Writing on the Road

Writing on the Road by Cheryl Hollon  

Do you write while you’re on vacation or during business travel? What about at the beach or on your ski holiday? You can bet I do! There’s a good reason.

In 2013, I received my first three-book contract at about this time of year. I was about to realize my dream of becoming a published author. Looking back to my early writing days, I can see that one specific action put me on the path to publication. I put my writing first.

It was a new thing for me, but I started writing every day. Sometimes, it wasn’t very many words, but I kept my head in the story by opening my work in progress the first thing in the morning. Not easy when you’re working, going to school, raising a family, or whatever your busy day looks like. The fact that writing was my top priority rewired my brain to acknowledge how important it was to me.

I have discovered that when I get close to an important deadline, I actually need to get out of our tiny apartment. My favorite writing space is in one of the many co-working spaces here in downtown St. Petersburg. It would be easier if I could write in coffee shops, but I’m too easily distracted. Here’s my workspace from last year. I’ll probably sign up again for the final push on my current book.

 

After nine years, I feel hollow unless I’ve written something every single day. So, if I know I won’t have internet access on vacation, I’ll bring along a printed copy of the manuscript section I’m working on, do some revision, and press on.

When I’m traveling by road, my routine is rigid. I set up my writing area as soon as I enter the room. I fire up my laptop and make sure I can access the internet with reasonable bandwidth. It doesn’t have to be great, but it needs to let me access Office and Dropbox. You have no idea how many times I’ve had to change rooms due to poor connectivity. It’s easier if you haven’t unpacked your clothes. I do this even when traveling with a group.

 On airplanes, I use a small Moleskin notebook and write in that. I feel too cramped to use a laptop, and that feeling makes writing harder. The notebook lets me keep the story in my head without worrying about someone pushing back their seat. Before I got published, I wrote most of my first book on long-haul flights from Tampa, FL, to Sydney, Australia. Even with a fair tailwind, that’s a fourteen-hour flight. Another favorite place for me is those little kiosks in the airport. I fire up my laptop there with no seatback worries.

My favorite travel writing is on trains. My husband and I frequently reserve one of the sleeper roomettes for traveling up to Savannah, GA, or further to Washington, DC. He watches movies on his tablet, and I get a ton of words on the page. The view out the window is soothing in a way that I can’t really duplicate anywhere else. It could also be the slight movement of the train car rolling down the tracks that keeps my fingers flying.

These actions keep my story moving. How do you manage writing at home or when traveling?

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My Paint & Shine Mysteries are set in the Daniel Boone National Forest. My parents were born, raised, and now rest in peace in the Adams Family Cemetary in Wolfe County, Kentucky. The characters spend a lot of time preparing traditional southern meals and creating moonshine cocktails. Please consider buying local. Our independent bookstores need your help during this challenging time. Sometimes, purchasing a single additional book per day can save a small bookstore.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B088WYF8QV

 

Cheryl Hollon writes full-time after leaving an engineering career designing and building military flight simulators in amazing countries such as England, Wales, Australia, Singapore, Taiwan, and India. She combines a love of writing with a passion for oil painting and creating glass art in downtown St. Petersburg, Florida.

Cheryl is a Past President of the Florida Gulf Coast Sisters in Crime, a board member of Florida Mystery Writers of America, and a member of International Thriller Writers. She regularly attends SleuthFest in Florida, Malice Domestic in DC, ThrillerFest in NYC, and Killer Nashville in Tennessee. You will also find her at Left Coast Crime and Bouchercon, wherever they are held.