Where would you like to live?

Where do you think a good place for a writer to live might be? Someplace affordable and inspiring. I am without a permanent residence at the moment at would love to hear some recommendations as to where I should go either short or long term.

 

Isn't the answer always Paris? Paris, or the sultry tropics.

Edit: Oh, affordable? I've heard Wichita is nice.

 

Okay, it's a littler funny that you say that because I was thinking about making this move. I have two friends that would welcome me a totally put me up for probably as long as I wanted. Just wonderful people. They are both from Paris, but now living in the south of France. I'm really thinking about it. I'm just not 100% sure I want to be in Europe right now. I mean I could go like right now. I've been to Paris many times and I'm in love with it. And the south of France is a lovely spot where I could see myself, drinking wine and writing short novels. Should I go? I could really go anywhere and that is making me feel so lost.

 

Don't come to Wyoming, either. Winters are harsh, we're out of water, the wind blows at hurricane speeds, most of the inhabitants are heavily armed, and we have man-eating jackalopes that hunt in packs. The mosquitoes are so large they carry coshes. We do have good libraries, though.

 

The best place to write is in front of your screen and keyboard. Where they are located is mostly irrelevant. Now, if you want to talk about places that inspire you to write...

Now, there are a few specifics that I prefer, such as a quiet space where I hopefully will not be interrupted.

Inspiration, for me, comes from new experiences. My recent jaunt to the Austin, TX area has definitely provided some inspiration. There is an amazing cast of characters here at the weekly rates motel where I've been staying.

 

if it were me I'd go to the south of France.

 

Well, I'm originally from South Africa but now live in the UK.

If I was in the position (financially etc) I would sell up, buy camping equipment and head back to Africa and set up residence in the african bush / savannah. Only issue would be reliable comms.

One can only dream - sigh.

 

Hawaii. Figure out the 'affordable' part. You'll thank me.

 

You gotta treat us to a picture @Hammer, sun's out today and the UK's lushing verdently up, so set iPhone to panorama next time you're up there and capture windy willows.

@deadrats — were I more Bohemian, I'd lo-tail it over to the southern coast of Ireland, there's quite the writer community over there, ex journos wanting to finally free their bent for fiction, drippy-hippies (druids?), and wealthy Frenchies (by some accounts) gravitate there for the inspiration of the temperate winds and the crashy waved white foamy shore.

 

On a remote farm, Gatehouse of Fleet, Scotland.

 

In Naha in Okinawa Japan. I would likely live a quiet life there amd never look back.

Most respectful people ive ever come across. Its just a joy to be around there.

 

To answer the title question, i've always wanted to live in a place like where i lived as a child. We lived in a little sicilian village, our house had big double wooden doors and title floor (i even remember which tiles stayed hot in the winter and my brother and i would fight over who got to stand on it)
There was a wrap-around balcony that you could access from a double glass door in the livingroom, a wooden, shuttered door from the guest room, and double wooden shuttered doors from my parents room. The balcony connected to a big uncovered brick patio that had an old patina well in the middle. Behind the patio was an orange and lemon orchard.
Every year there were 3 festivals that paraded through the village and set up outside my gate.
I think i want a place like that because some of my best memories came from there. Our neighbors would invite us over for dinner, once, they put this biiiig long table out on the street and had all their friends and relatives and us over. One lady was a Dutch lady from Amsterdam who had come to visit her husband's family (hes italian). To this day i am still in contact with her. She wished me happy birthday on monday and still calls me "baby" because i met her when i was 5!


BUT, to answer this:

And the context.... The midwest is super affordable. I say this as a person who was use to East Coast cost of living.
And, near where i live there is a little rural town that hosts monthly writer retreats. Ive never been to those because its too close to home and i want to go AWAY for a retreat, not 20mins away....
But the land is really nice and the pictures of it is really calming and peaceful. The town looks like something off of a postcard. I liked it so much i applied to work there when i was job hunting.

My second plan was to move south because cost of living was low, too. North Carolina... But its more populated than this part of michigan, and i dont know how much peace and quiet you'd need.

 

I'm pretty happy where I am, but I'd love to take a series of writer's residencies in places like coastal Oregon and the Italian Alps (not that I've ever been to the Italian Alps, nor do I speak Italian, but we're dreaming, right?) Somewhat to my surprise, I loved the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, and I wouldn't mind a few weeks writing in a house over looking Lake Superior. I could also handle time in the Texas hill country (as far away from the Austin and San Antonio crowds as possible) or northern New Mexico. Always wanted to go to Vermont/New Hampshire, too. In the end, though, I'd want to come back home to Wyoming.

 

Well, if we're dreaming, which implies unlimited funds, I would just keep wandering around the world. A few weeks here, a couple of days there, enjoying the sites, studying the histories and cultures, and meeting all kinds of people.

 

This is my daughter's ideal. If travel was free, we'd never see her again.

 

I'm getting my application in to renew my passport. I'm thinking in the fall I might go to France. I've been talking to a good friend over there about it, and I think it could be the best thing for me. As for now, I'm looking to sublet something near the beach. I found this great, little place two blocks from the coast. I'm not sure if I acted fast enough since someone else is got there first and is trying to negotiate a few things with the landlord. I told the landlord I would take it as is and that I'm fine with all the conditions. But the landlord says he wants to be fair and see if the other guy is going to take it first since he was the first to submit an application. It would just be a summer thing there. I'm currently living in a shitty hotel. I don't own a car so location is important. All I know is I'm not supposed to be where I am right now. If I had a valid passport, I would probably leave everything tomorrow.

Thanks for the response and suggestions.

 

1.) Okay, beach place isn't a guarantee. I really want to go there for the summer. It's the size of a large closet, but I don't have a lot of stuff.

2.) A new option just popped up to live in one of my favorite cities for the summer. I bigger apartment and also a really good location. A plus to the city location is that I would be living in the city I used for my dystopian novel.

3.) Third option is to live in the woods. There's something magical and healing about the outdoors. It would be very easy to drop the outside world in this spot, but I'm not entirely sure that's what I want to do.

All of these are in truly great locations. I'm just not even sure, really, what my first choice is. Love to hear what you guys think. Thanks.

 

Wichita. The Paris of the Plains.

 

How "in the woods" are you talking? One of those "no electricity or running water and you have to hike two days through the Tetons to get there" type deals, or one of those "five bedrooms six baths and a hot tub but it's down a gravel driveway" type deals?

 

There's always Paris, Texas.

 

The woods would be roughing it but beautiful at the same time.

 

I like comfort, so anywhere i feelcomfortable, has all the basic amenities (and a swimming pool) close by, would suit me. Oh and George Clooney living next door wouldn’t be too bad either