I stumbled across an article this past week about a new Manuscript Writing Cafe in Tokyo that sounds fantastic. Unlike your usual cafes where writers have to contend with distractions like loud conversations and the constant traffic of non-writers, this new endeavor strives to make it easier for wordsmiths to meet their daily writing goals. But, there’s a catch.
First and foremost, it’s a safe haven for writers on a deadline. It doesn’t matter if you’re writing a short story, a novel, an article for a blog, or a paper for school, all writers are welcome. For approximately $1.50 US per thirty minutes, you can order a cup of coffee or water and write to your heart’s content.
However, there is one caveat. When you arrive you have to let them know what your goal is for the day and you can’t leave until you hit that goal or the cafe closes.
You may want to write 1,000 words on your novel, or maybe three pages for a school essay. Regardless, you let them know before you begin, and throughout your stay someone will check on you every hour to see how you’re doing. You can even select how they interact with you.
For example, you can have them offer encouragement every hour. “Hey, Richard, you’re doing great. Only 500 more words until you can leave.” Or, alternately, they can berate you. “What? You’ve only written fifty words? You should have written 200 by now!” 
I have to admit that I find this fascinating and I wish there was a cafe like this where I live. I like to write in different environments on occasion, a change of scenery to mix things up a bit, and this would be a great opportunity to try something new. Especially if I was feeling unmotivated.
What do you think about a place like this? Do you think it would help you to stay on track with your writing?
RB
This is appealing. I work best under deadlines.
I generally do, but I also appreciate the quote by the late Douglas Adams – “I love deadlines. I love the whooshing sound they make as they pass by.” 🙂
That’s a good quote.