Oh the Places You’ll Go!
By Sophia Rose
To (mis)quote Dr. Seuss, Oh the Places You’ll Go when you engage in the art of story writing.
In actuality, I’ve barely dipped my adventurous toe outside the continental US though I’ve been to many fabulous places right here in my own backyard. I know this because I have encountered foreign tourists who tell me so when we are both amused that an American is touring America. But… back to my point. I’m not a world-class traveler and I probably never will be. However, I’m moderately content with that because I have another way of seeing the world (and no, it doesn’t involve heading to the recruiter’s office to sign up for the Navy).
See, this is where writing stories expanded my horizons. In ‘Second Chance at Sunset Beach’ part of the SunKissed: Effusions of Summer Anthology, the story takes place in a fictitious small coastal town near San Diego, California. Though, I have never been to that part of California (I grew up seeing the NoCal coast line above San Francisco), I was able to ‘visit’ for my research on-line and watch travelogues. I saw a beautiful beach town picture that sadly wasn’t labeled and then a perfect beach pier for my needs. I lusted over several beach scene pictures and imagined myself enjoying the sand, surf, and sun with my beach chair, a little picnic and my book after I had already enjoyed wading out for a swim and exploring along the beach. Oh, was I supposed to be working on a story? Haha!
I’ve also traveled to space, to Devon, to France, to the past, to an alternate Earth world, to the Mediterranean, to the jungle, to the desert, and under the sea, all courtesy of my vivid imagination.
And as a reader? Whew boy, yeah, I’ve punched my passport all over the world and the universe. Just as one can go to all sorts of places as a writer, this is true of a reader, too.
Back to you, is there a place you have traveled through a book that you now would love to see? Or maybe you took a trip based solely on a place you read about?
Social Media Links:
Facebook | GoodReads | Twitter | Associate Reviewer for Delighted Reader blog
Abigail
Hogwarts! Medieval Constantinople. Regency London, of course.
I had the good fortune this past May to travel to the setting for my next novel—in the present day, of course, while the novel is set in the year 1800. A beautiful corner of Surrey. But many things there remain unchanged, and the visit certainly got the creative juices flowing! Where are you heading for your next story—or would that be giving too much away?
Christina Boyd
Scotland–because of Outlander series. England–because of JANE Austen and JAFF.
Yea, those are my book fantasy trips.
Sophia Rose
@Abigail- Most definitely on those place. I’ll have to look up pictures of Surrey to see where you went. Oh and no secret about my next book. I was taken with small town America when I went on my road trip earlier this summer. I want to write a story in that setting.
@Christina- Those places for the same reason. 😉 I remember wanting to go to Prince Edward Island after reading LM Montgomery’s books and now my list of dream traveling is soooo much longer.