Location and inspiration on a budget, Sarah Jane Dobbs

We can all get a bit bored of the desk. Part of a writer's life is about obstinate perseverance, but there are some days when the same four walls, however nice you've made them, just don't cut it. I always say to students that a big part of writing is being business-like and treating it like a job. Put the hours in. But I like breaking rules, just not too much.

Experience, as much as imagination, can be really useful. I've started to treat every trip as something that will be subconsciously useful in my work. Everywhere you go is a minefield of potential stories. Last year I went to Betwys-y-coed, which gave rise to a story about family and nostalgia.

I've started to notice, as simple as it might sound, that replacing the everyday with something a little unfamiliar can access certain triggers. The cottage we stayed at reminded me of childhood and simpler things, and the ripples created from the pollution of such idyllic times.

Inspiration doesn't have to be expensive either. This year I've booked a flight to Oslo for the grand total of £40.What potential stories, myths and sensations, are waiting out there?

If you don't want to pay anything, visit a gallery. Tracy Chevalier, in an interview with Ted Talks, discusses how she gets ideas. She thinks about how the artist met the sitter. What relationship did they have? What inside information might the artist have gained that didn't make it into the history books? Try it when you next visit a gallery or a town you've never been. Or even one you have been to. Take pictures of something that interests you. They don't have to be artistic or any 'good'.

Below is a picture I took on my phone in Portmeirion – it's £5 per ticket if you go after 3.30. You can get down to the traeth (the beach) off the coastal or forest walk and often there's not another soul in sight. Just stretches of beautiful water and clean sand. There's also a micro-climate, which means the plants on display are really varied, even in winter. I have a feeling that this picture, and that experience, will transform into something that gets written down in the future.

If you want to 'go somewhere' completely free, pick a spot in the world you've never been and just write. You'll be forced to do the research, or extend your imagination at least. I'd always been fascinated by Japan and decided to set a novel there. Four years later, Killing Daniel was accepted by Unthank. It will be published on 5 November. I think you have to write about something, or somewhere, that fascinates you. The old adage about writing what you know is, perhaps, a rule that needs to be broken. At least every now and then.

Links:

Killing Daniel 

Ted Talks 

Portmeirion 

Your local library 

Sarah is a regular contributor on The Unofficial Blog for Brit Writers and Writers Everywhere!