on the inside. Photo by Wake County Gov.

I could go and on about how amazing the staff, and the selection, and the space is at this library. But it’s something you need to see for yourself. Seriously, if you’re looking for a peaceful place with great creative energy, look no further than this library!

 

So…

Did i miss any cool places to write in Raleigh?

Let me know in the comments below.

 

 

 

Meditate for a better writing session

The first draft of my new short story is done thanks to an extremely productive Saturday writing session. What made this Saturday great for writing? It’s what I did before I sat down at my computer.

I meditated.

You see, the world seems to, on weekends especially, have this speedy tempo to it. Caused perhaps by the excitement of the limitless possibilities of an open day. The possibilities fill your mind and can make focusing on just writing almost impossible.

Meditation, I’ve found, helps me find a slower internal pace, a calmer state of mind, a lengthened attention span. It cures my restlessness so I can channel all of my attention on the task at hand: making the story great.

16 minutes of meditation got me a hyper-productive 3 hour writing session and a completed first draft on a Saturday afternoon.

Give it a try and let me know if it works for you!

My favorite writers who be tweeting

So, I owe a huge amount of thank to the writer I’ve met on Twitter.

Believe me, I used to be one of those people who absolutely dreaded the idea of ever posting on Twitter. I thought it was this temple where the self-obsessed prayed to themselves.

Boy was I wrong.

Over the past few months, I’ve met THE NICEST writers.

Some have given me great tips.

Some have beat read my work.

Some just make me laugh.

And with this post, I’d like to introduce you to them.

Because these are really talented up-and-coming writers who make tweeting a real pleasure. So check them out, give ’em, a follow, and read their work if you can!

 

L.C. Phillips

Huge thanks to this writer! She read my longest story, “Let The Leaving Go” with a a tremendous amount of encouraging feedback. She’s always got a great tip to share to help get a draft done.

This is her Twitter!

 

Angel Ramon Medina

This guy. This guy! THIS GUY! This guy is so friendly and so helpful and so nice. Plus—and this is a big one—he’s not afraid to give much-needed hard-to-swallow feedback. The fact that he never pulls punches when reviewing my stories lets me know I’m getting a real assessment of how I’m growing as a writer. Thanks brother!

This is his Twitter!

 

Caroline Harbour

There are beta readers and then there’s all-star-super-awesome-beta-readers (who can make you laugh). That is Carolina. She read a draft of my short story “The List” and had the task of teaching me how and when women help each other unzip their dresses.

Comments and insights like that helped bring a level of reality to “The List” that just wouldn’t be there without her help.

This is her Twitter!

 

To the writers mentioned…

If you guys are anywhere near Raleigh, North Carolina please let me know so I can buy you a beer, or two, or three.