Writing From an Air Stream

Have you ever watched a dog circle around before settling down into their perfect place to lie? Sometimes I see Runner find his spot on the first round. Other times, it takes him a half dozen. And there have been times when I wondered if he’d ever find his perfect spot.

That’s the way I feel about writing.

While a writer’s tools can be whittled down to a sheet of paper and a writing instrument. Master pieces have been created from these simple tools. And when that wasn’t available, the author grabbed a chisel and a rock. I had the tools, but like Runner, I searched for that one spot – a chosen writing space. A space where I could focus, a space that would help keep me from delving into the endless rabbit holes. I have worked in an office environment since my early teens, and I know what it’s like to be chained to a desk. What I needed for a place that also inspired me. A spot that could shut out all the peripheral noise and distractions. I was looking for a spot that I could disappear in, a safe, creative space.

I romanticized Jack London’s portrayal of a small cabin in the North Country or pull a Hemingway and sneak into Cuba, hold up in a shack on the beach, and eat tuna and marlin. But in the end, I found a vintage Airstream, Excella 500 from 1976 and parked the 32-footer in front of my house.

Travel trailers were new to me; I’d never slept in one. One afternoon, I ran an extension cord out to the Airstream and then brought out a sleeping bag and book to get an idea of what it would be like to sleep in it. The next night, I brought out music and a tea kettle.

The next day, my neighbor asked, “Shelah, are you sleeping in the trailer?” I wasn’t yet sure what to answer, then I heard myself say, “Why, yes, I AM.”

And that was it, my mind was made up. I found a place to park it on an island a short distance away, then put everything I owned up for sale.

A friend told me that I would either love it or hate living a life of volunteering simplicity. I imagined that I would do a little of both.

That was fifteen years ago.

It has not been without its challenges, but I managed to write my first two books from The Boloney Trail Trilogy, along with a number of short stories.

WHAT I’M WORKING ON:

This week I am tearing apart the first half of Shattering Light, the third book in The Boloney Trail Trilogy. I don’t like the way it’s flowing. It’s an exceptionally hard piece to write. It’s intense, personal, and complicated. I’ll let you know how it goes.

No polish. Just shine.

May your next chapter come with fewer walls and more sky.

-shelah

Shelahajohnson.com