Spring Break For Writers: 10 Rules For Writing Your Book On The Beach
With Spring break right around the corner, I think it’s high time we start planning out our travel writing goals and getting together a list of things we’ll need to make the most of our writing vacation! Have you ever traveled to write? Or perhaps you’ve written while travelling? No matter the reason you’re on the road, you’ve got an incredible opportunity to get out of your usual writing environment—one of the leading cures to writer’s block, so make use of your time away from home write with your newfound inspiration and motivation!
I spent an entire month one summer (June-July 2016) in Port Aransas, Texas and it was amazing for my creativity. I wasn’t working on a book at the time, but I was writing multiple poems a day and designing my website, the latter of which required charismatic copywriting. Getting out of my usual writing space was monumental for my writing following that summer because it kickstarted my creativity in a way that prepared me for when I got back home and began writing the first draft of my fantasy novel.
Even though I was on vacation, it wasn’t all fun and games. I did have to do some writing to make sure I made the most of my time there. To keep you on track with writing while travelling, I’ve made a list of 10 rules for writing on the beach!
Beachy patio view. Photo by Sabel Blanco.
Secure a stellar view
I’m not kidding. If you don’t have a gorgeous view from your balcony, what’s the point of writing on the beach? Ocean-front lodging is a must if you’re a travelling writer. Not only is the view beautiful and awe-inspiring, but you’ll have plenty of photo opportunities. This is a must-have for any content creator, really.
Set up goals for the trip
Just like any other writing challenge, you should outline your goals. Establish a word count and a daily expected word count and outline your novel. It’s like preparing for NaNoWriMo—in order to make every moment of this creative trip count, you should do as much planning as possible, beforehand. That way, you can focus on writing and enjoying the sun while you’re there. Scrivener is a great tool for story outlining and even has a word count tracker that allows you to set a projected word count and keep track of your daily writing goals.
Soak up the sun and solitude
It’s not everyday you can wake -up feet from the sand and sun—that is unless you actually already live on the beach, which if that’s the case, I a) envy you and b) don’t know why you’re reading this blog post and not enjoying the sun!
Take writing breaks by walking in the sand, sunbathing, and swimming. Enjoy everything the beach has to offer and be sure to really absorb the experience. When you’re writing, enjoy the solitude away from home. No sound, no interruptions, and no distractions. It sounds like a writer’s haven to me!
Make sure to pack all the essentials
There’s nothing worse than getting to your destination and realizing you’ve forgotten something you knew you needed to pack. I’ve made a little mini list for writers to ensure they’ve got all the right tools in their toolkit for writing on the beach.
Don’t forget to bring these essential travel writing items with you on your trip to the beach:
your favorite pair of sunglasses
your Laptop—and the charger!
your Story Binder with all your writing notes
a notebook to jot down random ideas and inspiration
a novel in another genre for leisure reading
sunscreen. Don’t forget the sunscreen.
you might bring aloe vera too, just in case…
Limit your exposure
Vacation means “an extended period of leisure and recreation, especially one spent away from home or in traveling” and not “checking my phone every two minutes when I should be writing.” Yes, I am talking to you, dear reader. Don’t waste your valuable vacation time reading emails, hanging out on social media platforms, or checking your text messages. Limit your phone use and spend your time writing, reading, and enjoying the beach.
Of course, you do want to make use of that photo opportunity I mentioned earlier. Photos of the beach for Instagram are permitted. Bonus points if you take a selfie of you writing on the beach!
Catalogue the coffee shops
When you arrive, find the best coffee shops for writing and befriend the baristas. You don’t have to do all of your writing in the beach house or in the sand. I’d like to think you’re researching in the coffee shop, reading on the beach, and writing at the beach house/condo. Keep your activities compartmentalized for optimum focus and consume copious amounts of coffee for maximum productivity. Okay, maybe maximum jitteriness is more accurate, but this is my excuse and I’m sticking with it.
Talk to strangers
Yes, I know—your parents told you not to talk to strangers and while in most cases that is decent advice, don’t heed it while travelling. New places + new people = new conversations and new experiences! Chat it up with the locals and try to research your novel. Maybe your YA contemporary has a surfer guy in it? See if you can find a surfing instructor or rando on the beach that can lend their experience to your craft.
Make time for margaritas!
This is especially true if you’re travelling to any of the beaches in Texas. Make time to let lose and enjoy the free time. If you’re on vacation with friends, spend a night out and see the sights your destination has to offer. Grab drinks go dancing with the locals! If it’s just you, pop open a bottle of wine and read under the stars. Even though this trip is an amazing opportunity for writing, don’t forget to do the vacation-y activities as well.
Write, rest, repeat.
In addition to budgeting fun time into your travel schedule, you should also include time off from writing. You don’t have to write the entire trip and you should include some downtime for self-care that doesn’t include partying. Hit the spa, meditate, or strangely appropriate, take a long, walk down the beach and collect seashells at sunset.
Don’t get stuck rewriting.
It’s probably the hardest piece of advice in this entire blog post, but seriously, don’t get stuck rewriting. Work on writing only while you’re travelling and safe the editing for later, once you’re home and once you’ve completed the first draft. I know it can be so hard to quiet our editor brains, but we have to if we want to write effectively. Remember, the edits can wait, but the writing can’t. Stay focused and happy writing.
That’s it for my 10 rules for writing on the beach. This was my spin on another post from Shayla Raquel, so check out her post here! Comment below what you thought and if you’ve ever done any of these or if you have any tips of your own!
Thumbnail photo by Rodnae Productions.
—Payton
4 Romantic Writing Retreats For Feburary 2020
Photo by Nathan Dumalo.
Hi writerly friends!
Today we’re discussing Romantic Writing Retreats. What are these, you ask? Well, with most Romantic retreats, couples go off on a sort of mini-honeymoon to rekindle their love for one another and become acquainted with the romantic side of their relationship. However, since this is a romantic writing retreat, its going to go a little different. Of course, you can bring your partner, and kill two birds with one stone—not your partner, duh!—by revitalizing your romantic passion with each other, and renewing your passion for writing with this list of romantic writing retreats!
Photo by Valeriia Bugaiova.
Exotic getaway
Of course, staying in Thailand or Morocco is great, and if you can then by all means. But you don’t have to break the bank to have a refreshing and inspirational vacation. One way you can bring a little of the unknown into your writing space is to design your home with themed décor to match your destination or take a mini-staycation to a themed hotel. According to Daily Break, there’s at least 14 themed hotels to check out and they’re more entertaining than the local sights they’re build around. Unexpectedly, my favorite on the list is number 12, the Library Hotel Love Room in New York, New York, but unfortunately, I’d probably get more reading done there then actual writing, if I’m being honest.
The good thing about exotic getaways, mini-staycations, and mini-honeymoons as a writer is it gets you out of your everyday writing space and gives you a change to welcome new inspiration from your environment.
Writing in the woods
In a few weeks, I’ll have another blog post called “10 Rules for Writing in the Woods” and I’ll be sure to link back to it from here, but until then, consider planning a mountain hike or woodsy afternoon trip to do some deep thinking (and writing) with nature. Be sure to charge up your laptop all the way and don’t forget the bug spray!
Writing on the beach
Similar to writing in the woods, I already have a blog post called “10 Rules for Writing on the Beach” which you can read here. The beach, especially in the cooler months, can be such a lovely and inspirational place to get some great writing done. Rejuvinate your love for the written word by writing wave-side for a few hours. Just don’t forget the sunscreen.
Photo by Nadia Valko.
Rainy Day Writing
If you’re like me then, you identify as a pluviophile, or someone who loves rain more than sunlight and enjoys the peace of mind and refreshing nature of rainy days. What’s better than writing, for us, than combining our two loves—writing and rain? Take a trip to Seattle in the fall or take the day off when the next rainy day happens in your city, and take the time to write in the rain. Throw in a cozy blanket and a cup of coffee and I think you’ll have found writer heaven!
And that’s it for my romantic writing retreats for February 2020! I know it’s not much, but changing up your writing space just a little, or getting out into nature for a bit does wonders for the creative process. It will prove to be an inspiring mini-adventure (how many times can I combine the word “mini” with something else in one blog post?) and will help you to rekindle and refresh your own love of writing along the way.
What do you think of these tips? Have you ever gone on a romantic writer retreat? Have you ever gone on a solo retreat? Of course, you can bring your partner, but if you really want an effective writer retreat, consider going it solo and see how much time you enjoy spending writing with the trees or from the comfort of a fun hotel room! Let me know your thoughts in the comments below and thanks for reading!
Further reading:
10 Rules For Writing Your Book In The Woods (COVID-19 Social-Distancing Safe Summer Vacation Ideas!)
Spring Break For Writers: 10 Rules For Writing Your Book On The Beach