Tag Archives: inspiration

Writing Old School

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It felt clunky and awkward. Words fell onto the blank page only to disappear in fury of eraser bits and dust. Writing without a laptop or iPad was surprisingly difficult. I couldn’t edit as easily, I couldn’t grab a word and move it up in a sentence. I couldn’t make it work… at first. And then the scratching of the lead against fine wood fibres began pulling me back into the art of writing old school.

Mosquito Creek Hostel provided the perfect writer's retreat. (Photo: M. Kopp)

Mosquito Creek Hostel provided the perfect writer’s retreat. (Photo: M. Kopp)

Spending a long weekend away from the distraction of internet a mere keyboard click away forced this writer to focus on getting the ideas down, rather than editing or breaking the flow to deal with the business aspects of being a freelance writer. Long after the lights of the hostel dorm dimmed, my headlight shone brightly on the notebook tucked firmly in a little corner of my bunk. The blue pencil flew across the page as thoughts and impressions and ideas poured from mind to page.

Productive? Definitely.

Do again? Absolutely.

When was the last time you took a break from writing with a computer?

 

One day outdoors equals one happy writer

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Inspiration always begins outdoors – for me.

Today I skipped out of the office and enjoyed a bluebird day on the slopes of Nakiska brushing up on rusty tele turns.

Outside inspiration. (Credit: B. Kopp)

Outside inspiration. (Credit: B. Kopp)

You wouldn’t think a ski hill – groomed and open – as being a place for wildlife. Nakiska is set in the Rockies. We have watched lynx crouched quietly in the tree on nearby slopes and once saw a wolverine from the Silver Chair. It hovered slope side, pacing back and forth as it waited for the opportune moment to cross. Today, the woods were silent, but the sky was alive with action as Chinook clouds painted ever-changing scenes on a cerulean backdrop.

I didn’t come back from today’s outdoor adventure with an incredible wildlife sighting or fantastic adventure tale or writing epiphany, but I did come back relaxed and happy and ready to work. That is more than enough for me.

What takes you out of the office and lets you come back in a positive frame of mind?

P.S. Came back to find an ad seeking an outdoor travel writer. Yes! Except that it’s for Ontario parks. However, it does feed the dream that outdoor travel writer jobs exist!

 

One Writer’s Year

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I do spend time in the office, it’s just that this writer’s inspiration comes from the outside. So here’s a look back at my muse in 2014.

January

Hold still Frosty, I need a pic for Instagram! (Credit: A. Kopp)

“Hold still Frosty, I need a pic for Instagram!” (Credit: A. Kopp)

February

Escape (Photo: B. Kopp)

An Amiskwi Escape (Photo: B. Kopp)

March

Cruising in San Diego (Credit: B.Kopp)

Cruising in San Diego (Credit: B. Kopp)

April

Heading out on the San Juan River, Utah (Credit: M. Kopp)

Heading out on the San Juan River, Utah (Credit: M. Kopp)

May

Backpacking Grand Gulch, Utah (Credit: B. Kopp)

Backpacking Grand Gulch, Utah (Credit: B. Kopp)

June

Ha Ling Peak, Canmore (Credit: M. Kopp)

Ha Ling Peak, Canmore (Credit: M. Kopp)

July

Forbidden Plateau, Vancouver Island (Credit: M. Kopp)

Forbidden Plateau, Vancouver Island (Credit: M. Kopp)

August

Getting set to backpack into Mt. Robson, BC (Credit: B. Kopp)

Getting set to backpack into Mt. Robson, BC (Credit: B. Kopp)

September

Egypt Lake, BC (Credit: B. Kopp)

Tryst Lake, AB (Credit: B. Kopp)

October

Hiking along the Lycian Way, Turkey. (Credit: B. Kopp)

Hiking along the Lycian Way, Turkey. (Credit: B. Kopp)

November

Wintery walk up Cougar Creek, Canmore (Credit: M. Kopp)

Wintery walk up Cougar Creek, Canmore (Credit: M. Kopp)

December

Bluebird day at Chester Lake. (Credit: B. Kopp)

Bluebird day at Chester Lake, Kananaskis.  (Credit: B. Kopp)


Seasonal Inspiration

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Let’s face it, freelance writers often have to toot their own horns and beat their own drums. November and December are notoriously quiet months, work wise, but I sold a travel story to a new to me market this past week. I don’t have a horn and can’t keep a beat, but this a cappella version of Little Drummer Boy from Pentatonix should do the trick! It inspired me to celebrate this writer’s quiet season.

Seems this is turning into a month of Christmas v-inspiration!

What inspires you to write?

The Christmas Journey and a Writer’s Mind

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I’m a sucker for moments that touch the heart. They make me cry, they make me smile, they make me want to write! I’m not sure of the connection, but there is something about good things that makes me happy… and when I’m happy the creative juices flow!

It was a commercial – of all things – that lead to this latest burst of emotion and desire to pen a few words. A simple, elegant commercial about the joy of giving. Watch “The Journey” for yourself.

There is something magical about the joy that comes from go above and beyond to give from the heart. This Christmas season, I plan to keep it going with random acts of kindness – from shovelling my neighbour’s walks, to donating a few of my children’s books to the local library, to sharing tips for helping, as yet, unpublished travel writers break into the market. I’m going to give from the heart.

Care to join me? How are you going to spread the magic this holiday season?

NYC: The Planning

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Spur-of-the-moment trip to New York City?

Sort of.

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I promised my daughter a trip to see a Broadway show when she turned 21. The year has arrived, but we when we sat down to look at dates close to the big day, it just wasn’t working. Googling airfares, I quickly realised that Springtime was several hundred dollars per person cheaper than Autumn and the timing works.

Why not go now?

Step One: Book a flight
We used Travelocity and Expedia to narrow down the options and then were going to book directly with the airline. The fare changed, so we quickly nabbed the lower price with Travelocity before it was gone!

Step Two: Secure accommodation
This took time. We scoured guidebooks for options and checked out their websites; visited TripAdvisor for ratings; and finally checked out HomeAway on recommendation from a friend. Found a studio apartment that met our needs, Google-mapped the neighbourhood, “walked” the street from the accommodation to the nearest subway station and searched for guest reviews. All good, accommodation booked.

Step Three: Score some theatre tickets
The hardest part about this is deciding what to see! Luckily, we were both in agreement, chose the best date, went online to the theatre’s website, picked the seats, charged it to a credit card, and the tickets were in the mail.

Step Four: Research What-Not-to-Miss
Probably the most enjoyable part of the whole experience. NYC’s star locations trip off the tongue with the ease of familiarity: Central Park, Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, Staten Island, Brooklyn Bridge, East Side, West Side… But do we really know where these are in relation to one another? No.

We decided a good way to get our bearings pre-trip was to hold a movie marathon. Selection was limited, but we scored four NYC movies: Maid in Manhattan, New Year’s Eve, New York, I Love You and How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days. All showed the city skyline and several iconic buildings, but New Year’s Eve rankest highest in our books for showing off more of the tourist side of the city.

Add to this a few – okay, a half dozen or so – guidebooks and we’re feeling set to go!

Wait a minute, I forgot to mention one other research tool – recommendations from friends and acquaintances.

What would you suggest as must-see in NYC?

 

 

 

Stanley Mitchell Hut Inspires

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Daunting? Perhaps. Possible? Absolutely.

Teaching a writing workshop in an alpine hut – without wireless, laptop, or so much as a Writer’s Market guide had my mind buzzing with ideas. Alpine Club of Canada (ACC) Jasper-Hinton Section Representative Wayne Campbell facilitated the four-day getaway by asking two friends to become writer and artist in residence.  I would do “something” on writing; Rory MacDonald would lead the watercolor and sketching sessions.

But, as I soon discovered, whatever I had planned in the way of writing sessions would have to fit into the reality of a long weekend at ACC’s Stanley Mitchell Hut in Yoho National Park.

The fun is about to begin! (Photo: M.Kopp)

The catch?
The sessions had to work around day hiking up to Kiwetinok Lake, scrambling up to the Mt. Kerr Col, summiting to stand beside the mighty cairn on the peak itself, and sauntering through meadows and passing cascades – ranging from tiny to towering – to reach Isolated Peak Col and the Whaleback.

Lunch at Kiwetinok Lake (Photo: B. Kopp)

Writing and drawing would take a backseat to boat building for the 8 pm SM Yacht Club Regatta. Lessons couldn’t be held between the hours of around 5 to 7 pm due to cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, and Italian, Indian and Mediterranean-inspired cuisine.

Haute couture... I mean cuisine... in the backcountry! (Photo: M.Kopp)

Botanical identification was a priority – as was map-reading, general chatting, impromptu baseball game cheering, yoga stretching, hut cleaning, campground strolling, creek dipping, ground squirrel watching, and alpen glow observing. Oh yeah – and sleeping!

Stretching in the shadow of Mt. Kerr (Photo: M.Kopp)

The end result?
You’d be surprised. The writers in the group did some free-flow writing, descriptive word listing, set subject writing , editing, topic planning, showing (not telling) with words, and creating – with a short, finished articles to wrap up the three days. I even managed to find time for a little watercolour painting.

Now if only I could carry this productivity and creativity through to the rest of my life!

Changing Scenery Brings on the Writer’s Muse

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I played hooky from writing for a couple of days to head into the backcountry with my trail crew girl – and what a blast!

Too much fun! (Photo: M.Kopp)

We hiked and talked and climbed and talked and worked (okay… all I had to do was belay her while she cleaned the backcountry cabin chimney, but I did carry the rope, harness, caribiners and climbing shoes!).

After the chimney we strolled up to the camping area, I watched as she cleaned the outhouse, checked the bear bins for stashes of garbage left by lazy hikers, and removed a couple of random firepits. She wouldn’t let me lift a finger.

We sat up at the lake and enjoyed the glow of evening light before heading back to the cabin, where she filled out the cabin log and I started jotting down a few blog/article ideas. Two pages later, I was done.

Playing hooky is positively inspiring!