Café, library or home—which is the best place to write? It depends on what you need. Utsudo mostly writes at home, at the desk in her room or the big table downstairs, and only goes out for a change of scene when she’s been cooped up too long or is anxious about a deadline. If she simply needs to hit a deadline, she chooses a quiet library; cafés are more relaxed, and she can people-watch and reward herself with a snack. Everyone’s writing habits differ—finding a place where you can focus is what matters.

Translated from Utsudo’s original Chinese column.

Writing at home

Since becoming a professional writer, the place I write most is, of course, home.

Some people have their own study or studio, which supposedly creates a sense of “ritual”—when you step into that space, you tell yourself it’s time to work hard, and your efficiency doubles.

As for me, my workspace at home is basically the desk in my room. Occasionally I switch to a folding table on the wooden floor, and in winter I hide under the covers and type XD

Sometimes I work at the big table downstairs, but the downside is being disturbed by my family’s activities, so I usually go down only when they’re out. The cat’s adorable interruptions don’t count, though—my Lubi is the cutest in the world!

Even when she ignores me, she’s adorable _(´ཀ`」 ∠)

When I’ve been cooped up too long, I change scenery

Sometimes I feel I’ve been stuck at home too long and get restless no matter what I do, or a deadline is coming up and I’m behind, which makes me anxious. That’s when I go out to work.

Outside, it’s usually a café or a library, or a quieter restaurant where I can order afternoon tea.

The difference between libraries and cafés

There’s an obvious difference: libraries are quiet to the point of being a bit stiff, while cafés are much more relaxed, though the background music and customers walking around can be noisy. Which level of “white noise” suits you depends on your mood at the time.

If I just need to hit a deadline, I’ll probably go to the library. At a café, besides working, I can people-watch and reward myself with delicious snacks XD

Background music while writing

Sometimes when writing a scene, I like to play fitting BGM to get deeper into the characters’ emotions, or keep a radio on in the background—occasionally distracting, but overall keeping me pretty immersed (?

Everyone’s writing habits differ. I’ve heard some authors need complete silence with zero interruptions to create, while others can’t settle down anywhere too quiet. Everyone just has their own way.

So where do you think is a good place to write?

FAQ

Further reading

• Previous: Hey! I Heard You’re a Writer on Ghost Island #149: Keeping the Right Distance from Fans
• Start from the beginning: Hey! I Heard You’re a Writer on Ghost Island #01: Utsudo’s Debut — A Road to the Dream Covered in Frost
• Utsudo’s books

About the author

Utsudo is a Taiwanese light novelist and novelist VTuber with more than ten years in the industry and 40 commercially published print books. Her novel 《遺失的情書》 received a 2022 Ministry of Culture youth creative award. The 《嘿！聽說妳在鬼島當作家》 series records her experiences as a novelist in Taiwan.