I’ve posted before about whether you like music or the television on in the background when you write, or you prefer silence when you rattle out the prose. The other group are those who like to write in public. The library or café/coffee shop writers.
Or bus, train or park-bench writers. Wherever you can stimulate the creative juices.
I’ve never attempted writing in a coffee shop. Maybe it’s because I don’t drink coffee so I don’t exactly frequent Starbucks or Costa Coffee to even think about setting up a mini, rent-free office environment and have business cards printed with a latte embossed in the corner.
Krispy Kreme. Hmmm, doughnuts. I could set up in there …
Anyway. Not the purpose of the post to talk about doughnuts. Or, coffee for that matter.
English: A photo of a cup of coffee. Esperanto: Taso de kafo. Français : Photo d’une tasse de caffé Español: Taza de café (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
I came across a website – www.coffitivity.com – (and they also do an app) that creates background noises associated with a coffee shop.
What?
Yes. You read correctly. A website and when you visit it, you have the background noises you would hear if you’d set up for the day and ordered your cocoa primed and ready to write your next two chapters of your magnum opus.
For introverts who want the sounds of the interactions rather than real people buzzing about your table, you can put on a pot of coffee, train the dog to bring you a danish and write in the comfort of your own home. I’m sure if you did, it would look like the scene below. The height of sophistication. 🙂
Café Scene in Paris (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Or, if you crave the sights, sounds and smells of company, you could just go and write in the coffee shop.
The decision is yours.
Any bizarre apps or sites you know to help recreate a writing environment? Keep them clean please. 🙂
Thanks for reading and listening. Order for table three.
Pete Denton 
I see this starting a new trend – background noises for all occasions! More and more I find I need complete silence when I want to write, or do anything that requires concentration, so I wouldn’t dream of deliberately adding background noise! Although I will listen to that coffee shop one later out of interest because I do like coffee shops! The only background noise I can think of that I might choose to bring in when working on something might be beach noises – some crashing waves, the occasional seagull, that could work.
I believe there is a sea one out there somewhere. The seagulls will drive you made. And, they try to steal your chips 😉
I am continually amazed by technology! Soon you will be able to smell the coffee through the cables/WIFI as you listen to the background noises. Tonight I saw a software program that helps you create your own cartoon characters!!! There are so many possibilities…
But writing still belongs to us!! 🙂
It does move on at pace doesn’t it?
I like the idea of creating cartoon characters. I think I might have seen that somewhere as well. Many possibilities indeed 🙂
Ever since I bought the Tassimo ( give a Sainthood to the inventor) I’ve been able to access the sounds and smells of the coffeeshop at home. Not drinking coffee doesn’t make a difference since it does tea and chocolate with the same ease. Of course I have to sit in the kitchen all day to hear it but everything comes with a cost.I suppose I could move the machine to wherever I want really as long as I top up the water tank. The only problem I’d like to see addressed is that I don’t have my own barista and have to make my own.
I have a table for 3 vacant……….
I’m glad you like your Tassimo. With the app on as well it might be too real and people might start popping in and expecting your to serve them coffee. The least Tassimo could do would be to provide you with a barista for a few months. The least they could do 🙂
I tend to totally zone out when I’m working so it doesn’t matter what’s going on around me. Usually it’s the radio or a CD. Once, I was working very hard, and put Dark Side of the Moon on. I suddenly realised I was half-way through Time and had completely missed all the clocks and bells at the beginning!
But when I go away to writing retreats I tend to find a sofa in a public area to write. This works very well as everyone else are writers so if I’m in the zone they leave me alone, but it’s not too lonely.
Good to be in the zone. I like the idea of being surrounded by people, but left in peace 🙂
That is bizarre, but fantastic too.
I do go out to cafes to write when I have the time and lately that is not at all.
How fun 🙂
Bizarre indeed. Good luck finding more time to write again. 🙂
Once upon a time I used to work in a place that was surrounded by all the sights and sounds a metropolis can provide. Except enough silence to think. Now I have found my rural idyll, I occasionally crave verification that there is life outside. Thanks, Pete for telling me where to find it!
Think of me as a public service blog 🙂
I think it would be a good site to help make you feel back in the hustle and bustle of the metropolis 🙂
Interesting idea. White noise you can control. I prefer quiet or music without lyrics. However, I can see where some people would like the background noise for a writing environment.
They say there are no original plot ideas, but we’re getting to the point where there are no websites that don’t already exist. They are thinking of everything. 🙂
I used to enjoy music while I write, but lately I noticed I haven’t turned it on. I think that website sounds intriguing, although if it has people murmuring I might forget I’m listening to a recording and think I have ghosts in my house!
It is subtle the sounds in the background, but yes I can imagine you thinking you had ghosts if you forgot the site was open 🙂
Hmm, another example of “just when you think you’ve heard it all….” 🙂 I prefer a quiet setting when I’m writing, so background noise apps wouldn’t be high on my list. But if they provide real snippets of real conversations, maybe they could inspire some dialogue or be prompts for a new story. That might be interesting to try!
I like that idea. Unfortunately, more a rattle of cups and murmurings. Inspiring dialogue conversation background app. That is what we need!
If the background noise app was what I’m hearing now, in the office, it would be repetiton of a printer clacking over. If at home it would be trains and traffic. I far prefer the soundtrack of my country sojourns – distant domestic village noises, birds and maybe the radio or music drifting from the pub, the neighbours or another room.
For some reason, the thought that popped into my mind was if you needed an alibi for being somewhere you weren’t the coffeeshop soundtrack might fit – there probably wouldn’t be a market for pub noises, as people when they are ringing from the pub tend to disguise it 😉
Hahaha I like that idea. Background sounds for all occasions 🙂
I love drafting and editing to music. It keeps my mind focused. Revision is tricky with music though. Sometimes the song is stirring the emotions instead of my words. So I try to revise to silence when possible. Just to make sure any emotional hits are coming from the prose.
Thanks, Kourtney. I’d never really thought of the difference between drafting to music, but editing in silence. I might try the editing that way. Might help my concentration. 🙂
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