A quiet zone

There are times that most of us need that spot that is quiet and a place where we can escape to.

We go to conferences and I have noticed that especially at a Literary conference there isn’t a spot where writers can go and do some writing without all the conversations that are happening at the end. I am not saying that an area needs to be a large area but having a spot where you can do and write down those thoughts and ideas that you have collected through panels you have attended or other conversations would be great.

For people that are staying at the hotel there might be time to go back to your room for a little bit of time but after waiting for the elevator and such you normally don’t have a lot of time in your room to do that writing. I know that I have found it difficult to do the writing that I enjoy doing at the conference because of all the conversations and such that are always going on. Sure you can learn a lot from the various conversations but there can be times that even 15 or 20 minutes of sitting without those conversations can really assist in helping you regain a focus.

If a writing room was to be provided at a Literary conference there would need to be rules outside the door to the room outlining some of the expectations/rules of the room. Some of the possible ideas are:

• Talking in this room is not allowed, conversations are to be taken into the hall.
• Any music or videos must be watched with headphones to respect the other writings/guests in the room.
• Please respect the area and remember you aren’t the only one using the room so ensure you don’t take up an entire table to yourself.

This idea of a quiet zone/room came to me as we are preparing to go to a Literary conference and are staying at the hotel. Yes, I can go back to my room if I can a long gap between panels but if I only have half hour or 45 minutes, I would love a spot close to the actual conference where I could curl up and do some of that idea capturing. Not everything is going to need a spot for capturing ideas because they have their own methods but knowing this spot is available may help to inspire ideas and also show individuals the value of capturing the ideas when they are fresh and not trying to remember everything.

A quiet zone is just that, a spot where you can spend some time focusing on something you want to do but without all those other distractions that we have normally. Sure, the writers/quiet room may not be full all the time but at least giving people a spot could have a high return of investment. Maybe one people that used the room may have that great novel in their head and the key ideas were written while sitting in that room.