A hand-written sign invites passersby to visit the Seven Bookstore in Yangon.

In Yangon, bookstores and magazine stands are ubiquitous. Plastic sheeting protects stacks of books in the open-air stalls along Pansodan Street.

Stacks of books rise to the ceiling of Kyaw Thein Literature, one of the many open-air stalls along the sidewalks of downtown Yangon.

Sally Charette of Acton, California, travels to Andrew's Diner in North Hollywood, sitting at the same table every day to work on her novel, along with essays and articles.

David Van Horsen of Monrovia, California, retreats to an outbuilding his family calls "the shed" to write essays and short stories. "The isolation of this space is integral," says Van Horsen. "Because I'm married, with twins, it can be hard to find a place to get the writing down. This is pretty much the darkest and dankest hole on the property. Nobody wants to be here. So it is perfect for uninterrupted thought."

Poet Carmen Iriondo of Buenos Aires, Argentina, chose her writing space, originally her home's dining room, "for its silence and view: plants and trees in spite of its urban location."

"The painting behind me is the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires by Romulo Macció, a known artist and a personal friend," says Iriondo. "As an ex–ballet dancer, that theatre represents for me a mix of creation, beauty, difficulty, mischief, sweat, and well being, and brings me good memories of my childhood."