Thursday, June 2, 2011

Travel in Writing

Traveling long distances always gives one a good look a perspective, I think. Especially when it comes to writing.

Normally, when I sit down to write or type, and I say that the characters leave one town to get to another city, it doesn't seem to take them no longer than an hour, but it isn't always like that. Major cities are often far apart. Today I drove into a city in PA and then all the way down to NJ. It took a ridiculous amount of time, the ride, I mean. The drive was only about an hour or so, traffic wasn't horrible, but the actual car ride, felt like it took longer.

Traveling can be a strain, and while one might not always want to focus on that strain at the exact moment it is taking place in their story, it is a good idea to take into thought that the characters will be exhausted from their travels. They can't go from one place to another in an hour and then be whooping butt or saving damsels in distress. I mean, maybe they can. Maybe they had "Red Bull", or "5Hour Energy" drinks, or something, but most often, wouldn't they be just a tad tired? Wouldn't they like to take a short rest. If not a short rest, if they are instantly attacked upon arrival, are they still up to par? Or, is their "A-game" digressing a bit? It's just something to keep in mind, hm?

1 comment:

  1. A very good thought. What about Lord of the Rings? Sure, they ran like crazy, but they were half-dead most of the time. :)

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