Tips for Writing While Traveling
I’ve been pseudo-bi-coastal living for the last two years and it’s fun at times and exhausting at others, but I’ve learned to make the best of my time in the sky. I spent one two and a half hour flight writing a 10 page script that got picked up for a competition a year later, so I’ve learned that the time I have there is rather valuable. Especially given it’s easy to find yourself bored and hard to become distracted.
Unless, of course, you’re like me and can’t get enough of the view when flying over snowy mountain tops.
One thing I do is set a goal for myself. I tend to fly between NYC and LA most often (about 3 times a year, which is a lot for a 6 hour flight that’s not work related) and having six hours of cramped legroom time can be a bit daunting. It’s helpful for me to be able to sit down, pull out my laptop, and say, “I’m going to write until I finish my coffee.” Or whatever beverage I have in my hand at the moment (I’m a multi-bevy girl).
Setting a short goal like that keeps me from throwing in the towel early on and leaning my seat back a whole two inches while I listen to the scratchy audio of whatever in-flight rom-com first appears on the screen before me.
It’s also something that helps me get going and usually I’ll continue writing for much longer past that, but the getting started is always the hardest part.
The other thing I do is, and this may sound a bit insane, book two seats. I know, I know, I’m crazy. But sometimes the upgraded seats with more room are the same price if not more expensive than the economy seat next to you. I like having my food and notebooks on one table/seat and using the second table for my laptop and work.
Sometimes, though, this isn’t quite feasible. And I feel bad about the prospect of taking a seat from someone who may need it. In those instances, I try to book flights that are during unusual times: midday, midweek, or redeyes. This seems to be when the least amount of people are traveling and I can often count on a free middle seat or, such as the case today, an entire row to myself.
And on cross-country flights, the space I’m afforded when this happens is invaluable.
The last thing I do is turn my phone off.
I know this sounds silly because it’s supposed to be off or on airplane mode, but this is dedicated me time. I don’t need to be thinking about the notifications that aren’t coming in because I haven’t purchased wifi.
If I decide to film content for TikTok or YouTube, I can do that later. It also often drains my phone battery quite quick when I’m filming the entire flight. Turning it off just saves me from having to deal with that.
~Layli
