Everyone occasionally needs some R&R but we writers sometimes need the
three Rs: rest, relaxation and research. I love to travel so, for
me, a change of scenery is the ticket. It gets my imagination going full speed,
sparks my creativity and it helps me to recharge my batteries so that I’m ready
to take on my next writing project.
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| Bridge linking Mt. Pleasant and Charleston, SC |
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| View of Charleston Harbor from the pier in Mt. Pleasant |
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| The pool where I spent every afternoon |
As you may have figured out by now, I just got back from
a vacation to Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina and, although I love my hometown,
Cincinnati, it felt good to get a break from my everyday life. Freedom from
responsibilities and routine. I had so much fun and I enjoyed seeing new
sights, going to the beach to gaze out at the ocean and I met some very nice
people on my trip. It was restful and relaxing.
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| Sullivan's Island lighthouse |
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| Folly Beach |
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| The Morris Island lighthouse |
But, a writer is always
writing in one form or another so, while I was there, I took a lot of pictures,
bought more than my share of postcards and picked up literature about the area
wherever I could find it. Not to mention initiating conversations with the
locals whenever the opportunity presented itself. Why? Because my fifth Malone
Mystery will take place there and it was the perfect opportunity for the third
“R,” research.
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| A view from a horse drawn carriage ride in Charleston |
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| Bubba Gump's restaurant in Charleston |
I especially love this
stage of writing, when the ideas swirl around in my head and I scurry to find
paper and a pen to jot them down. Plotting a novel reminds me of putting
together a jig saw puzzle. So many pieces, many of them colorful and
interesting but, until each one is put in its proper place, we don’t see the
whole picture. So, over the next several months, I’ll be fitting together the
pieces from my research and my imagination until they all come together to form
my next book.
