Dan's Papers - June 27, 2008 - By the Book: A Room of Your Own

Virginia Woolf might've been onto something when she declared that every creative woman needs money and a room of her own to write, but let's face it - Miss Virginia wasn't living in the Hamptons in 2008. If she were, she probably would've known that out here, most creative women (and men) would probably be happy with a $10 daily coffee allowance and an empty seat on a public bench facing the water.

Because usually, that bench is taken. Or it's raining. Or you're short on time because company's en route, and you still have to go grocery shopping and clean the house. But writers must write, so whenever you feel the need to take a break and indulge in some quality one-on-one with your notebook or laptop, here are some spots that are easy to reach, open to the public and conducive to creativity.

It's no secret that as caffeine levels increase, so does page output, and Starbucks is the ultimate destination for coffee bean-boosted brilliance. The South Fork is now home to four buzzing Starbucks locations, and while any will do, the Bridgehampton location is centrally located with ample overstuffed seating and tables. On any day of the week in any season, you'll find a good crowd of readers and writers. In the summer, especially on weekend mornings, you'll also find a good crowd of visitors passing through, catching up and sometimes creating a very long line out the door - but you can always snag a seat, and when you do, it's yours for the duration. This location can also be particularly helpful when the dreaded writer's block strikes, because you're pretty much guaranteed to see or hear something that'll make for a good story.

At the picturesque John Jermain Memorial Library located just a short stroll from Sag Harbor's shops and restaurants, not only do you have the ghost of Steinbeck silently inspiring you, you also have inspiring silence. Follow the spiral marble staircase to the third floor, where you can usually have your pick of seats lining long wooden tables set under a stunning brick, copper and stained glass dome ceiling. Once the laptop's open and ready to go, you won't need much else - including your iPod. This is one of the few places in the Hamptons where silence is still golden, and you'll have no problem hearing your characters or crafting your next plot development. Should you get stuck, take a peek inside the local history room, also on the third floor and filled from floor to ceiling with Sag Harbor tales of yore, and borrow accordingly. That's what the library's for.

If you're right about to write about who did it, where and why, the Blue Duck's probably not for you. This charming café around the corner from Main Street in Southampton offers a feel-good fix of homemade cookies, cupcakes, pies and tarts in a warm and cozy environment, and might be better suited to children's and chick lit writers. Most visitors stop by to satiate their sweet tooth and then keep shopping - which means you can usually linger as long as you'd like, as tables and chairs free up quickly. Stay long enough and sample the café's sandwiches and soups of the day, and when you go, be sure to take a few extra treats with you, just in case you need another sugar rush later.

Home to multiple benches, Amagansett Square's large, lush lawn is the perfect spot for writing on sunny days when you have no plans, and your laptop's fully charged. Before setting up camp, swing by Mary's Marvelous across the street for one of their famous maple-covered scones and an iced coffee, or the Hampton Chutney Company for a dosa and fresh lemonade with orange blossom - at Amagansett Square, your concentration will never be interrupted by a growling stomach. When you reach the end of a chapter or a good stopping point after a few hours of hard work, reward yourself with a class at the Mandala Yoga Center, or a new read at BookHampton, both of which are nearby, on the edge of the square.

Tricia Rayburn is the author of The Melting of Maggie Bean (Simon and Schuster, 2007) and Maggie Bean Stays Afloat (Simon and Schuster, 2008). Thoughts? Ideas? tricia@danspapers.com.