I'm writing this post in the middle of a 12 day visit to England, because it reminded me of a valuable tip to bring perspective to our writing.
Most of us are very busy with day jobs, families, houses and other responsibilities, and we fill every spare hour with writing. It is all too easy to get into the rut of the daily grind, and challenging to clear our heads when we sit down to write. Whether you write at the same desk or comfy armchair, or at Starbucks, in the garden or at the beach, what we all need is a real change of scenery. For this you need to leave town, preferably your State or county, and better still, travel to another country.
Why? Perspective. People are different the further you travel from your home. They speak “oddly”, use colloquialisms and peculiar mannerisms, eat bizarre food, and if you travel far enough, they look or dress differently. The landscape or weather might be unusual compared to home Now look more closely. Houses are not the same everywhere, nor street signs, and you eventually notice trivialities like the traffic lights at intersections might be at the corner, or overhead on gantries. Do they hang vertically, or, like in hurricane-prone states, horizontally. Naturally, hundreds of items spring to mind when you visit another country, even one as similar to the US as England.
What does this teach us? First, that we can return home with a fresh perspective that can spice up our book. What if I made that character English, and they drank tea with milk instead of coffee? A cliched example, but you get the idea. How would that chain-smoking European fare in American cities and bars? What if my protagonist imported Curly Wurlys from England and chewed them when he got nervous. (A long thin candy that tastes like Milk Duds). How unique would it be for our hard-boiled P.I. to drive a right-hand drive Alfa Romeo instead of an American muscle car?
Secondly, while we all know the value of people watching, being ultra observant of how even the tiniest details vary per region is great mental training, and can hone our descriptive skills. Adding unique flair to mundane items brings richness to our books.
Make time to travel and see things in a different light. Take a trip or vacation. Oh, the things we have to endure in the name of research. 🙂
What insights into your writing do you gain when returning home from an extended trip?