Countless writers have suggested finding inspiration and writing in nature. Since much of The Book I’m writing takes place in a woodsy area, I decided to head to the great outdoors and see what I could learn. I don’t live in a place with many trees, so I made do with the few I could find.
WRITING IN NATURE RULE #1: FIND A PLACE TO EXPLORE
Recently, the weather has finally been warming up. I’m fortunate enough to have a walking path practically in my backyard, and I found a small secluded area next to a stream with a nice big rock to sit on and watch the birds in the trees.
That’s the nice way of putting it. In reality, the place is about a hundred feet from a pretty busy road, and the stream comes from a culvert, so it’s filled with street runoff. It’s also right next to the walking path, with sweaty people jogging past.
It’s not exactly the secluded magical woods where The Book is set, but it’s closer than a computer screen. Physically exploring a place similar to my setting was a lot more helpful than sitting at my desk and trying to imagine it.
WRITING IN NATURE RULE #2: NOTICE THE GRITTY DETAILS
The experience gave me details that will make the place more believable instead of something romanticized in my writing. For example, that rock I found to sit on? It was covered in dried bird poop.
Adding a little silly detail like that to The Book will do at least two things. First, it will contribute to characterization, based on which of my characters notices the bird poop and what he or she does about it. Second, it will make the setting feel much more genuine.
WRITING IN NATURE RULE #3: JUST TAKE IT ALL IN
Rather than actually writing The Book during these sessions, I decided to just sit and enjoy the sights and sounds and smells of the small ecosystem around me. I didn’t even take a notebook. Instead, when I returned to my manuscript later, I recalled the sensory details that stuck with me. Those are the things I will include in my descriptions of the setting.
Where do you go to find inspiration in nature? Let me know in the comments below.
Need some creative writing activities for kids, students, or yourself during quarantine? Check out the Writing Rules Mini Project I put together a few weeks back!
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