Five Essentials When Writing on the Road

 

By Candyce Carden

We writers like our routines and accoutrements. They comfort us like a toddler’s favorite blankie and signal our brain that it’s time to write.

I knew a recent ten-day road trip, with stays in four cities, would challenge my writing production. Although I couldn’t bring all my security blankets along, I had to take a few. Besides my slim, silver phone and laptop, what else must accompany me on this journey?

My Five Essentials When Writing on the Road

I narrowed the list to five things, keeping in mind they needed to be objects that wouldn’t take up a lot of luggage space.

1.  Favorite Coffee Mug

I’m not sure I know a writer who doesn’t have a mug among her favorite things. Whether it’s coffee or tea, we want our fuel. I love my oversized mug and tucked it into a corner of my bag. It’s personalized with the sentiment But first, God and reminds me to keep my priorities in order. I want to connect with Him before that first drop of coffee hits the bottom of the cup. I want to offer Him praise and thanksgiving before firing up the laptop, and I request His guidance as I write and go about my day.

 

2. Scented Candle  

A ritual I practice at home is lighting a candle in my office. The delightful scent initiates a conditioned response that shifts my brain into writing mode. My all-time favorite is a Votivo Red Currant Candle, a gift from a dear friend who lost her battle with cancer a few years ago. It’s a little pricey, but it doesn’t take long to deliver a nice scent that lasts for hours. And it holds great sentimental value for me.

3. Colored Pens and Markers

I’ve had a lifelong love affair with these beauties from my days as a student and teacher. My current favorites are Paper Mate Ink Joy gel 0.7 (assorted colors pack of six), and STAEDTLER Triplus Fineliner Pens, .3mm, Metal Clad Tip, (20-Pack, assorted).

 

4. Bullet Journal/Prayer Journal, or Notebook

As much as I depend on my laptop, I must have a notebook at hand. Whether to doodle, take notes, keep a to-do list, or record a sudden burst of inspiration, I need to put pen to paper. I combine all of the above in a small self-designed bullet journal. Pass the markers, please. Here’s only one of many free resources for starting a Bullet Journal.

5. Fuzzy Socks

I enjoy going barefoot but don’t like cold feet. I packed a few pairs of warm socks and pulled on a pair before settling into my writing seat each day.

 

Those are my five most important writerly things to have with me on a trip. A friend keeps a tiny photo of her deceased mother—who wanted to write but never followed her dream—with her for inspiration. I’ve heard other writers speak of keeping favorite stones or seashells at hand. Others like to listen to a favorite playlist as they write.

 

What about you? What essential would you add if you were traveling and needed to write to your highest potential? 

Photo courtesy of Unsplash and Thought Catalog.

Candyce Carden is a writer, educator, and nature lover whose teaching experience ranges from preschool to college. She’s written for a variety of magazines, devotionals, and compilations. Currently fine-tuning a devotional with a beach setting, Candyce and her husband divide time between north Georgia and Destin, Florida. The answer may not be at the beach, but should we not at least check?

 

 

.