Ten top tips: Write away
Be creatively inspired on your summer holiday, with advice from Liz Gregory
It’s that time of year again, when our thoughts turn to those precious couple of weeks where – if we’re lucky – we get to relax and unwind on our summer holiday. Here are a few ideas for taking inspiration from the change of scenery to give your writing a kick start as well as your batteries…
1 Use it as the basis for a personal memoir piece
This type of autobiographical writing has been very popular in recent years, particularly if it’s likely to strike a chord with readers who have similar recollections themselves – hence the success of Emma Kennedy’s The Tent, The Bucket, and Me, in which she recounts her memories of camping holidays in Britain in the 1970s. There are a number of similar books that have done well recently, and a thriving market for this kind of piece in weekly and monthly publications – try Best of British, for example, which welcomes contributions with a nostalgic tone.
2 Write a guide to the area
Many of us like to return to the same place every year for our summer holiday, enjoying the sense of familiarity it brings and the opportunity to revisit favourite locations. If this applies to you, consider sharing your knowledge and expertise of the area with others, particularly if you can bring a new angle to a popular holiday destination. Those visiting for the first time may well appreciate an insider guide to the best places to eat, the unmissable attractions and the most convenient places to stay; even better, of course, if you actually live in a popular tourist spot and can share some genuine local knowledge.