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I had also thought about providing some tips on how to write while on the road, but it turns out that there are a lot of articles out there, by smarter people than me, that give you some great ideas on how to do it (see below). So I guess the only thing I can add is my own personal experience.
- https://www.whereisyourtoothbrush.com/writing-while-traveling/
- http://www.wikihow.com/Write-While-Traveling
- http://lithub.com/how-to-write-while-traveling/
Writing while traveling is hard. We writers are creatures of habit (at least I know I am) and typically need our environments to be familiar and free of distractions to be able to produce the magic that we do. Some people are better at it than others. I heard that JK Rowling, pictured above, wrote the majority of the Harry Potter books at her local coffee shop and finished the last one at a hotel in London. I could never do that. All that talking, the swish of the cappuccino machine. And the temperature is never right in the hotel room, not to mention the smell. I guess that's why she's JK Rowling.
Then there's the physical toll that traveling takes on the mind and body. Navigating new cities, sprinting through airports, just the stress of it all. By the time I hit the hotel, I want to collapse. Add in the fact that I have a two-year-old --and don't get many moments alone-- and the vegging out time is just too enticing to pass up.
I know this is something I need to work on. Authoring this blog post was a great first step! So how about you all? How well do you write out on the road? Can you tune out the noise, embrace the unfamiliar, and get those word counts in? How do you do it, or not? I want to hear from you (no matter where you are).
6 comments:
I've tried to write away from home, but I don't do it well. Mostly it's been in the car while waiting for my daughter to complete one of her many activities. I did try to write once while on vacation. The family was off on an activity and I stayed behind to write. It didn't work out so well - I just wanted to be out enjoying my surroundings!
I never work when I travel. I find it's nearly impossible. But bravo to those who can.
I concur, Carrie. So hard to want to work (on anything) when you're on vacation...
**holds both hands up in the air and says amen**
I've stopped even bringing my laptop along when I travel for vacation because there's just no way I'm going to even use it. I view travel as an excuse to catch up on my reading.
This was a great post Jonathan, got me thinking about how and when I write. I drag my computer everywhere because usually I find a moment or two to write. In addition I do a lot of grading when I travel. A teacher is always working. Haha. We have a lake house and I love writing up there, looking at the lake, sipping coffee. It's a wonderful place to write. At home I sit at the kitchen table and watch the neighbors which can be distracting. Thanks for bringing this topic to light. Worthy of some thought!
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