Sanctum Sanctorum
By Sable Jak
My big (gotta be at least 5 pounds) dictionary lists a "sanctum" as a
retreat or very private place. A sanctum sanctorum refers to the holiest
of holy places in a tabernacle, or for the non-cleric, and, as I see it, another
retreat that's extra, extra special.
I'm convinced every writer should have such a place. I'm not talking about that
quiet cabin in the country many of us long for. Nope, I'm referring to a
favorite place where you can relax, write, sketch, think and maybe even get in a
conversation or two with a stranger.
My sanctum sanctorum is the Online Coffee Company. Okay, okay, I'm in Seattle,
so it would have to be a coffee bar, right? In addition to being a coffee
bar, it's also an Internet café, and a whole heck of a lot more.
I spend a lot of time at Online. I'm sitting out in the little patio area
right now as I write this, soaking up the springtime sun (yes, we do have sunny
days in Seattle), and watching, watching, watching.
Until I finally got webbed at home, I used to come here and spend all my time
-- and roughly the price of a new computer -- surfing the web. Now I use
my time here to write, observe and ponder.
We are a unique blend of folk here at Online. The café is on the border
of a regular city residential area with a combination of homes and apartment
buildings, and the busy Broadway District of Capitol Hill. (The Broadway
District was made somewhat infamous a few years ago by a national magazine's
coverage of Kurt Cobain and the local drug culture.)
A photographer's studio is above the café, and a group of fashion designers are
across the street. A Star Trek group used to meet one Tuesday night a
month here (haven't been in at night lately, so I'm not sure if they still
convene) and people from a few local youth hostels find their way to the café
to keep in touch with family back home in Spain, Ireland, Germany, New York,
etc. Neighborhood locals pop in, leaving their dogs tied outside.
For some reason it reminds me of horses being left outside a neighborhood pub
while their owners venture in for a quick pint. (You can get that pint at
Online too, in case you don't want coffee).
The baristas (every one of them a gem) have eclectic musical tastes, so the
background music ranges from old blues to new jazz to opera, rock, reggae and
more. Right now, Jenny's got reggae playing. The other morning, Jeff
(there are two Jeffs) had some great old blues playing. Nothing like
Bessie Smith on a rainy morning.
French doors open onto the patio, where I'm sitting in the sun now. If it
gets chilly, I'll go inside and curl up in the corner of one of the two
overstuffed couches that form a comfy conversation spot. Or maybe I'll sit at
one of the tables that are scattered in such a way that private conversations
can be kept private.
I've met movie producers, fledgling actors and fellow writers here. I've
also met construction workers, whiz-kid goths that make computers dance the
tarantella and grandmothers seeking gardening tips from Jeeves.
I sometimes find myself in conversations with people I might never speak with if
I passed them on the street. And everyone, without exception, is ready to help
if one of us looks up and wails "my screen went blank!" At least five
characters in stories and scripts have been drawn from folk I've met or observed
here; and I've used corners of the café for scene locations.
I've even sat through an earthquake here.
Personally I think I should get some sort of diploma I've spent so much time
here, learning, studying, and writing. I honestly do get a lot of writing
done here; some of it is, I think, my best. Maybe it's because I can relax here.
But sometimes I put my retractable pencil aside and let my mind wander.
New ideas tend to blossom when I'm here and old ones are resurrected.
But whether I work or I just sit back and have a cup of coffee and a piece of
bakery, or even a glass of wine, this is a great spot to take a breath and
reflect. No matter what I do-- write, surf, or talk with a regular, I
always walk away relaxed and refreshed.
So this is my sanctum sanctorum, my place to go when I just need to get away,
even if it's just a few moments. I hope you have such a place, and if you
don't, do try to find one. It's amazing how a place like this, even if
it's just down the block from where you live, can provide a much needed break.
And who knows who you'll meet? Maybe the next person who walks through the
door of your sanctum sanctorum will be the next character in your new book.
By the way, if you want to find out more about Online, check them out at:
http://www.onlinecoffeeco.com/home.html.
Sable Jak is a screenwriter who is still questing after the secrets of screenwriting. She loves Celtic art and finds a correlation between its
mesmerizing intertwining lines to both the craft of screenwriting and the business of film
making. If you'd like to reach her, do so at
sablecat@email.com.
The Screenplayers - Writing tomorrow's films today.
http://www.screenplayers.net
Listen to Sable's radio drama, "A Phil Byrnes Mystery" on:
http://www.virtuallyamerican.com
