Writers on Vacation

Used with permission from Debbie Ridpath Ohi at Inkygirl.com.

Raise your hand if you can relate to the above comic...

*raises hand*

I laughed out loud when I first saw it, because yes, our writer brains rarely shut off.

On Monday, my family and I will set sail on a cruise. While I won't officially be writing, I have a feeling my write-brained self might have other plans. I'll place zero pressure on myself, but I'll bring a pencil and an empty notebook just in case I want to do the following:

• Character sketches--Hairy dude in a Speedo doing the Limbo; whiney, tired children wearing floaties on their arms; teens flirting by the pool; multi-cultural cruise staff. We never know when we'll feature these characters in our books. Might as well take notes.
• Scenery details--Cruise ship amenities; sandy beaches; bright blue water. Even if we never use them, it's helpful to jot down location details while they're fresh in our minds.
• Sensory details--Coconut scented oil; reggae music; mariachi band; crusty salt on the rim of a margarita glass; sweaty neck while wearing the lifejacket during the emergency drill. If we're using location details from our vacation spots, we can't forget the senses.
• Lessons learned from vacation reading--As usual, I will have a blank sheet of notebook paper slipped between the pages of my summer reading. If valuable lessons stand out, it's helpful to write them down.

If I do absolutely none of these things, will I feel guilty? Nope. We must remember to not only write about life, but to live it. 

What are your summer plans? Any vacations? Staycations? Do you write at all when you're gone, or do you leave it all behind?

Note: I'll skip my next two regular posting days, July 10th and 14th, and be back on the 17th. See you then!

photo credit