That's not a question most people ask themselves, but it's a good question for writers. Writers have to be so determined. Generally people aren't urging one to write. The only one who cares a whole bunch is the writer, and thus we've got page goals and a big work ethic. I've learned to write when it isn't quiet, write when it isn't going well, and write well past my morning ideal hours. I even--and I'm a little embarrassed to admit this--write in the car on long road trips with my husband. (I think "Six hours in the car? Definitely gotta write.) This is not necessarily a good way to live, I'm thinking.
But write at the beach? Especially if you live a long, long way from the beach, one really should not bring a computer. Or at very least stay off social media. And I have finally come to this conclusion: Give the novel a break at the beach. I just got back from the glorious Cannon Beach, OR, and though my brain felt like writing, I held the line and discovered how to spend a day without getting pages. It was a little weird, perhaps a tad guilt-inducing. But I persevered! Glad I did.
I'm ready to get back in the ring now. And I think I'll be a better writer for my new beach habit.