Disclaimer: this isn’t about travel writing but writing while travelling.
I spent more than three years working and travelling Australia and New Zealand. It was a pretty epic adventure (which you can read about on Innate Wanderings. More adventures will come when I get the chance to get back out there), but for the first six months or so, I did little to no writing – other than those blogs.
I mostly lived in hostels in various places, and I wanted to be seeing and doing awesome things more than I wanted to be in front of a screen and keyboard. This was just one of many challenges I had to overcome to get the words flowing again.
In time, I figured it out, and some of these lessons apply to other situations, too. If they sound familiar, I have a few ideas on how to help resolve them, too.
Creating a routine
Most of the time, when I got to a new place, any and all routines went out the window.
There was so much to see and do and explore! I didn’t want to spend my time doing anything else – and can you blame me?
That meant the usual time dedicated to writing fell to the side while I did these things. As an aside, I tend to have at least an hour each day dedicated to writing, but I don’t limit myself just to that slot.
Once I settled a bit, I was able to find a better balance – and usually I had work to help ground me a little. This brought another challenge, as most jobs were shift based and that meant my usual writing time had to change depending on the rota.
I find consistency to be one of the best ways to keep writing, and if I know in advance when I’m going to be writing (at least) I can be better prepared for it. While I’d gotten used to a regular 9-5 routine before travelling, giving me clear times to write on most evenings, I needed a new approach for my travels.
My solution: Instead of writing at a certain time, I’d write in relation to an event. It might be after I finish work (even at 1am!) or as soon as I wake up. It wasn’t as regular as I’d been used to, but it helped me get in the right frame of mind, as I knew that once that shift ended, or I’d woken and dressed, I’d be in front of the keyboard and writing away.
I’m back in a stable environment now, so I’ve gone back to a set time – for the most part.
Finding a dedicated writing space
Just as hard as finding the time for writing while travelling is finding a space where you can foster and encourage those words.
Every ‘permanent home’ I’ve lived in has always had a dedicated writing space – or spaces. I might switch between them depending on my mood or if I’m multitasking, but they’re there and set up for it.
In a hostel, though, the only space I have is my bed – and even then, that’s not really mine!
I did spend a lot of time sitting in the bunk writing, especially if there was a curtain or sheet I could use for some privacy. That said, typing away late at night could disturb others, so it wasn’t always possible.
There are other spaces in hostels, but they might be in use at any given time. It’s not like you can make the person/people there move, right?
My solution: Well, as I said, the bunk is always there, and it is an option. Communal spaces and lounges can be pretty quiet late at night or very early in the morning (ties in nicely with my solutions for the previous section). Hostels in older buildings can often have nooks and alcoves you can nestle up in. They work wonders, especially with cushions and headphones.
I avoided a lot of the party hostels, if you couldn’t tell ha!
Working with what I had
So, here’s the thing. My day job usually involved me working from more than one screen, and I got used to it! I was able to save up and create a similar setup at home, which I found easier to check notes.
I know, I know. It’s a very privileged thing to have, but I didn’t realise that until I let it go.
While travelling, I had just my laptop, and that meant multiple windows and tabs that I switched between. Again, I’d gotten used to checking between different screens, so it’s not a problem, as such, but I had to adjust (and I did).
I found it tedious, and it interrupted my flow a lot.
On top of that, I generally like to have background noise while I’m writing. Music is an option, but I can get distracted choosing songs, artists and playlists if they don’t match my mood, so I tend to stick to TV and film. Usually, these are things I’ve seen before that I can tune in and out of at a glance.
Yet, for writing while travelling meant it was another window to flick between. To much of a distraction.
My solution: This is twofold. Taking multiple monitors didn’t really fit into the backpacker lifestyle I’d adopted. However, I did have a smartphone. By transferring some of notes to that device, I was able to limit the amount of window-swapping I did. I also wrote out a bunch of things in a notepad that I could refer to easily.
The second part, the background noise, made me try out podcasts. This let me find new topics and ideas while having that background atmosphere I wanted. I’ve listened to fewer episodes since having a TV again, but I know they’re there if I need them.
Rediscovering writing while travelling
None of these things are deal-breakers, by any means, but knowing where and when I write best really helped me keep writing while travelling. It meant getting out of my comfort zone and taking a good hard look at myself, while re-learning what is was I needed to actually write something.
It was worth the effort, as I think it’s helped me improve in a number of areas. Long may that continue.
I hope these ideas can help you, too, if you ever find yourself feeling a bit stuck. Don’t forget to sign up to the newsletter using the form below for more tips straight to your inbox!