Got the travel bug? Check out this guest post by author David Gaughran:
My South American historical adventure A Storm Hits Valparaiso took me over five years to write. I’m not really that slow, but part of the reason it took so long is that I wrote the book while traveling around the world: Mexico, South America, Eastern Europe, India, and South-East Asia.
Right now, my writing desk is my kitchen table here in Sweden. It’s a nice, bright space, with a big window looking out onto the garden – where deer occasionally pass through – plus the fridge is two steps from my chair. But it’s also in the middle of the house, meaning that everyone walks through when they are coming or going, or when they want a sandwich, a glass of water, or just to annoy me. I often look out that window and fantasize about a room with a door I can lock. Okay, that’s not very ambitious but, after a while, you appreciate the simple things. And that’s especially true when you are writing a book while backpacking around the world!
Jericoacoara, Brazil
Just getting to this beach town is an adventure. I had to fly from Dublin to London, to Sao Paolo, to Rio de Janeiro, to Salvador, to Natal, and finally to Fortaleza. Then a six hour coach ride, before transferring to a dune buggy for the final hour. That’s right, a dune buggy. Jericoacoara has no cars. It doesn’t even have streets! It’s cut off from the rest of Brazil by a shifting sand dune desert. They only got electricity and phone lines a few years back, and the only internet connection is a spotty satellite hook-up. In short, perfect for writing. Oh, and that big sand dune you see is moving. Not too fast, mind, you wouldn’t notice it while you were looking at it. But it’s slowly encroaching on the town, and eventually will swallow it up. In fact, they already had to move the town once – the old town is buried underneath. Spooky.
(Photo courtesy of Wikimedia)
Plaza Garibaldi, Mexico City
If you want to write well, one of the key things you must learn (aside from reading and writing lots) is to become a keen observer of people. Watch how they interact. Listen to how they speak. It also helps if the people are doing something interesting. Plaza Garibaldi, in the center of the sprawling metropolis of Mexico City has some of the craziest characters on the planet, and it’s where lovelorn Mexicans come to indulge in some consolatory drinking, before hiring a mariachi band to serenade their intended under her balcony, in the middle of the night. Hey, it beats texting.
Koh Tao, Thailand
This island is about nine hours from the Thai mainland by overnight ferry. It doesn’t see as much tourism as the other, more famous, islands nearby, and is all the more appealing for it. The beaches are unspoiled, the locals are unbelievably friendly, and it never gets too crowded. Plus, if you ever need a little more action to get those creative juices flowing, Ko Pha Ngan (home of the famous Full Moon Party) is only a speedboat ride away. That’s right: a speedboat to a party. That’s how I roll.
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Argentina’s capital is like Paris and New York rolled into one, with a Latin beat, better weather, more beautiful people, and cheaper, well, everything (which can lead to some interesting souvenir choices). It also has some of the best beef and red wine in the world, at prices that allow you to treat yourself every single day. It’s not just a great place to be a writer; it’s a great place simply to be. I spent three months living there. It was awesome. I had a purple velvet couch. Nothing more needs to be said.
Palolem, Goa
Writing is no easy path to riches, and, if you’re fond of travel and adventure, all this moving around is going to put a serious dent in your pocket. Experienced literary vagabonds know when it’s time to park somewhere cheap, and get some serious writing done. And it doesn’t get much cheaper than India. Palolem is a perfect beach. It’s in the south of Goa away from all the package holidays and crazy dance parties – which you would be wise to steer clear of if you want to get any work done. It’s a quiet spot, and the only real danger to the prolific writer is the soporific effect of the mountainous plates of scrumptious Indian food served all along the beach. You’ll spend a lot of time snoozing, but hey, it keeps you young.
Check out David Gaughran’s South American historical adventure A Storm Hits Valparaiso
Catalina Flores de la Peña’s tongue got her in more trouble than any other part of her body, even though there were far more likely candidates. But when a storm rolls into her sleepy port town, she finds herself embroiled with a gang of adventurers, mercenaries, and prostitutes on a journey to free South America from the Spanish Empire.
A Storm Hits Valparaíso is an epic, historical adventure starring two brothers torn apart by love; a slave running for his life; a disgraced British sailor seeking redemption; and José de San Martín, an Argentine general who deserts the Spanish Army to lead a bloody revolt against his former masters.