Where Do You Write?
Book Updates + Workspaces
Greetings from whatever the heck crazy timeline this is đ.
BOOK UPDATES
Some exciting things have crystalized since my last dispatch:
THE CURSED DIAMOND is officially hitting shelves November 3rd, 2026!
A line up of fun events surrounding the launch is in the works. If youâd like to be the first to know, make sure you are subscribed to this very newsletter.
For the past few months, Iâve been quietly working on book #3. Itâs very early days and who knows if it will come to anything, but it feels good to have a new project to distract me from the pre-launch jitters.
And nowâŚ
Where do you write?
A journalist friend posed this question to me the other day, and I thought it was a fun one. He prefers to work at his office in Manhattan rather than at home. As someone in no danger of having a dedicated office, I realized my answer varied depending on where I was in the writing process.
Early Pondering: Out & About
The âpondering phaseâ is when the first wisps of story come out of your head and onto the page. For this bit I like being out in the world with and old-fashioned notebook. Maybe on a park bench, riding the subway, or sitting by myself at a bar. Things are written stream-of-consciousness and with bad penmanship. I may never read these rambling sentences again, but never-the-less they are the start.
Research: At the Library
As a writer of historical fiction, thereâs a base of knowledge I need before I can properly begin the manuscript (though finessing detailed points happens later). At the library, I have access to vast digital repositories and rare physical volumes. Nothing feels more writerly than an afternoon in the glorious Rose Reading Room at the New York Public Library, requesting âin-library-use-onlyâ tomes from their special collections.
Drafting: At Home
Drafting is a long and arduous journey. It requires much patience and more procrastination. For this I prefer to stick to the safety of my apartment. At home I can get up for a snack whenever I want, or go to the restroom without packing up my laptop and notes. I do laundry, shower, make coffee and then tea. I bake a potato, pay bills, and respond to invitations. I take a walk, then go to every website on the internet until Iâve finally worked up the nerve to open MS Word. The desk I share with the rest of my household is inevitably cluttered with the detritus of daily life. I make a little space for myself and start typing.
Revisions: At the Cafe
Cafe work must start early in the morning or all the seats will be taken by the other people who like to work in cafes. I get something caffeinated and leave a big tip because I know Iâll be there for awhile. I find a table that is probably uncomfortable and too small but thatâs part of the fun of cafes. Then I go to town on edits. At this stage, armed with specific notes from trusted minds, itâs easier to set precise goals. âI will get through fifty pages today.â âI will fix chapter 3.â If Iâm lucky, the people sitting next to me will be having a juicy conversation and I can take tiny breaks to eavesdrop. Mostly I am laser-focused on my manuscript, the murmurings of a dozen head-phoned Zoom meetings merging into uniform white noise that blocks out the rest of the world.
When I stumble outside hours later, it is always with a sense of accomplishment, and wearing the wrong type of coat for whatever the dayâs weather has become.
