What to drink when you're writing?

So there's a good question! And one that will have many different answers from so many different writers among us!

There are many factors which will dictate what type of beverage you prefer when your creative juices are flowing.

For instance, the genre will likely have an impact on whether you write while sipping on a cup of tea or while you savour your wine or whisky.

And then there's the weather, of course. It can be quite a different experience writing whilst swaddled under layers of winter clothing, shivering up in your writer's nook as the wind howls outside your window, causing it to rattle in its frame. It's another experience altogether on a balmy summer's evening, isn't it? You're in your shorts and a tee, the window's open and the summer breeze is gently lifting papers on your desk as your bare feet rest contentedly on the rug beneath them.

The time of day will also affect your drinking choices, let's not forget. If you're a morning writer then coffee or tea will probably be your choice. But the evening writers are a whole different story... no coffee or tea for them, something harder perhaps...

So, back to genre... and purely from a personal perspective, being an erotica writer, I find that I prefer to undertake my writing with a glass of wine. In the summer it will be a crisp, cold white wine, and in winter it will be a full-bodied red. I can even break it down a little more as follows - early evening in summer will find a G&T beside my computer to ease me into my writing, moving onto the wine at the appropriate moment. In winter, if I continue to write into the later hours, a whisky will do nicely, after the red wine, thank you.


From the above you can correctly deduce that I am not a morning writer. No indeed. I absolutely prefer to write during the evenings. I know for many this may be the only option, due to other work commitments. For me it is a choice as my husband and I own and run a small guest house, which enables me to choose my writing times.

Do I write best in summer or winter? Summer definitely! Luckily for me, we live in Africa, giving us many warm months through the year.This means that I am less likely to be writing huddled up in winter layers and can enjoy my favourite experience, that of barefoot writing.

One thing I can confirm is that I never write with a cup of tea! Somehow, to me, tea and erotica just don't go together!

If I imagine a tea-drinking writer I would probably say Jessica Fletcher, Murder She Wrote, does that sound about right to you?

I'm sure all writers would agree with me that you need to feel in the mood and, for me, nothing does that better than being barefoot and feeling the summer heat, as I swallow a delicious mouthful of ice cold wine, the ice clinking in my glass.

I feel free, relaxed and a little sensuous, the perfect ingredients to write my next erotic scene...

Honey McGregor