For most of my life as a writer, I’ve been a coffee shop kind of girl. (Which is kind of ironic because I don’t drink coffee—I drink enough tea to keep me plenty caffeinated— but no coffee.) I’ve always loved the feeling of cracking open my laptop at a coffee shop, listening to the faint buzz of chatter around me, watching the world go by out the windows, and sipping my tea. Something about being in a new environment—an environment where I’m not tempted to put on my sweatpants and start watching TV—has always inspired me.
However, I recently moved, and for the first time, I have a writing spot that I absolutely love. This is in a corner of my kitchen, where there’s plenty of space for my laptop and a cup of tea at the counter. I love sitting at the counter and looking out the windows, and since I’m in the kitchen, I’m already right next to the kettle for when I need my inevitable next cup of tea!
My schedule’s all over the place, so there’s no set time of day that I write, but when I sit down, I try to at least get through a chapter if I’m revising, or four to five pages if I’m drafting. Something about sitting down at the counter always helps me focus—maybe because it feels like I’m in a coffee shop!
Stephanie Kate Strohm is the author of It’s Not Me, It’s You; The Date to Save; The Taming of the Drew; Pilgrims Don’t Wear Pink; Confederates Don’t Wear Couture and the upcoming Prince in Disguise (12/19/17). She grew up on the Connecticut coast, where a steady diet of Little House on the Prairie turned her into a history nerd at an early age. After graduating with a joint major in theater and history from Middlebury College, she acted her way around the country, performing in more than 25 states.
Although she was born in New York, she currently lives in Chicago, and doesn’t discriminate against any type of pizza. When she’s not writing, she loves baking, walking her dog Lorelei, taking dance cardio classes too seriously, and playing board games with her husband.
Follow Stephanie on Twitter @StephKateStrohm, on Pinterest @stephkatestrohm, on Instagram @StephanieKateS, and visit her online at www.StephanieKateStrohm.com.
