Traci Ashbe Dark Epic Fantasy Author

The third floor of my university’s library was called the Ultra Quiet Zone. I loved going up there on weekends to write, because you were literally forbidden from even whispering. It was so quiet it was almost too quiet. Almost.

I loved this space. I won four of my NaNoWriMos thanks to that space. But I unintentionally ended up spoiling myself going up there so often with my laptop, because the real world is neither that quiet nor that accommodating.

For a few weeks after November ended, I always found myself frustrated and unable to concentrate on what I was doing because there was so much noise and distraction around me.

Have you ever noticed that when you’re in a situation where you have no choice but to write — no distractions, time constraints, or sustainable excuses not to do it — that suddenly writing feels easy? Maybe it’s not…