Hey cHEwY gum gums!

On the long weekend, I ventured out to Tamworth and Armidale to explore, hike and gather ideas for future stories. Yes, I’ve often said how travelling makes me want to write, but I never knew how much that was true until the travelling stopped. This time last year, I had already ventured to three different countries, did a few interstate trips, and did the festival run which took me all over Australia. So, going for a five hour drive out of Sydney was indeed a blessing, not only for the holiday itself but also to let my brain wander around story-making land.

Now for some writers, being inspired by travel is as obvious as researching and experiencing new experiences that directly link to their works in progress. I got a bit of that buzz when I visited Nundle, a small country town about 50 minutes from Tamworth, surrounded by green plains and farmland. It’s a town similar in size to Megulla, my fictional country town and setting for What About Thao. I handed that manuscript a few weeks ago, but what I wouldn’t give to add in some more lines to describe how it felt to be in a small town. I jotted down some notes, hoping to include them in the next edit.

But travelling as a writer is more than just the experience. Writers tend to come up with ideas when they’re doing mundane like the laundry or being in the shower. For me, it’s when I’m behind the wheel on a road trip or hiking through the rainforest. I gather up voices, thoughts and jokes and put them in my notebook. I came up with The Other Christy while I was in Europe, it’s amazing how as I wander around, my mind is doing the same but in a totally different space.

So I do miss the brainstorming while I’m waiting for a bus or a plane, or having ten minutes to myself in the hotel lobby and so on. The joy of travelling is one that I never took for granted, so I am thankful that I’m able to go on small adventures…and I can’t wait until to venture further out someday.

Let me know how travelling inspires your writing!

O.W