Writing in the strangest of places...

A different kind of post today - I am sitting in the pub right now, and a question I often get asked is "How can you concentrate?" Well, I thought I would put it down in writing to try and explain myself... and depending on how you like this post, I will do others like it :)

So, a little background information... For anyone who is following my Instagram accounts, particularly my author profile, you will see me take part in photo challenges quite regularly. The most recent one is still happening. I am taking part in @rachaelruleywrites's #youMAYbeaWRITERif challenge which runs throughout May.

I am quite enjoying the way this challenge is set up as it is different from the usual prompts, giving room to experiment a little with the photographs I choose.








Anyway, one of the prompts was #youMAYbeaWRITERif "You have a local cafe you love to support" - well, I chose to replace the cafe part of the prompt with my local pub... I mean, I do have a local cafe too, and you will sometimes find me there with my laptop of more likely, a good book, but I spend more time in the local pub with Simon for music-related events. Often, I have been at work all day before coming out to the pub, meaning I don't get any time at home to write or edit, depending on the stage of my work in progress. So, I bring it with me. It's not unusual to find me in the corner of the pub with my laptop or a half-edited manuscript, scribbling away furiously to keep on top of my writing workload.
As I have more than once tried to explain to some of the other pub-goers, I see my writing as a second career, and I have to manage my time around my paying job, my family and home life, in order to achieve any kind of success. Bringing my work to the pub is a win:win situation for me. I get to do my work, and I get to spend the evening with Simon, often listening to good music!

The question always asked by someone; "But, how do you concentrate?"

That's easy! I perfected the art of multitasking when I was at university. I could often be found writing up essays, whilst having music on in the background, and having a conversation with whoever was in my room at the time... It became normal to me, and though I will always have to reread anything I do just in case song lyrics have worked their way into what I was writing, it doesn't stop me from writing or enjoying the live music in the pub.

"If I lay here, would you lie with me and just forget the world?"

Tonight, it was a band that Simon has played with in the past, and is an amazing live act here at The Milestone. Of course we were going to come and support them, but I had work to do after being at work all day, especially with my new book cover reveal coming up, there were some bits and bobs I needed to check, and some editing for The Original Sin to get done so that I can get the manuscript to another reader.
I did both of those things, and am now sat writing this post while still enjoying SwearBox and the amazing Carrie Martin!

"They paved paradise and put up a parking lot."

I hope this answers the question - any other related questions, feel free to drop some comments below and I will try to answer them, or it may just prompt another of these posts :)

Until then, keep it live!!
Vanessa x