From Pen to Path, the Writers Passport

How Travel Fuels the Creative Mind

My husband and I have decided to spend the next three years traveling because we are now pet-free after losing our beloved dog after sixteen years. We recently renewed our passports, have a house sitter lined up, and have numerous trips planned for the upcoming year. In doing all this, I've considered how important travel is to an author's craft.

Iceland has been on my travel bucket list for a long time; therefore, it is one of my scheduled excursions. Ideas are already flowing from the glaciers, hot springs, northern sun, and, of course, the history and mythology of the Vikings. I can feel the strength of the terrain and the crispness of the air, and these elements will definitely come through in a story.

In addition, I'm headed back to Chicago, the backdrop for my beloved Devil Chronicles series, where my protagonists, River and Cruz, struggle through turbulent times and ready myself to take on book 3. Returning to the locations where your characters "live" somehow strengthens the reader's attachment to their universe and improves the narrative.

My eleven-year-old granddaughter is also traveling to Orlando to compete in a national gymnastics meet, and we're going to watch. Although this journey might not appear like a clear source of inspiration, I've discovered that the most unlikely places can inspire creativity. Who knows? The intensity of competition could inspire a fresh plot, an overlooked character element, or introduce me to a whole new character.

Lastly, we will discuss a winter getaway to Aruba. Warm breezes, tropical beaches, and a lively island lifestyle—that seems like a surefire way to get ideas for new writing.

But what is it about travel that so profoundly inspires the creative spirit of a writer?

Travel opens our minds and offers us a fresh viewpoint on people, places, and experiences. We're more aware of the details around us because we're in new places when we travel. We live in the moment. It challenges us to break free from our daily routines and invites us to fully experience a location. The weather, the conversations, the colors, and the culture all generate writing material. It takes massive googling and time to match the experience of being in a place and physically immersing ourselves in it. Living in the place you're writing about to provide a genuine understanding and depth is much easier.

Whether or not I'm writing historical fiction, learning about a place's past always gives my works a richer context. One way to accomplish this is by going to local libraries and museums. These are historical and cultural gold mines. In museums, you can travel through time and take in a location's artwork, relics, and narratives. In contrast, libraries provide a calm, contemplative setting for delving deeper into a community's literature and folklore and possibly even overhearing conversations among locals. These trips inspire and give your story feelings of realism.

Sitting in a café, restaurant, or simply at the bus stop and listening in on discussions while taking in the sights and sounds of people in their daily routines may be really beneficial. Real-life dialogue differs from that we imagine; capturing these brief conversational exchanges between characters helps create genuine discourse.

Similarly, being in the scene lets you accurately depict the local climate, plants, and fauna. You can describe the stone you see when hiking, the specific flowers that give off a powerful scent, and what kind of tree the wind is blowing through. These nuances are what draw readers into the narrative. When I travel, I always bring a journal and record everything I see, hear, smell, taste, and feel. Those impressions are easy to forget, but the notes you take back home help you recreate those moments and make scenes come to life. While they rarely capture all the senses, photographs aid memory recall.

So, tell us about your travels, which have influenced your writing. I would love to learn about them. Leave a comment below about your experiences! Let's honor the ways that travel influences and enriches our narratives.