Taking it on the Road: Writing in Hawaii

We got back from Hawaii late Monday night. I won’t regale you with descriptions of amazing waterfalls…

Akaka Falls, Hawaii

…gorgeous vegetation…

vegetation, Puna coast

…or the glory of stargazing on Mauna Kea. Instead, I want to tell you how I continued work on my novel revision, even though I didn’t bring my laptop on my trip.

Select scenes: Before we left, I made a list of all the new scenes I needed to write, as well as scenes I wanted to rewrite from scratch. Some days I worked on those scenes using my trusty notebook and pen. Writing a scene longhand at Bear’s Coffee in Hilo, wearing shorts and sandals, is a completely different experience than writing it on my laptop in Seattle, encased in Goretex and fleece.

Character studies: Other days I noodled with character relationships. I’d pick two characters from my novel and write a scene that won’t appear in the book, but which gave my insight into how the two of them might interact.

Character role play: When I didn’t feel like putting words to paper, I’d leave my notebook behind and take my characters for a walk or drive. One day, for example, I went into an art gallery in Hilo as my main character, noticing the paintings I thought she’d be attracted to.

Let it go: There were days I didn’t work on my novel at all. I knew that taking a break would let me come back to it refreshed.

And speaking of taking a break…yup, I’m doing it again. I won’t be blogging this Sunday, because I’ll be attending the SCBWI Western Washington Conference. But I’ll be back next Wednesday to tell you all about it!

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