A couple of years ago, we took a magical trip to Italy. We drank macchiatos in Rome, stood awestruck beneath the statue of David, ate fresh “pesce” from the sea in Vernazza, and met long-lost family in the Trento region.
If I wasn’t inspired to write by the sights, sounds, and aromas of Italy, then I have no business even trying. Know what I mean?
Writer as Traveler
One afternoon, our apartment was quiet; everyone had run off to see the sights, so I made myself an “aperitivo” of wine, cherries, cheese, and soppresata. I rested by an open window, allowing the aroma of truffle oil from a nearby restaurant to flow in. Then I sat back, took a sip of Chianti, and opened a notebook.
That couple of hours of solitude produced the first chapter of my novel, Runaway Tide.
Indie = Freedom
I tell you this because one of my aims in running my own indie career is to have the freedom to travel ~ and write ~ from wherever the wind (aka Virgin Atlantic or the like) takes me. To be, in a phrase, writer as traveler.
When I started this blog, my intentions were twofold:
1. Show new indie writers the basics so they can get started, and
2. Encourage said writers to follow their dreams, whatever they may be.
Today’s post is all about that second point–of encouraging you to follow your dreams. You may work full-time in a job that’s less than your favorite (I’ve been there). Or maybe money is tight because you need work. I get that, too.
Think about where writing might take you. Or better yet, at this stage, think about where YOU might take YOUR READER.
Is there a place in your own backyard that would be a nice setting for a story? Then write that. Start there, sell some books, and begin building your career. If you need to know the steps to getting your book published on Amazon, sign up in the blue box below and I will send you a quick-start guide:
No matter where you are in the process of publishing, I hope I’ve given you a small glimpse into one afternoon that has never left me. And there are many more like it in my history. I have written on vacations all over the place and published books inspired by many of them. Places like Cambria-by-the-Sea (Sweet Waters), in a rented cabin in Lake Arrowhead (The Christmas Thief), and even while visiting family in rural Pennsylvania (The Christmas Postcards).
And my Sea Glass Inn series is set (mostly) near my home in California.
Really, inspiration is e-v-e-r-y-w-h-e-r-e, as I’ve also written books while sitting on my deck at home and dreaming about places that my characters (and I) may someday roam.
Where Do You Want to Go?
Do you dream of traveling too? Of being a sojourner of sorts? Can you see a way for indie publishing to help you get there? Post a reminder somewhere – on a mirror, on your phone’s calendar, etc. – so that when life gets hectic, you won’t forget to reach for that goal. In other words, WRITE IT DOWN where YOU WILL SEE IT.
Then get to work! Because no matter where you write from, you’ll need to make sure to always have BIC (butt in chair) so you can finish what you start ;-).
As for me, I think I’ll just keep this photo of my late afternoon aperitivo handy …