Why Travel is Perfect for the Writers Soul
Travel is the world’s teacher. It is how we can get out and beyond from the influences that have been with us since childhood and experience the world anew. Though cultures may be different, and histories might be unknown, what is critical about travel is that it shows people exactly how similar we all are. It is through these similarities that we can find common ground and empathize with people who, at first glance, seem so different.
For writers, this opens up a world of opportunities to write more in-depth stories and characters that feel real because they are based on reality.
Travel Allows You to Enjoy New Experiences First Hand
Try writing about something you have never experienced, and chances are you will get something wrong. Yes, you can read online and even talk to others first hand, but you will never be able to empathize and even describe the emotions and sensations you feel second hand as well as you would first hand.
This doesn’t mean you should be arrested in order to write your crime novel, however, but simply that you try to get as much real-world experience as you can. With travel, you can learn so much without even realizing it. You can learn about cultures, about people, and about the way the world works and even how it works together. What you experience when you are abroad will translate into your writing.
New Sights, Sounds, and Sensations Improve Your Descriptive Ability
The reason why it will help improve your writing is because experiencing something first hand will give you more authority over how you describe it. Eat a tarantula when you are abroad, and you can write about it. Take the public transport system in Paris, and you can write about it. You can give truth to your writing by lending your own experiences and memory of the sensations you felt. This will make your writing more real and vivid.
Stories Can Be Found Anywhere
Borrow from the people and places you meet. Write about the characters you come across. Don’t steal their stories by any means, but do let yourself be influenced by them. You will never be able to be everyone at once, which is why borrowing inspiration from real people can help you create a cast of great, realistic characters for your stories. If you do write about someone’s personal life, ask them first as well. Creating a similar backstory is fine, but, say, writing someone’s life as you were told is not.
How to Enjoy the Above Benefits
The more you travel, the more you will enjoy these benefits. For most writers – published or unpublished – this means that you will have to make room within your own budget in order to pay for it. Very few writers make enough from royalties to constitute a proper income, but that doesn’t mean you cannot afford to travel on your own. To reduce the costs, try:
1. Price-Comparison Apps
From flights to hotels, to even tickets at the top destinations, there are a variety of ways you can get better deals on the same item. All you need to do is price-compare different providers. Then you can choose between types of accommodation and even types of flights. You can save a lot of money, for example, by choosing the base fare option which only allows you to bring on a carry-on.
2. Find Discount Codes
Getting a great price can mean you stop looking for further discounts, but it shouldn’t. There are many Expedia coupon codes to add to your already great price to further reduce the costs from the start.
3.Travel to Lesser Known Destinations
The best places to go are often not the ones you will see spammed on travel sites and accounts. They are the ones that are lesser known, with fewer tourists and more authentic experiences. They also tend to be very budget-friendly, as they will cater predominately to the local populations and not over-inflate their prices to cash in on tourists. Travel during the low seasons (during school terms), and you will enjoy even cheaper prices and fewer tourists.
Writing can be a challenge. If you are out there and enjoying the world first-hand, the thought of continuing with your novel might seem incomprehensible. Don’t let your talent go to waste, though. Commit to your work and travel at the same time. This way you can enjoy your trip more, by noticing the finer details that really bring a destination to life, and you improve your writing. It’s a win-win.
Try writing about something you have never experienced, and chances are you will get something wrong. Yes, you can read online and even talk to others first hand, but you will never be able to empathize and even describe the emotions and sensations you feel second hand as well as you would first hand.
This doesn’t mean you should be arrested in order to write your crime novel, however, but simply that you try to get as much real-world experience as you can. With travel, you can learn so much without even realizing it. You can learn about cultures, about people, and about the way the world works and even how it works together. What you experience when you are abroad will translate into your writing.
New Sights, Sounds, and Sensations Improve Your Descriptive Ability
The reason why it will help improve your writing is because experiencing something first hand will give you more authority over how you describe it. Eat a tarantula when you are abroad, and you can write about it. Take the public transport system in Paris, and you can write about it. You can give truth to your writing by lending your own experiences and memory of the sensations you felt. This will make your writing more real and vivid.
Stories Can Be Found Anywhere
Borrow from the people and places you meet. Write about the characters you come across. Don’t steal their stories by any means, but do let yourself be influenced by them. You will never be able to be everyone at once, which is why borrowing inspiration from real people can help you create a cast of great, realistic characters for your stories. If you do write about someone’s personal life, ask them first as well. Creating a similar backstory is fine, but, say, writing someone’s life as you were told is not.
How to Enjoy the Above Benefits
The more you travel, the more you will enjoy these benefits. For most writers – published or unpublished – this means that you will have to make room within your own budget in order to pay for it. Very few writers make enough from royalties to constitute a proper income, but that doesn’t mean you cannot afford to travel on your own. To reduce the costs, try:
1. Price-Comparison Apps
From flights to hotels, to even tickets at the top destinations, there are a variety of ways you can get better deals on the same item. All you need to do is price-compare different providers. Then you can choose between types of accommodation and even types of flights. You can save a lot of money, for example, by choosing the base fare option which only allows you to bring on a carry-on.
2. Find Discount Codes
Getting a great price can mean you stop looking for further discounts, but it shouldn’t. There are many Expedia coupon codes to add to your already great price to further reduce the costs from the start.
3.Travel to Lesser Known Destinations
The best places to go are often not the ones you will see spammed on travel sites and accounts. They are the ones that are lesser known, with fewer tourists and more authentic experiences. They also tend to be very budget-friendly, as they will cater predominately to the local populations and not over-inflate their prices to cash in on tourists. Travel during the low seasons (during school terms), and you will enjoy even cheaper prices and fewer tourists.
Writing can be a challenge. If you are out there and enjoying the world first-hand, the thought of continuing with your novel might seem incomprehensible. Don’t let your talent go to waste, though. Commit to your work and travel at the same time. This way you can enjoy your trip more, by noticing the finer details that really bring a destination to life, and you improve your writing. It’s a win-win.
