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Got stuck in a library during a storm and it changed how I write.
Was at the main branch in my town last Tuesday. Power went out for two hours. Couldn't leave. No phone. Just me and the books. I picked up a random sci-fi novel and read the first page like five times. The way the writer described the rain on the ship's hull with no fancy words. Just simple. Hit me. Now I try to write one page a day before I even check my email. Anyone else have a place that just flipped a switch for them?
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ben_fisher9d ago
Yeah, heard a podcast where a guy said he started writing better after getting stuck in a laundromat. Just watching people fold clothes, said it cut out all the noise.
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kevin_lane9d ago
Remember that old diner with the jukebox? I'd go there just to watch the cook flip pancakes, same idea. The rhythm of it made my own thoughts slow down.
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fionamurphy9d ago
Was it the old city archives for you too? I got locked in there once after closing, the quiet was unreal. I found these boxes of letters from the 1920s, just normal people writing about their day. No big speeches, just "the bread was good today" or "it rained." It made me stop trying to sound so clever in my own stuff. Now I keep a notebook and just write what I actually see.
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