Writing Field Trips

inkkognito · Mar 4, 2008

What kind of writing "field trips" do you like to take to energize yourself or get some inspiration? I primarily do two types. Every now and then I go to the bookstore and dig through the magazines, looking for anything that catches my eye. I take them over to the coffee shop section and thumb through, making notes on anything that looks like a potential market or anything else that strikes my fancy.

My other outing is packing Writers Market and going out to lunch solo. It's a little treat for myself, and I generally find one or two potential markets that I've always passed over before in odd sections of the book.

In both cases, at the very least I figure it does me good to get out of the house for some hands-on exploring. When I am writing, I can get very intense and the whole day passes before I even realize it; this forces me out of that shell.

HeronW · Mar 4, 2008

Driving to a new beach or park, visiting a new museum or gallery exhibition, even buying flowers I don't normally like for a change in color, shape, scent--everything gives me ideas.

dirtsider · Mar 4, 2008

Generally I go to NYC and hang out with a friend. We go wandering around town there, mostly just to hang out but also so that I can get the feel of the city.

I also go to a small little town on the Delaware River. That's where I have some friends who can give me practical advice on some of the subjects in my WIP. It's also just a cool place to hang out and recharge.

Other places I go to recharge is a flea market and a living history farm that I enjoy. I never know what I might find in the flea market. And I learn a lot of stuff on the farm that will be useful if I ever want to write something more period fantasy and not urban fantasy.

Ken · Nov 5, 2011

... a walk through the woods is always energizing.
Have always found nature restorative.

Zelenka · Nov 5, 2011

I get the tram up to Pohořelec and walk from the Černínsky palace down through the castle, either to the gates and then down to Nerudova Street, or right past St Vitus cathedral and down the steps. It's a great walk anyway, exercise wise, but just the atmosphere of the place gives me a great energy for my stories, especially the current WIP.

Eldritch · Nov 5, 2011

Hi Barb.

Going to the Disney parks always inspires me.

Polenth · Nov 5, 2011

If I want to recharge or be inspired, I don't go out looking for places to submit. I visit places, go for walks and otherwise relax. If I go to the bookshop, it's to play with their popup books and wander around.

CrastersBabies · Nov 5, 2011

Junk food. (Entertainment and the food stuffs)

I do field trips in my head.

First I watch some Vampire Diaries.

Then I have like 3 cups of coffee.

If that doesn't work, reruns of Dance Moms.

More coffee. Maybe a jolly rancher.

Celine Dion.

I droooove all niiiiiight ...
to get
to youuuuuuu...

I cannot resist that.

I get so wound up that I have to sit and pound out 3k words of something.

I cannot do coffee houses or Barnes and Noble. I cry when I go into coffee houses.

B&N is such that I must know what I want going in so I can do my business and leave (unless they're used bookstores).

Hal Lindsey's "Satan is Alive and Well on Planet Earth" was a gem I found the other day. Ratty old cover. Smelled like turpentine.

I wrote 4k words that day.

heyjude · Nov 6, 2011

Eldritch said:
Going to the Disney parks always inspires me.

Ha! Me too, but I write crime, so that's probably a bad thing. :evil

What do you write, Eldritch?

I'm another one that can get inspired pretty much anywhere, by people watching or beach-sitting or just being in traffic.

Phaeal · Nov 6, 2011

I like to prowl around the places that figure in my novels -- well, the ones with a real or semi-real world setting. This will be a good excuse for a weekend in Salem, MA soon, once the Hallowe'en witch madness has thoroughly ebbed.

Writing Field Trips

inkkognito

Onlyifyouwanttowillyoufin daway-Enya

HeronW

Down Under Fan

dirtsider

Not so new, really

Ken

Zelenka

Going home!

Eldritch

Polenth

Mushroom

CrastersBabies

Burninator!

heyjude

Making my own sunshine

Phaeal

Whatever I did, I didn't do it.