As I write this, I am sitting in the backseat of my parents’ SUV headed west on the interstate. My parents and I are on our way to Colorado for a vacation. It’s been a while since I’ve had a true vacation, so I’m rather excited to be getting away from the regular routine for a while.
I sit here watching the cars go by and I wonder where they’re from and where they’re going. Different states. Different situations. Some traveling for business, some for pleasure. Truck drivers hauling unknown items across the country. Everyone has a story to tell.
Whether its people heading down the road to destinations unknown, or a fellow shopper at the grocery store, people watching provides great material for writers. While I may not know their specific story, everyone I see has potential to become a character in a story. Usually this involves a unique article of clothing or a piece of a conversation with a cashier. But however these people end up in a story, most authors utilize their surroundings for material on a regular basis. My experience of time in Colorado has certainly influenced my current work in progress.
In an upcoming series, I will explore this idea – how writers use their personal experiences and surroundings in their writing. For some writers, the familiarity of people and places at home are represented casually with an occasional appearance. For others though, personal experience plays a key role in their writing.
In the meantime, I’m headed to the mountains. See you next week.
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