Shelley Widhalm

Archive for June, 2018|Monthly archive page

Writing While on Holiday

In Writing, Writing Advice, Writing Discipline on June 10, 2018 at 5:00 pm

BuschGardens2 06-2018

Shelley Widhalm stands by a stone lion at Busch Gardens during her trip to Florida in early June.

Writing during vacation definitely takes discipline—and a loose plan with room for improvisation.

I traveled to Clearwater, Fla., in early June planning to write one to two hours a day during my eight-day trip. I did what I could with fun getting in the way—but, as my brother reminded me, it’s important to either work hard and play hard or work steadily with fun included. My visit to Florida with my brother and his wife included that fun of Busch Gardens, Sea World Orlando, Tarpon Springs Sponge Docks and, of course, the ocean (we went to Fred Howards Beach), along with lots of eating out.

The Amusement Parks

During our first venture at Busch Gardens when we tried to fit as much food and upside-down rollercoasters in one day as possible, I realized I’ve been sitting at my desk too much without enough outside, 3D time. Every experience was new and vibrant—the shorebirds hopping by begging for crumbs and the chameleons crawling sideways on fences and drains were fascinating, and I kept stopping to stare. I loved the rides and seeing all of the greenery with palm trees and feathery leafy bushes, while walking through wet air.

When I rode Falcon’s Fury, a 335-foot rollercoaster that at the top tips 90 degrees and drops 60 miles per hour, I kind of panicked, thinking about my seatbelt busting within the harness, but it was a matter of an overactive imagination. I got used to speed and seatbelts by the time of our final ride, the Kumba, which became my favorite with 100-foot plummets along a smooth track.

At SeaWorld the last full day of my trip, I encountered more fascinating things, such as the penguins on the Antarctica: Journey of the Penguin ride. I liked how the penguins held their flippers straight out as they wobbled. I particularly liked the Rockhoppers with yellow feathers that look like hair ribbons and the Adelies with large eyes, like the trendy stuffed animals with bugged-out eyes.

Since we went on a Sunday, the lines were an hour long, so we could only fit in a couple of rollercoasters, a raft ride and experiential rides to see the sea animals, including whales, sea lions, seals, stingrays, dolphins, sea horses, sea dragons and fish of all colors. I loved the Mantra, a rollercoaster that makes you feel like you’re flying. We ended the day with a show, Light Up the Night, featuring four orcas, or killer whales, doing performances for fish, jumping through the air and splashing the audience with their tails. A long-legged white bird, probably a crane, hung about, waiting for free food.

Writing Accomplishments

As for my writing, here’s what I achieved during my vacation week:

  • I caught up on my daily poem challenge—I was about two weeks behind.
  • I wrote in my journal, adding in extra detail.
  • I wrote a short story, something I haven’t done in months.
  • I wrote this blog.
  • I read part of a book, “One Plus One,” by Jojo Moyes.
  • I sat beside the pool or at Starbucks doing my reading and writing exercises, thinking about how hard it will be to go back to routine.

As I learned, writing and being disciplined during vacations is a bit hard, especially when I’ve been putting off the fun. This time, I embraced the exciting side of life, realizing I’m a big child who loves to play.

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How to Write during Vacation (and still make it fun)

In Staying Motivated, Vacations, Writing, Writing Advice on June 3, 2018 at 5:00 pm

GeeseSummer5 2016

Ducklings swim at a Northern Colorado lagoon, which is a drop in size compared with the ocean. The ocean makes a great travel spot and a place to fit in some writing, while keeping vacation fun.

Going on a summer vacation is all about fun and taking a timeout from routine.

But for writers, bloggers and those who need to post a weekly or monthly blog or article, can the serious work of writing be included in a travel itinerary to make the break still exciting?

Yes, in small chunks so that it doesn’t feel like work.

To accomplish this, plan a time for writing, but do just a little bit at each sitting, and then congratulate yourself for accomplishing something practical without it being too painful.

If travel plans are overbooked, write ahead and schedule the blog online, or turn in the article early before deadline. And then don’t open the laptop or notebook unless there is free time, or inspiration or motivation gives a reason to write—and let it become all about the moment and not an obligation.

Writing Opportunities

For those who like creative writing, think of your vacation as an opportunity to delve into travel writing. Collect notes and quick descriptions of the places you’re visiting to use for future projects—the details can serve as a referral source for settings, plot details and character profiles. Or try writing a poem in free verse without counting syllables or lines. Write a few sense impressions and cut out filler words, like “a,” “an” and “the,” to create the shape and feel of a poem.

Make the work, whether notes, a poem or a full story, a small endeavor to still allow for downtime, created in snippets between the fun moments. Vacations are about relaxing and not working, as my mother told me. She said I always have some personal project, or work—and back in college, schoolwork—that I have to do. She reminded me to have fun during my weeklong trip to Florida with my brother and his wife—we’re heading to SeaWorld Orlando, Busch Gardens and some other amusement parks (but not the big one), plus the Tarpon Springs Sponge Docks and, of course, the ocean.

I told my mother I wanted to do some writing—I plan to write a couple of short stories, keep up my daily poem challenge and edit my novel (just a tiny bit). She said to not work too hard, and I promised to not spend more than one to two hours every other day on writing.

I figured I can do both—achieve concentrated and quick writing, like flash mobs that appear suddenly and are gone, and still enjoy the vacation cheer. I’ll think of it as mini moments of work with a reward.

Ways to Write Effectively

Here are a few tips for quick, but effective writing.

First off, commit to writing while waiting at the airport or for transit to get into the mindset that you will do some writing over the next few days.

And then:

  • Schedule an hour or two for writing every other day or every three days.
  • Do the writing in the morning by getting up extra early (or just before going to bed) and treat yourself to the rest of the fun vacation schedule.
  • Acknowledge the accomplishment, such as by tracking it on a spreadsheet or a check-off list. (I’ll put it in the timesheet that I keep for work.)
  • Break it up into smaller tasks. Write for a few minutes and then set it aside to make it feel like less work.

On a Personal Note

I plan to write about the ocean and the different animals and sea creatures I don’t encounter in Colorado. I love watching the ducks and geese at the lagoon a half-mile from my house, especially the ducklings, but the venue is quite a bit smaller—I run around it four times for a mile, and, of course, I can see the other side.

Basically, I plan to write as if it’s a hobby and also a tiny part-time (and fun) assignment, while sitting on a beach blanket, exploring new things to put in my notebook.