Write Now with Barbara Caver

Who are you?

I am a New York City-based author, filmmaker, and production executive.

What do you write?

I write primarily creative nonfiction for my Substack Tiny Escapes with Barb and I am working on a novel. I like to dabble in poetry and will definitely write another memoir. I started writing stories when I was a child and continued to develop as a writer through creative writing and screenwriting classes during college and after. I like to explore the themes of self-discovery through travel and adventure and themes of strong women as heroes in unexpected places or situations. To express my love of writing, I'd have to ask, well, do you love oxygen? It's a grounding practice for me and without it, I couldn't fully participate in this world.

Where do you write?

I write in the dark between 5am and 7am, Monday through Friday, on my couch in Queens with a large cup of coffee. I also enjoy writing on airplanes after the drink cart goes by and occasionally I am lucky enough to find time to write during daylight hours in the Rose Main Reading Room at the New York Public Library. I always write on my laptop. I polish final drafts by printing them out and putting them in my bag as I go through my day. I do a lot of revising and scribbling on the subway and in elevators.

When do you write?

Each writing session depends on the project. I publish a short 200-word Day Trip every Monday and a longer 1000-word essay every other Wednesday on Substack, and I typically draft those a day or two before publication. When I'm between Substack deadlines, I work on a longer book project, which for now is my novel, or a standalone essay if there's a topic that piques my interest. An hour per session is my usual timeframe.

Why do you write?

I write for myself because it grounds me. I share and publish what I write because that transforms me. I am inspired by the life that my work takes on when I set it loose in the world and by the feedback loop I get from my writing. The Muse plays fetch; if you throw it out there, she throws it back. Writer's block for me is always my ego imposing its will on what I am trying to write, and I have learned to wait for the ego to move on. I have to trust my writing to guide me towards what it wants to say.

Bonus: What do you enjoy doing when not writing?

I move! I love walking, hiking, yoga, and weightlifting. When I was younger, I studied and taught ballet. I have boxed and went through a CrossFit phase where I learned Olympic weightlifting and gymnastics. I currently belong to a gym with a strong Hyrox training program, and I am competing in my first solo Hyrox race in March 2026 in Washington DC. If your eyes have glazed over by now, I completely understand! Ironically enough, there is a correlation between my fitness and writing journeys. I have learned so much about writing when I am in the gym.

My thanks to Barbara Caver for today's interview.