This week I spent a lot of time writing and thinking about writing. I'm working on a travel memoir about my experiences in Hong Kong, and I'm approaching the end of my second draft. One of the things that I've done to help me revise is to put each chapter on a post-it note and stick it up on my wall. I can see whether the themes are distributed well throughout the story, and it helps me see whether chapters need to be moved, condensed, or removed altogether. The other thing that helps me is to work in coffee shops, and fortunately I can do some bookspotting while I'm there.
I saw a woman about my age reading a Diary of a Wimpy Kid book in a little cafe near Pottinger Street (the subject of this week's walking tour). I saw two women reading novels in another coffee shop, but I couldn't see either title. I saw a Kindle in that same coffee shop, though I was reading a hardback book (Devoured by D.E. Meredith) during my writing breaks. I spotted only one Hong Kong guidebook and two textbooks on the train, a sure sign that summer is finally over. This morning I saw a man on the MTR reading Dying Inside by Robert Silverberg. I saw a woman reading a book of Chinese poems in Central station, and two other Chinese books.
What are people reading in your town this week?
(By the way, my goal is to start querying my book by Chinese New Year. Wish me luck!)
Glad the book is coming along well! On a weekend away with girlfiends, reading matter included The Secret and The Power both by Rhonda Byrne and The Gift by Lewis Hyde. Another friend is reading a Lynda La Plante thriller on her kindle and yet another is re-reading all of Jane Austen. I'm reading Kazuo Ishiguro's ever let me go for my HK book group.
ReplyDeleteI like writing in coffee shops or bookstore coffee shops too. It makes it easier and there are fewer home distractions. Good luck with your travel writing.
ReplyDeleteGlad the book is going well. I can never concentrate in coffee shops myself, too much background noise. I need to be at home with dead silence.
ReplyDeleteIt's perfect to think about writing, that's what I enjoyed when I'm totally alone at home, actually I use to write poems it makes me feel so free.
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