I was wondering whether any of you write while you’re on holiday. I don’t just mean my fellow cave-dwellers, but blog readers too. If you’re into writing and coming up with stories, do you take a notebook and pen with you on a trip? Or a laptop?
Perhaps it’s weird for a professional writer to take work with them on holiday – it almost defeats the point of going on holiday, doesn’t it? And then there are some writers who go on things called “writers’ retreats”, which are basically holidays where there’s nothing to do except work.
I’m asking because I’m about to go on my third non-work trip of the Summer (not just gloating here, I promise). On the first two, I took some work with me and, as I always do, a couple of good notebooks. I didn’t do any writing though. I was too busy relaxing, taking in my new surroundings and basically… being on holiday.
I know that everything I do on holiday and the places I go eventually gets regurgitated by my brain and becomes material for a future story, but I still didn’t at any point sit down and write anything while I was away. So although the trips will definitely be useful for work and general research (you could even say essential), they weren’t trips on which I slipped in some writing in a spare moment.
So I was wondering how the other writers out there approach holidays. I always intend to write a bit, but very rarely do.
And of course, these holidays have been particularly special because it’s so rare for the monsters to let us out of the cave. Actually, I’m beginning to suspect that they’re just trying to fatten me up. Oh dear…
12/08/2009 at 10:04 am Permalink
I don’t think we writers ever really take proper holidays.
Speaking for myself, while I may take breaks away from being sat at a keyboard – sometimes for days on end – I can’t switch the creative part of my brain off. So I’m still coming up with ideas for characters, mulling over plot problems, and dreaming up new stories.
Also, if I’m in a new place, I’m – consciously and subconsciously – studying my surroundings, and storing the sights, sounds and smells for use as potential locations in future stories.
Likewise, if I meet a new person, some part of my brain is studying their mannerisms – probably without me even realising – for possible recycling in my next book.
And I always, always, always carry a notepad.
But, unfortunately, I rarely remember to bring a pen.
14/08/2009 at 5:01 pm Permalink
I’ve tried to combine family holidays with writing. Not very successfully. We went to France one year when I was researching for the 4th book in the Shapeshifter series. I got some decent research done but next to no writing. Unless your loved ones are willing to leave you alone for a day (and mine weren’t, really!) you can’t get much done. But I’ve had some brilliant writing retreats on my own in little log cabins or remote cottages in the New Forest. Just me, the wildlife, the non-existent broadband or mobile phone coverage, the stars, the spiders, the laptop, the spiders, the inspiration, the running past the deer, the spiders. Did I mention the spiders?
Really worthwhile, though. Not sure it’d work with a bunch of writers – I’d be too nosy and fascinated with what they were doing. On my own though, it works a treat.