Writing About Scotland

Time to Leave Edinburgh

 

 

As we sat at "our pub" in Edinburgh one last time, we discussed what the favorite part of the trip had been for each of us, and while the trip had been to Scotland, it was the side trip to Northern Ireland for a day that seemed to most entice the others. I said Edinburgh, playing darts and hanging out with family and locals, but as Julie pointed out to my sister upon our return, "I think Wes enjoys writing about the travel better than the actual travel."

Based on the amount I wrote about the trip, and all the sidetrips I took into history while writing it, perhaps she has something.

Here are links to my posts about our trip:

Adam Smith's Edinburgh

Scotland's Cuisine

Edinburgh

Sir Walter Scott Monument In Edinburgh

The Downside of Packing Light

You Take the High Road, and I'll Take the Low Road...

Houses of the Holy

Northern Ireland Featuring Dunluce

Sea to Ayr to Highlands

Dunvegan Castle On the Isle of Skye

Isle of Skye and Its Sheep

The Loch Ness Monster

Bendarroch and Aberfeldy

In looking back over those blogs, I realize that somehow delving into whatever history I found interesting at the time, it all came together to give an overview of the history of Scotland, which I didn't realize I was writing at the time. 

A logical approach to writing includes a thorough outline, but from the first time I received a creative writing assignment in elementary school, I would always simply begin writing. By the end, I might need to go back and revise it all, having found that my initial opening no longer made sense based on what I had learned about my characters or the subject as it materialized on the page, but I found that a better approach than following an outline.

While this totally illogical approach makes no sense to most people, I heard a quote from the late, great Sydney Sheldon that he couldn't wait to sit down to write the next chapter of a book, because he wanted to know what happened next.

That was the first time I ever heard of anyone who thought about writing the same way I did. If it's fiction, the characters take me where they want to go and the plots twist unexpectedly from any pre-conceived notion I might have had.

The same was true when I wrote essays about non-fiction in high school and beyond, primarily because I rarely read anything about the subject before starting the assignment. The teacher would make an assignment, and I would find a book on the subject and try to find something interesting. I would then follow up on that interesting point rather than continuing in a linear path. Granted, I had a general idea of what points the teacher expected to be included by the end, because in elementary school my mom had sat down with me and a couple of encyclopedias to help me follow it all in a logical manner, as the academics who wrote the articles found relevant.

Why do I bring all of this up? Mainly because it was on my mind this morning, and I may delete it all, since it truly is far off topic, but in thinking back on our trip, I doubt anyone, including the three family members with whom I shared the car, would have come up with the exact same interpretation of events or selection of tangents to follow.  That's the beauty of travel, and I hope I conveyed that only through experiencing life for yourself will you find your own existential truths.

The Beach I Often Ignored to Write

Julie's insight that I enjoy writing about travel more than travel itself probably is a bit of an exaggeration, but I do find it more relaxing to sit down to complete something on my mind than to "relax" at the beach leaving it undone. I'm not a big person for schedules in general, preferring instead to take care of something as soon as I know it must be done. As illogical as it may be, writing a travel blog that is only read by a handful of people on a good day is nonetheless compelling for me.

Trying to find the exact Sydney Sheldon quote I paraphrased above, I came upon this quote: "I have worked 7 days a week as long as I can remember. A business manager of mine gave me $25 worth of tennis lessons. I went down to my tennis court and we played once a week. I really enjoyed it. Playing with the pro one day, my teacher said to me that the money had been spent and did I want to continue. I started to say yes, then I realized that I didn't want to be out on the tennis court. I wanted to be in my office writing. That was 25 years ago and I haven't been on my tennis court since."

I'm not quite that driven, which in addition to talent is one reason why I'm an unpaid writer while Sheldon sold over 300 million copies of his mysteries and created some of my favorite TV shows including fun mystery "Hart to Hart" and the goofy "I Dream of Jeanie." I can't say I've read all of his books, but the ones I did read were page turners. He also won Oscar, Tony and Edgar Awards, so it isn't just me who has enjoyed his work.

However, it is comforting to know that I'm not totally insane. Just a little crazy.

If you're wondering, Sydney Sheldon wasn't Scottish.

And lest I leave you with the impression that I am more dedicated to writing than I truly am, I should say that I also found time to cook some meals, work on the travel business, go places like Getty Villa, listen to live music or dine at assorted venues, walk tons of places and also, I admit, just goof off by the beach or pool quite a bit.