At my book events, many people tell me they’d like to write.  Some want formal publication in print or an ebook.  Many others simply want to record their stories and ideas.  They all ask me: how can I be a better writer?

There are hundreds of books, classes, editors, and advice blogs to help them; I don’t want to repeat it all.  But I have an additional idea.  My advice can also be fun.  Here it is: travel as much as you can to as many places as you can reach.

Why?

1.  One of the purposes of writing (fiction or non-fiction) is to present the world to readers in a new and exciting way.  That’s tough.  But if you travel—even to Iowa—you will experience different things from you “normal” life.  That’s helpful to a writer because it forces your brain into different patterns.  Different ways of seeing the world.  Hopefully, this shake-up will give you a new perspective that you can bring to your writing.
2. Most of us tend to do the same things every day and meet with the same people every day—which is great to some extent.  But for a writer, it’s necessary to break-out of these patterns to see new things and meet new people.  It can provide the basis for new characters, for instance, that you never knew existed.
3. It’s fun.  Sometimes, writing can be a lonely and difficult process.  It’s important to step back, close your laptop, and have fun.  The refreshing change will give you the energy to go back to writing—with a fresh perspective and new ideas.
4. Travel can provide a new and exotic location for your stories.  Here’s my own example.   In 2013 I traveled to Myanmar in SE Asia.  It’s a country that’s been closed to the outside world by a brutal dictatorship for over 50 years.  It recently opened to tourism.  Visiting there was like going back in time.  I knew readers would be fascinated.  From that trip, I wrote my fifth book, Up Like Thunder.  It’s a mystery set in an exotic place.  http://www.amazon.com/Up-Like-Thunder-Pete-Chandler-ebook/dp/B00YCKQT7M/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1459458057&sr=1-1&keywords=up+like+thunder

You don’t have to go half-way around the world to find a location.  But the opportunity to travel anywhere will change you as a person—if you keep your eyes and ears open—and make you a better writer.  Good luck and have a great time!