Where do you do your best writing?
Silence?
Coffee shops?
Late at night?
Early mornings?
Rainstorms?
Complete chaos somehow working in your favor?
I always find it fascinating how differently creativity shows up for different people. Some writers thrive with structure and routine, while others seem to do their best work in unpredictable bursts of inspiration.
Personally, some of my most creative moments have happened very early in the morning, when the world still felt quiet.
What about you?
Where do you feel the most creatively alive when you write?
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Great question, Kat! For me it’s controlled chaos.
I wrote "La Forêt Interdite" during live stage rehearsals in Congo Brazzaville - actors shouting, drums, tropical rainstorms outside. That energy is in the script now.
For my novels on Amazon KDP, it’s the opposite: 4AM silence before the city wakes.
I think Horror needs both: the chaos to feel fear, the silence to shape it.
What about you? Do you compose music in silence or chaos?
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Currently I'm a sole parent whilst my husband works in another country. I find myself writing when I feel lonely on weekends and at night time. My teen boys like to do sports with their friends etc so I tend to write when I'm all by myself. If anything, my characters make the best company some times!
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awesome question Kay. Early morning for me, that said inspiration can strike when I keep my mind open to it; shower, bike rides, even cooking. I love coffee shops as well. I live in Portland so rain happens that first rain smells is stirring. Best Hugh
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love this question! For me, the best writing happens in the messy middle of the afternoon with a pot of coffee that's gone cold two hours ago and a window that lets in just enough street noise to remind me the world is still moving! I've tried the romantic early morning quiet and it just makes me feel guilty about all the sleep I'm missing. Give me a little chaos and a deadline and something magical usually happens. Where do you do your best work?
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Love that Junior France Mavie NGAKOSSO! For me, I perform best in chaos and compose in silence (or nearly so; I've always had a full house, with kiddos and pets who love to interrupt)
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That's wonderful Lauren Hackney, that you've found a creative way to cope.
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Nice Hugh G Potter! You're right across the river from me. I love the rain so much. It definitely inspires me.
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Samantha Rivera - I do my best work while at my keyboard. Either piano or computer. The rest happens when I'm out running and clearing my head.
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Thanks Kat!
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Subject: Thanks + Quick question re: La Forêt Interdite
Kat,
Thanks for the love on La Forêt Interdite. Means a lot.
Quick question since you're a Stage 32 Moderator: you know any Literary Managers or Development Execs on here repping premium genre TV?
Project is packaged: Teaser locked. Composer Kerry Kennard (Sinister, Insidious) attached. Emily Schooley consulting. Congo prod/VFX hub built. Targeting Blumhouse TV, A24, MACRO.
Looking for the right US rep to take it to studios. If anyone comes to mind, would love an intro.
Happy to send you the private teaser link if curious.
Ngakosso
Creator, LA FORÊT INTERDITE
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Love that you asked Kat Spencer. I need uninterrupted hours alone in silence or with music in the background. I have to silence my phone & claim my creative time. I love losing track of time in my creative world.
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Complete chaos somehow working in my favour, is my answer, since much ideas have occurred to me at random times. Though normally, my brain loves it when I sit down from morning in a usually expected day work routine.
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At home, in silence, with the only noise being the "clanking" of the keyboard and the purring of the cat in my lap.
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I love this question Kat Spencer especially as someone who is not a writer by trade. I would say inspiration most strikes me in a thunderstorm and when I hear a great song. I love to sit on my balcony sipping a bourbon in a thunderstorn writing longhand in my journal watching the lightning. I am so excited for monsoon season! I sound like Hemeningway haha.
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Silence is exactly what THE CURSE OF THE MOUTH is about.
In my story, silence saves you. Words kill you.
Funny how our writing environment becomes our horror concept.
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Junior France Mavie NGAKOSSO - I don't have those connections personally, but I would recommend emailing success@stage32.com. It sounds like you are very close to what you need! Wishing you all the best with your project.
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Kat, thanks so much for the pointer! I’ll reach out to success@stage32.com.
Your support means a lot. And "silence saves you, words kill you" - I’m stealing that line
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I love the ambience of rain and have a playlist of various styles. From rainy cafe day to cyberpunk city rain.
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Morning, with insane amounts of coffee and music that fits the vibe of what I'm writing. Usually vintage Western, 80's new wave, or 90's Alt ;)
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Michael, saw your likes - thanks man. Saw you mentioned 'La Forêt'.
THE CURSE OF THE MOUTH lives in that same world: ancestral, deadly, African.
Would love to swap notes. You in LA?
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Junior France Mavie NGAKOSSO Happy to help! And yeah, that's a great line!! Sometimes quite the opposite from what most people might think. I know a lot of people struggle in silence, but these days, I love it!
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It's like, hunger, suddenty a thought or a line comes and can't wait to start writing, while some days on pass without a word written.