“My advice to young writers would be to write every day, even if it is only a few words. Get yourself on the habit of writing and it will become a lifelong one. And find a place to write where you are physically comfortable. You can’t concentrate if you aren’t.”
—Cassandra Clare
Ever since the day my lips sipped the sweet taste of a caramel macchiato at the Chicory Cafe in South Bend, I fell in love with coffee shops.
The atmosphere. The aroma. The acoustic Indie/folk compilation of music playing at a gentle volume. The artisan-crafted coffee brought out to my nice, polished table. The gentle, happy conversations abound. The peaceful state of mind.
Lots of people get behind the magic of coffee shops and cafés. I always found it intriguing, however, how the best writers are often correlated with them. Like, they can be cool places for sure, but what about them seems proven to inspire fantastic writing?
Exploring Instances of Coffee Shop Success
History reveals that a noble tradition has formed of writers sitting in the interiors of coffee shops, cafés, breweries, and bars, drafting what would become well-renowned works.
To satisfy my intrigue, I did my own exploring into this historic world of coffee shop-esque writers. The first instance to present itself to me regarded the famous group of Parisian-based writers in the 1920’s known as the “Lost Generation.” The group of Americans featured several celebrated writers like Ernest Hemingway, T.S. Eliot, Gertrude Stein, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and Franz Kafka.
“The Lost Generation” believed themselves to be misunderstood artists in a postwar world — rather, socialite writers who spent their time exploring various spots in Paris to create works of passion to be shared among their networked friends. The group found inspiration in places where jazz, booze, coffee and cigarettes were widely available.
Found on Discover Walks Blog
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Hence, the writers began spending their time in public getting their coffee and writing their works. Historic places like La Closerie Des Lilas, a small café near Luxembourg Gardens in Paris, became famous thanks to Hemingway’s frequent visits, where he often stayed to nourish himself with croissants and coffee. He reportedly chose the café because of its tranquil atmosphere. It was there he finished his first draft of The Sun Also Rises.
The Café de Flore, a favorite of E.E. Cummings, would be another iconic restaurant showing how the author made wildly popular works simply by chilling with his beverage and writing in peace. Cummings is also cited to have been fond of Café de Flore’s conversational space, as he often spoke highly of his discussion of literature and the drinks he shared among his writing friends.
Other instances of coffee shop/café success can be attributed to F. Scott Fitzgerald’s frequent visits for afternoon coffee and nighttime cocktails at the bohemian La Rotonde Café. Another could be traced even before then to Russian poet Alexander Pushkin’s visits to The Literary Café in 1837.
“La Closerie des Lilas” | April 30, 2017
The authors would be remembered for timeless works like A Farewell to Arms (Hemingway), The Great Gatsby (F. Scott Fitzgerald), All Quiet on the Western Front (Erich Maria Remarque), and Save Me the Waltz (Zelda Fitzgerald). While these authors are worth exploring for their books, I do think there is more to be explored in their writing processes, such as their places of work.
Though the term “coffee shop” was not as popular at the time, I believe the “Lost Generation” writers helped in facilitating today’s mentality that the best of writing can be achieved through having a relaxing space to both congregate with others as well for time alone.
Transformation to Modern Coffee Shop Success
Flash forward closer to the present, the inspiration of coffee shops continues to be appreciated as the destination of creativity for the writer.
The most popular coffee shop writer of today spotlights the beloved J.K. Rowling. She was said to have written much of the earliest Harry Potter novels at a gourmet tea and coffee house called The Elephant House in Edinburgh, located within Scotland’s Central Belt in George IV Bridge during the mid and late 1990s.
<https://annadrops.wordpress.com/2010/02/04/the-elephant-house-cafe-edinburgh/>
Legend has it that during this time she would take her baby with her to The Elephant House and other establishments to enjoy their “free heating and cozy temperature” while writing drafts.
Ever since it earned recognition as the “birthplace of Harry Potter,” the destination has become a hot spot and must-to travel place for aspiring writers.
Certainly, it’s a “magical” place, but it is also very eloquent. I mean, who wouldn’t want to sit with a classic cup of blended, Scottish tea surrounded by 600-plus fake elephants while looking out the window at the wondrous Edinburgh Castle?
Found on CNN Travel
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Other visiting writers also have fancied visiting Spoon, an Edinburgh restaurant/café famous for “healthy foods and afternoon tea.” At the time, it was known as Nicholson’s Cafe—that, which is considered yet another place that hours were spent in creating the wonderful world of Harry Potter.
It’s Your Turn, Future Writer!
Now I wildly recommend that you go visit Europe and check out some of the big Harry Potter-inspired destinations (if that is your desire). But if college loans and work has you down, then I definitely invite you to go check your local coffee shops and cafés. You never know the impact it may have on your leisure writing!
If you are a Marian student living in Indianapolis, I recommend you explore the Indianapolis Coffee Guide, which is a curated guide of the group’s best-rated, favorite coffee places in town. They blog about a wide range of destinations throughout the city and describe each of their settings, perks, and hospitality.
The easiest access is through their Instagram account: @indianapoliscoffee (haha, you think you can remember that). Of course, you can also visit their website at: https://msha.ke/indianapoliscoffee/.
If you are thinking about pursuing writing in any capacity big or small, do yourself a favor by staying at and supporting your local coffee shops. If you think maybe that’s too old fashioned, then just think about how J.K. Rowling started from nothing and blossomed to prominence all by sitting in a coffee shop. Just saying…
Be sure to comment and share your own coffee shop writing experiences!
Hi, Dr. O here. Great job! This was an excellent first post. I’m invested in the blog and the subject.…