Travel Journaling

There’s something about traveling that sharpens my writing perspective. In a new place, my thoughts feel unbound, sniffing out every possibility like a dog that’s slipped its collar. In these moments I find unexpected clarity about nearly every aspect of my life, from careers to relationships to plot lines, and from realizations ranging from the mundane — “I’ve never really liked scrambled eggs, so why do I keep making them?” to the core-rattling — “I don’t want to die with my life unlived, so I’d better take a chance on myself and self publish.”

Sadly, the ability to travel constantly is a luxury for most, so here I’ve collected a few thoughts on how we can utilize “new space,” both mental and physical, to gain creative perspective.

Travel Journaling

It’s funny, but when I’m in a new city, the first thing I do is find a cozy coffee shop to hunker down in. I’ll hazard a guess this is a common practice for writers. In an unfamiliar café, sitting at a new table and gazing out a new window at unfamiliar landscapes, those yet un-swum rivers seem to carry fresh ideas. Sure, you paid a lot for that flight, and you want to explore the entire Louvre. But when traveling, it feels both glamorous and refreshingly anonymous to open a new writer’s journal, and there’s no better way to meet a new city than to listen to its stories. So even if you’ve grown accustomed to your laptop or phone, indulge in a small journal for the trip and enough time to pause in front of a magnificent view. Besides, you’ll feel romantic, like a true poet, when you take out that throwback moleskin notebook.

If you can’t physically travel, you can replicate some of this romance by writing at a different coffee shop or sitting on a park bench or tree stump to get a stranger’s perspective of your own work. It’s so easy, as we get older, creakier, and more used to creature comforts, to forget how inspired we used to feel when lying on the grass and staring up into a willow.

Editing Breakthroughs

When I feel stuck and staid, as if I’m hardening at the edges, I like to do something that shakes my brain up enough so that when I stop and rest, the world has to reassemble itself. The same goes for editing and working through blocks. In an unexplored space, it can be easier to imagine new possibilities for our characters. Try writing a scene in which your characters grapple with their same conflicts but in an entirely new setting. Does it change their arc? What would they do if they had to solve their dilemma while abiding by the social norms of the culture you’re currently dipping your toe into?

Brainstorming through Motion

Part of what sets my mind free when traveling is the literal addition of motion to my thought process. Even when you can’t indulge in an actual geographical excursion, you can still lure some of this movement-induced insightfulness by simply walking, biking, or swimming. Getting both sides of your body moving in symmetry will help connect the hemispheres of your brain. Pick a new hiking trail and take your characters with you. Remind them that after all, the rising complications are their problems. Tell them they have to figure out how to solve your block or editing issue while you enjoy a leisurely stroll.

I realize we don’t always have the luxury of time, money, freedom from responsibilities, or even the physical ability to be ambulatory in all the ways I propose. Some of my best writing and reflections have occurred as a passenger. I find subways and ferries especially transformative. Even the mere nearness of motion can bring about clarity — moving water, a flickering flame, the rocking of a hammock or dock, a late-night adventure on a playground swing. So travel however you can, and do your best to get out of your busy, cluttered head and back into your body in some way. If nothing else, your characters will be grateful for the exercise.

I’ll be hosting a session on this metacognitive practice called “Self Editing: Seeing Yourself from the Side” for the RMFW Colorado Gold Writers Conference this October, and if you attend the conference, feel free to find me so we can talk about your work and find new windows into your novel!

Photo by Tony Park, used by permission