It’s difficult to focus on writing while you’re on a holiday. All you want to do is have fun, live in the moment and not do anything except eat food, go places and sleep. I have quite the absent memory so if I want to incorporate things I do or see into my writing, I often need to write some things down just to remember them.
Once I see something written down it does jog my memory, but I do need those reminders. Especially if I get an idea for a story while I’m travelling around.
I saw these while in a shrine in Tokyo and the cogs in my head started turning straight away! I couldn’t write down my ideas as soon as I saw them, but once we hopped on the train and jotted it all down!
I always have my phone on me with my notes open. You just never know when inspiration will hit! And when you’re on a 30-minute train ride or a 2-hour bus trip it is useful to be able to write some ideas and get some inspiration on digital paper.
We stayed about 30 minutes out of town in Tokyo. This meant that we caught the metro pretty much every day for approximately 30 minutes. When you’re standing (or occasionally sitting) on a train for that long it can get quite boring and I always like to have something to do!
I’ll often open my notes on my phone and jot down any ideas or just write complete junk to get something down. Sometimes there is gold amongst the garbage, sometimes there is not. But I find it useful just to write while I can and keep in the habit.
Making time for writing is always essential, even while on holidays. Especially when you have beautiful scenery like the photo above!
Now it’s not like I spend hours writing while on holidays, but I do try to find some time to jot things down and write a little. It keeps you in the routine to write and helps flex your mind and encourages inspiration! There is so much inspiration while you’re overseas, so you have to use it!
Emilie Turner 