Very late last night I came dragging in after a number of delightful hours squeezed into spaces barely fit for human habitation, much less flight. About the only good thing I can say for the experience is that Coke and peanuts are still complimentary and my car was still sitting unmolested in the airport parking lot. I guess after all these years the thrill of flying has worn off. On the other hand, my work in Idaho went very well and the scenery was a spectacular change from the Florida flatness.
The one day I reserved for touring around, I went to hiking through Craters of the Moon National Monument & Preserve, a location that reminded me very much of Kilauea Caldera in Hawaii, but much older. The lava flows, expansive plains, snow capped mountains, teeming rivers, and abundant wildlife all seemed to cry out that they had a story to tell. All I needed to do was listen and write it down. Maybe that’s why Ernest Hemingway moved to Idaho, the lure of the wilderness for the man’s man. Unfortunately, Ketchum, Idaho, is also where Hemingway invented the “Hemingway Solution“. If I ever have the good fortune to visit Idaho again, I will be sure to make the pilgrimage to Ketchum to visit Hemingway’s home and gravesite. His house isn’t open the public, but maybe I can get close enough to pick up the vibe from one of the world’s great authors.
Today I spent getting used to no longer living out of a suitcase. Tomorrow my wife returns from helping my daughter with our new granddaughter, Emma Rose. I’m looking forward to at least a few days of normal routine before travelling again. Also today, I received an email from Doug Lance that one of my longer short stories, “Grayson’s Mountain”, will appear in the November issue of eFiction Magazine. Be sure to check it out.
I also checked my Smashwords account and noticed that the file for Any Tomorrow: The Curse needed some minor format updates before it could be accepted for the Smashwords Premium Catalog. The Smashwords Premium Catalog distributes books to Sony, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple, Diesel, and Scrollmotion. Distribution to Amazon is coming. (Technical integration issues are being worked out.) After a few minutes work, I was able to resubmit the file, and it made it through the first round of checks. Hopefully it will soon be out in full distribution.
I love to travel, but it’s great to be back home.
How about you? If you’re a writer has travel affected your writing? How important is it to experience the locations you write about? If you’re a reader, how important is it that the details about locations match your experience with the location? Would a lack of detail or poor descriptions lessen your enjoyment of a novel?
Leave a comment or contact me via social media and let me know what’s on your mind.
© Copyright 2011 by Kevin Fraleigh.
