Travel as Writing Fodder
Terry Odell
“Salome” Bergen, Norway.
I’m back, and after a prolonged bout of de-jet-lagging, almost functioning again. Before I left, I made the conscious decision that this trip was a vacation. I had no plans to set a book where we traveled. Since I’m an indie author and I haven’t established a due date for the current WIP with my editor, I was free to leave the writing behind.
A week after arriving home, I still hadn’t opened the WIP. My critique partners had sent their feedback on everything I’d written. Their messages sat, unopened, in an email folder. Still no guilt.
Even if I was on vacation, the writer brain never really shut down. I’m willing to predict some of my observations and experiences will show up in a book eventually. Here are a few.
On approach
The Travel Process
Our trip began with a flight to Bergen, Norway. Lacking the Enterprise’s transporter, it was Denver to Frankfurt, then to Oslo, then to Bergen. Note to travelers: just because your ticket shows Bergen as your final destination, and because the luggage tags say that’s where it’s going, if you’re going through Norway, it’s not that easy. Something about not being part of the EU, I think, but your baggage is offloaded in Oslo, and you have wait to reclaim it, recheck it, go through passport control and security. And Norway wants everything scanned. We put our hand luggage through the same way we had in Denver, but here they wanted laptops, tablets, cameras, and even one of the Hubster’s lenses. Did they ask for all of these at once? No. They asked about laptops, etc., so we took out our iPads and they sent them back through. Then they asked if we had cameras, and we repeated the process.
We had 90 minutes between flights, and that wasn’t nearly enough given the size of the airport and how many different “stations” we had to find, so we had to get booked on the next flight (fortunately, there are frequent ones), and then figure out how to notify the tour company, which would be meeting our original flight, that we would be late. Helps if you’ve used a travel agent. Helps even more if said agent is your son.
Anyone seeing any plot complications, tension, conflict here?
Communication
Given Bergen is a lot closer to Europe than the US, most of the passengers were from what we’d consider “somewhere else.” I was impressed and embarrassed at how almost everyone could manage to communicate in English. We Americans expect to be understood (and if we’re not, we speak louder), but it’s an arrogant assumption. I made the effort to use my VERY rudimentary German where appropriate. The people I spoke with were good-natured about it and helped me out, but my mastery of their language didn’t come close to their mastery of mine, and they tended to answer me in English. We spent some time with a couple from the Netherlands, and they had little trouble switching from English to German to Dutch.
And, speaking of languages, the primary language on the trip was English, but they repeated all announcements in German and French as well. They offered listening devices to anyone requesting them, and they had staff translating all the lectures as they were presented, which were transmitted to the deivces. What if one of the translators was unreliable? Sneaking coded information to some passengers?
Well, How About Them Apples?
In books, coincidences have to be dealt with very carefully. When we were seated at dinner the first night, the couple next to us spoke “American” and, of course, we asked where they were from. “Colorado.” Could I use that in a book? I’m not sure it would be believable, but they were from the Denver area, so about 2 hours from where I live.
Suckling pig, carving station MS Spitsbergen
Food
Food, of course, has infinite possibilities. Our ship served all meals buffet style, and there was an abundance of choices. How would characters react to seeing a suckling pig at the carving station? Or five varieties of herring? Three flavors of ice cream (plus toppings, of course).
People
Then there are the characters. There’s the one who makes sure she’s right next to the guide on tours, asking constant questions designed to show off her knowledge of any subject imaginable rather than care what the guide’s answers were. Or the two young couples on a ship filled with predominantly “mature” individuals.
Okay, I’ve droned on long enough. And, as a thank you for reading this far, here are a few pictures. I’ll have more as I work through them, but it’s been slow going. There have been computer issues, which I’m “solving” by getting a new PC, but that’s another whole set of complications.
If there’s interest in me sharing trip details, since our stops were at places far from what most of us probably think of as cruise destinations. Have you ever been to Lerwick, Elduvik, Akureyri, Tórshavn, or Bakkagerði?. Have you ever heard of them? Could you find them on a map? I couldn’t have. Let me know and I’ll follow up with a more “travelogue” style post or two.
Storefronts, Bergen, Norway
Bergen, Norway, waterfront
Signpost, top of Mount Fløyen, Bergen, Norway
Bakkagerði street
Puffin, Iceland
Would you feel guilty taking a pure vacation, TKZers? Any questions about the trip?
Available Now
Deadly Relations.
Nothing Ever Happens in Mapleton … Until it Does
Gordon Hepler, Mapleton, Colorado’s Police Chief, is called away from a quiet Sunday with his wife to an emergency situation at the home he’s planning to sell. A man has chained himself to the front porch, threatening to set off an explosive.
Terry Odell is an award-winning author of Mystery and Romantic Suspense, although she prefers to think of them all as “Mysteries with Relationships.”
I love the pictures, I just wish you had put where they were taken… and what that statue was. Thanks.
You’re right, I should have captioned them. There was someone setting up a photo shoot when we arrived at the statue (it was in Bergen, if that helps), so I didn’t want to interrupt to get specifics. I’ll try to go back through my files and add captions.
Glad you had a good trip (minus the baggage hassles). No, I honestly don’t feel guilty taking a vacation and not thinking about a story. And it’s inevitable, just as you describe above, that your mind begins to consider vacation experiences as fodder for future stories. 😎
Thanks for justifying my vacation!
I just don’t have the travel bug. I’m not dying to see various parts of the world. There are enough places to explore here in the good old US of A. My idea of a vacation is to go somewhere on the road with Mrs. B, and explore localities and eateries…
…and take research notes. 😎
I’m open for both, JSB.
Same! Hubby and I sold everything and bought a class A motor home. Been exploring this great country for the past year and a half.
We travel a lot, and the only writing thing I think about is taking pictures in case a future book is ever set in that place. I take notes about the location and the weather for the time of year. In South Africa, I found a place that would work for someone to steal a boat and escape down a river. It was behind a panel beater’s (auto body) shop.
We had a German foreign exchange student who told us she started learning English in 3rd grade and French in 5th. The languages were required for all students. My sister-in-law was born in Cape Town and grew up speaking Dutch, German, and English. She went to university in Germany, living with her aunt, and picked up French classes there. In Austria, a hotel owner (whose family acquired the property in 1943, and think of the story behind that!) told us everyone could speak English, they were just stubborn and didn’t want to. Fascinating world out there.
Thanks for sharing. Sadly, despite experience and good intentions, my notes became sketchier as the trip went on. Knowing it would be doubtful to set a book on any of the places we visited, I felt no guilt.
But I should have been more diligent about keywording my photos with names of where they were taken. The camera provides GPS coordinates, but I’m not about to be looking them up.
Great post, Terry. Very interesting, and beautiful pictures. I really enjoyed them.
I certainly would be interested in future posts with more descriptions and information on unusual places – travelogue-style posts.
I noticed you’re copyrighting your pictures. Is that a topic for a future post?
Thanks for sharing your story, and I would love to read more details. I bet, some of those experiences will be reworked and used in your writing. I hope the writing bug gives you the interest to get back into the WIP, and the computer issues get resolved quickly.
Thanks, Steve. There will be travelogue posts on my own blog, so if I don’t get to them here, you can follow me there.
As for the picture copyrights. Those are simply watermarks I include via my processing software. I don’t register them, but since I’ve created the works, they’re automatically protected by copyright. (I think.)
I’ve got the computer, and it’s running, but I haven’t been brave enough to initiate the migration software I downloaded. Lots of things to “prepare” before pushing the button.
Great photos, Terry. Gotta ask a dumb question–how do you insert your name and the copyright symbol on them?
The world is small. Running into someone who lives near you is pretty commonplace. Anymore, I wouldn’t consider that coincidence too much of a stretch in fiction.
B/c plane travel is miserable and arduous, as you described, I only fly when necessary. I appreciate the vicarious experiences you share b/c I won’t ever get there myself.
Glad you’re back.
I use part of the Adobe Creative Cloud software, which included Photoshop and Lightroom. Lightroom has the option to watermark photos. I don’t know how it does it, only how to set it up and which box to check when I export the pictures from Lightroom to my photography folders. I’m sure there are lots of other programs that let you do it.
Flying has become a challenge, but we’ve opted to fly business class if we’re going out of the country, so once you navigate the airports, etc., at least you’re more comfortable than back in the sardine seats.
Always happy to share; travel is one of our “do it before we can’t” objectives.
Beautiful pictures.
When I saw the statue my first thought was “Friday!!!!”
Welcome home, Terry. The pictures are beautiful. So glad you had the opportunity to travel there. I have so many questions: Were you inside the Arctic Circle? Did you see the Northern Lights? What was the temperature while you were there? Where did you stay? (Okay, I’ll stop now.)
Although we’ve had the good fortune to have traveled widely, I doubt we’ll do any more international visits. Maybe a trip to Canada to see the Calgary Stampede Rodeo.
However, every trip is an opportunity for new ideas. The boys in the basement are always at work even if I’m not.
No problem with questions, Kay.
1. We were WAY inside the Arctic Circle, and I have a certificate to prove it. Longyearbyen is at 78.2232° N, 15.6267° E. Also underwent the ship’s ceremony.
2. Northern Lights require it to be dark. We had maybe a couple of hours of semi-darkness, so no. The cruise company does Northern Lights routes, but at a different time of year.
3. Temperatures varied and a lot depended on where you were and what you were doing, and if there was wind. But they gave the temperatures in Celsius and the wind in meters per second, so I’m not sure. Layers were appropriate, and the ship gave everyone a windbreaker to keep.
4. Except for the first and last days, we stayed on the ship.
The rodeo sounds like fun, although I don’t think I could convince the Hubster it’s a destination he’d like.
Yes, I’ve heard of all those cities! But I read whatever translated Scandi noir I can find and watch Scandi crime dramas online when available. I recall one Danish series where the Danish secret service meet with Russian secret service agents. Everyone instantly switched to English. Likewise, when the Danish guys went to an African country investigating a crime against a Danish citizen, the French speaking local police officer conferred with the Danish officer in English. Sounds like your trip was tons of fun. There’s nothing wrong with taking a vacation no matter what your occupation. Loved the photos!
I remember the old Mission Impossible series where all the characters had to do was use and accent and we viewers were supposed to think they were speaking the language of wherever they were. In Croatia, they start teaching English by the second grade. Still, I’d love to be truly bilingual. Hope to test more of my German when we cruise the Danube in December.
Great post, Terry, and beautiful pictures!
I also don’t have the travel bug, but I don’t mind hearing about others’ adventures.
Glad you were able to take a “real” vacay, and glad you made it home.
🙂
Thanks, Deb. I never mind going places where people attend to all my needs. It’s coming home and having to fend for myself that gets tough. What do you mean, I have to plan and cook meals? And clean? And where’s the guy who puts chocolate on my pillow every night?
I’m trying to remember a vacation I’ve taken to a destination rather than just visiting family. And I came up blank. Lol wait! I took a cruise back in 2015 with family so that counts…except I had a deadline and spent a good amount of time working while on board.
Please do more posts and photos!
I remember going on a cruise for I think our 30th anniversary or thereabouts and it was the first real vacation for us that wasn’t tied to work or family. I’m making up for lost time.
Mostly my German I in mornings before school up picked. I would my friend meet, and with him his German vocabulary cards review. [My German instructor in grad school told me my pronunciation was excellent.] i had minimal occasions to use this. Once, in Austria, when the hotel elevator wasn’t working, I dipped into my limited vocabulary and told the manager, “Der Aufzug ist kaput!” They were very nice to me, but I suspect my last name had more to do with it than my German. In Stuttgart, while waiting for a streetcar, a German couple approached and asked me something, I know not what. “Ich spreche kein Deutsch,” I said. “Es tut mir leid.” Which is not quite the right way to put it, as well as self-contradictory. They had a good laugh.
Yes, I am working through Duolingo’s German lessons, and aside from the troublesome gender issues, I’ll get dinged for word order. I’m sure I’d be understood. Apparently my pronunciation is decent, because when I attempt something, I get answered in rapid-fire German, to which I say, Sprechen Sie langsam, bitte. I figure with that and “Wie viel kostet das?” I should get along okay.
Glad you had a wonderful trip! I know the feeling of being flooded with ideas while traveling. Such good fodder. I write romances set in state parks and so many ideas from my own visit to the park end up in each novel. I look forward to your future stories based on this trip!
Thanks, Katherine. We’ll see how much shows up.
This was lovely! Norway is such a magical place and I’m glad you had a good time. I love traveling, not just to explore new countries, but also to connect with people from different backgrounds. My mind opens up to new possibilities and I learn so many things about food, history, languages. As I’m writing this, I’m one month into my six-month European trip. (If you like, you can follow my journey on Instagram @oliviabarrywriter or substack.com/@oliviabarryauthor.com. Right now, I’m in Austria. It’s mesmerizing. In July, I’ll be in the UK (two writer’s retreats 😉) and Ireland. 💗
Amazing trip. Six months? Wow. A little long for me, but that could change. And thanks for the link. I’ll be in Austria as we cruise from Vienna to Nuremberg in December. We did a 50th anniversary trip to the British Isles right before the pandemic hit. Fantastic! And I love trying new foods.