If you’re writing nonfiction and need sources, you can’t write your book just anywhere. You need your sources close at hand. Writing a novel, on the other hand, can be done anywhere—but only on one condition: it must be a place where nothing distracts you. If you check your social media accounts frequently or watch videos for pleasure, then you shouldn’t have internet access with you. The internet is the biggest distraction.

When I wrote using pen and paper, I often felt drowsy and had to escape to the library, where finding a place to sleep wasn’t an option. Later, when I used a laptop, I still went to the library, though the pull of sleep wasn’t as strong. Eventually, I switched to writing on a cell phone and iPad, which I enjoyed doing in cafés. While there are Western-style cafés, I preferred—and still prefer—traditional ones. I’ve written and translated many chapters of my novels in these cafés. Some were as simple as wheelbarrows. I’d sit on a bench by the street, writing and drinking tea.

So, find the place that suits you best: home, a park, a café, a resort... anywhere you feel mentally at ease and free from distractions.

Photo: March 16, 2018, the center of Sulaimania City, known as the Big Mosque area. After sunset, the municipality allows wheelbarrows selling tea, sandwiches, kebabs, shoes, clothes, and more to gather there, creating a vibrant, bustling bazaar.