Tucson writing venues

I actually write best in my office (home), where I'm surrounded by the reference books I need, and there are free snacks. But, I've ordered a Nano, and when that comes, hope to expand my venues -- to my back porch, and to our camping trips and the long drives thereto.

A.

meet me at www.AshleenOGaea.com

Starbucks. i know, I know it's such a cliche to write in Starbucks but they really don't mind you being in there for hours, they have a bathroom, snacks and coffee even oatmeal if you want it. And most of them have power outlets.

“[My Mother was a school teacher, all the rest are lawyers]…sitting around the dinner table anyone who used one word when they could have used ten just wasn’t trying very hard.” Aaron Sorkin,

I really like Safehouse for writing, actually. It's a coffee house on Speedway, just east of Alvernon on the south side of the street. They have more than just coffee, and even though they have coffee, it doesn't permeate the place. There's music, and there's people, and I find people to of personal interest because they often offer surprising inspiration. Also, they are open very late, which works with me, because I'm a huge night owl...and on top of that, they somehow got around the smoking ban inside, so for those writers who need coffee and smokes, it's a perfect place.

I loved Caffe Diva, too! The big, black couch was just perfect for NaNoing. Incidentally, I went to check out a new-to-me place the other day and my bank statement said "Caffe Diva", so maybe they've relocated? The new place is Caffe Nation and it's on the corner of Broadway & Pantano (great for east siders - i'm only here because of work). Looks like they have a southside location, too. http://Caffenation.com.

My favorite writing place is Cutters Point coffee shop @ Orange Grove & Ina. It seems far away, but it only takes 5-10 minutes once you're on River Rd. Their hot chocolate is the perfect elixir for cold November nights.

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Ooh Cutter's was nice. Maybe this year I'll actually get a drink there! My favourite place to write would have to be IHOP. They have pancakes and their music isn't too loud! :D And if I'm in the back room then there aren't too many people to bug me! :D

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*ML for Tucson, AZ*
You see these? You see these words? These are REVLON words!

Seconding the Safehouse, mostly because of the night owl thing and because the people are so interesting. Every time I've been in there I've had a fleeting idea of a character story. I think they got around the smoking ban because they're considered primarily a smoke shop, not a coffee place, but whatever the reason, it's lovely. :)

Also love IHOP. I didn't much night owl writing last year since I had a kind of weird schedule, but I think this year I might have my own fair share of overnighters. Anyone else do that commonly?

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As long as I'm settling in for the night, I don't mind the drive to Cutter's at all, though since I'm at around Campbell and Ft. Lowell (Caffe Diva closing pissed me off, even with my bum ankle I could easily walk there!) it's really not too bad.

I can't handle Safehouse because of the smoke, but I can testify that if you don't mind it, it's a pretty good place to park yourself and write for awhile.

2003 - The Long Road | 2004 - The Circle of Many Faces | 2006 - Searching for Sunset | 2007 - Souls in the City | 2008 - The Murmuring Mirrors | 2009 - Across

What about the coffee place on Campbell just north of Grant? I can't remember the name of it right now. I used to play chess there on Friday nights, and I think last year there were write-ins there that, unfortunately, I couldn't make because of school. Would love to do that this year, though.

Right, pawnhandler! Coffee Exchange, I think, on the corner of Grant and Campbell, diagonally across from Bookman's. That'd be a great place.

There are some really good suggestions here. I may avoid the smoke at the Safehouse, though.

I've been looking for other, weirder venues too. I just saw that at the new Target on Oracle there's a little secluded cafe area; pretty sure they wouldn't have wi-fi, but they may not mind someone setting up there for a couple of hours either. Looks like a good place to write and people-watch.

I'm also a big fan of the downtown library for much the same reasons, especially on weekends.

Keep 'em coming!

We are lucky enough to have a membership for the Reid Park Zoo and we used to have a membership for the Botanical Gardens. Both have picnic tables and are okay with you bringing in drinks (or buying them) and hanging out and such. No WiFi, but honestly, I get more done when I can stay off the Intarmanetz. Of course, both of these depend on the weather, but there are coffee houses in the area if the weather turns wonky. (There's something like three starbucks in the general vicinity, and there's Ike's on Speedway, and the Safehouse....)

I really like the outdoor venues because I can walk around a bit for inspiration and there's usually great people watching and even though they are public places, you can usually find a quiet nook to hang out in. When my husband worked at Sabino Canyon, I used to go out there a lot and use the picnic tables at Stop Five on the crick route. The Bear Canyon route didn't have a lot of good spots to sit and write. Are any of those weird enough for you?

Has anyone thought of asking one of the Bookman's locations with meeting rooms to see if we can do a write in there one night?

@~,'~~

I've always wanted to try heading to Safehouse and see what it's like, but I've heard that it gets really noisy in the evenings with bikers and stuff. But I'm still curious and I may not smoke, but I love the smell...

I'm on the East Side, so most of my usual haunts are around there. I love Sertino's on Tanque Verde (they have a huge meeting room with lots of plugs, btw, and free drip coffee refills!) and Le Buzz (wonderfully comfy seats, but you have to avoid the lunch rush to get any room), also on Tanque Verde. I also trek out to Java Edge on Valencia once a week. They have wonderfully comfy seats, as well, and free drip coffee refills.

(By the way, all of the above places have free internet, too)

B&N and Borders have recently made their WI-FI free, too, so I got here occasionally.

And now that the weather is getting cooler, I'm going to try and go to the parks more often. :)

Lovin' the insanity since 2004:
Into the Wild (2004), Morgan (2005), Shadows and Whispers (2006), Morgan Part Deux (2007), False Promises (2008), Tayce (2009).

i second the coffee shops. cutter's point wasn't bad but a bit far to drive from near the airport. black rose was great for atmosphere and spaces asides from having to drag power cords with us. may i suggest a meeting room at one of pima's campuses? bookmans might work but i heard they were shutting down their meeting rooms. i'd suggest xoomjuice but i don't think they would be open late enough for us. perhaps denny's?

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With the exception of their occasional loud music, I love Black Rose! They love us too! They are looking forward to us coming back this year! They are even willing to let us stay later on a Saturday agian this year!

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*ML for Tucson, AZ*
You see these? You see these words? These are REVLON words!

i hike 9 miles into the wilderness and find myself a forboding cave. then i find a nice flat rock and begin writing with the marrow of the bones of small animals i trapped the day before; my only light, a tiny candle just barely flickering alive. hahaha. sorry. i'm practicing being dramatic. and its been a longish day. : ) back to the topic at hand, I usually get an idea at the most inopportune times and find myself writing on the back of Japanese homework, or an eegees bag, or on my own arm. hehe. I need to find a nice stable place to write at...hmm. we'll see.

This may sound insane, but I've done really well with the food court at Park Place mall in the past. It has a nice ambiance, and you don't feel pressured to purchase anything in order to stay there for a few hours. Of course, I was writing by hand at the time, and didn't have to worry about wifi or outlets...

Old favorites, like IHOP and Something Sweet, also work well for me.

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@Hotsuma-- Haha, awesome. Now I can't wait to see what you write next month! Writing buddies?

"Rise up nimbly and go on your strange journey, to the ocean of meanings." -Rumi

What night to you go to Java Edge? That's really close to me and I loved the place when it was Javalina's. I haven't been in much since it changed ownership, so wasn't sure the atmosphere was the same.
Elise

I've also had good luck with the Tucson Mall food court. The Park Mall one is a bit loud and bright for me, but at Tucson Mall, there's that little afterthought nook in front of the Storefront That Used To Be Known As Mervyn's (Forever 21?) Again, there's no WiFi or outlets, but when I was writing by hand, it was cool.

@~,'~~

I like to write at parks, so when I get frustrated I can go play. It helps a lot to have those little breaks of running around acting like a kid on the swings and slides.

"What are you girls, part of a vicious art gang? Have you come to take my wallet?" Enzo Torcoletti

It depends on how my schedule is. A little forewarning and I can be there almost any day. I usually try for Tuesdays or Fridays, though. :)

Lovin' the insanity since 2004:
Into the Wild (2004), Morgan (2005), Shadows and Whispers (2006), Morgan Part Deux (2007), False Promises (2008), Tayce (2009).

Hotsuma, that would be really cool if you wrote that way! ha ha ha!

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*ML for Tucson, AZ*
You see these? You see these words? These are REVLON words!

I write at home, mostly, lol (cause I don't have a car, and I'm not lugging my laptop by hand or on Sun Tran, no thanks.)

I think I'll try to make the 11/14 write-in, though (If I'm not working), even if I'm doing it by hand/with the notes app on my iPod (I live at Cantera Apts so Cutter's Point is, like, a five minute walk from me - I was even going, "Ohhhhh the one by the Subway and Sprint Store!" when I saw it listed last year.)

NaNo '08 - Unexpected Gift (stalled at 3,134 words)
NaNo '09 - Boys Sensation (15,500 words and counting)

I totally dig Something Sweet! Its a great place with great ambiance and it provides that sugar rush when you are staying up to get a few more thoughts down - before they disappear.

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The recommendation for Black Rose Caffe was great; this place is awesome. I'm here now, and it's comfortable, deserted, quiet, and weird. Not only am I going to make this a regular hangout, but I'm sure it's going to end up in the novel in one form or another.

I'm currently writing at the B-Line, and it's nice except for the chairs. A good bottle of wine, my boyfriend hammering away at a paper, and me...

I second Black Rose, though. The owners are great there.

Somehow I don't think Sugawara-san approves of novels on the back of your kanji quizzes... lol. You should try Barnes and Noble at Foothills Mall. It's pretty chill except when the emo kids storm it on Saturday nights.

BLACK ROSE IS AMAZING! I hang out there a lot haha, the owners recognize me now. But it's not exactly close to where I'm at. I personally do most of my writing sitting on my bed with a cup of tea and swatting away my cat (who does his best to derail my writing efforts every November and all other times in between). The cat is pretty much my only distraction then and it's peaceful. Though now I'm pondering the virtues of spending a good few hours on Mount Lemmon and writing up there...

trust me: I am your lunacy

I don't live far from the Barnes & Noble on Broadway (across from Target) I am usually there on Thursday & Fridays evenings. Has WiFi, soda, snacks and it's relatively quiet.

I haven't disappeared; just overwhelmed by starting a new job. (And whose idea was it to start a new job right before NaNo anyway?) I went to the Lucy Kaplansky concert at Old Town Artisans last night, but will try to make Tuesday or Friday at Java Edge in Rita Ranch either Tuesday or Friday night this week. I need some serious butt-kicking to catch up here!
Elise