Walking to write
Let's begin with a gentle walk to see what we notice along the way
Walking
What did you miss most during the last two years of lockdowns and social distancing? I imagine your list is long and maybe you appreciate those people, places and experiences more now. I know I do.
As you might imagine, one of the things I missed was being able to get out into nature and take a longer walk than the 30-minute lockdown limit allowed. Sure, there are parks in London and I made the most of them. I still do. But I longed to stretch my legs on a muddy path rather than wear out the soles of my shoes on a mucky pavement. I also wanted to travel, have a holiday, see my friends and spend some time with my favourite dog who now lives in Spain. Lucky bugger.
So when I finally did get to Spain at the start of 2022 I made the most of it. I hiked along the coastal path between Sitges and Vilanova i la Geltrú:
Woofy and I walked up to the Montserrat National Park:
And I spent hours wandering around Sitges, taking in the architecture:
And with every step I felt energised, happy and more like myself than I had in years. One of the reasons for that is when I’m making a point of noticing things during a walk I can usually find something to write about. It could be something as simple as a street sign or the first blossoms in spring. There’s always a way to turn these things into a writing prompt. And hopefully you’ll begin to notice things on your walks and turn them into writing prompts, too.
So for our first walk together we’re going to start off gently by learning how to use our walks as a way of paying attention to the things we see along the way.
Choose a time and place that works best for you and go for a short walk. It doesn’t matter if your walk takes you along a city street during your lunch break, a local park or even your own garden or home. The location isn’t the point. It’s the noticing that counts.
If you’re not used to walking, or if you’re short on time, then 10 minutes is all you need. You might also want to put your phone on silent or do not disturb, so you can concentrate on your walk without texts, emails, calls or the latest TikTok fad to distract you.
Set off. Take your time and walk slowly. Look around as you go. What do you notice? Remember to look up and down, too – you never know what mysteries you might discover beneath your feet or above your head.
When something captures your attention – no matter how small – take a photo of it, or make a note in your notebook. Then give yourself a pat on the back for taking time out for yourself to try this.
Writing
Did you notice the photo at the top of this post with the weird hole in the background? It’s from a walk I took in the Garraf Natural Park above Sitges in Spain. When I was standing in front of it I could clearly see what it was. But when I looked at the photo later I realised it might not be so obvious and it could be many different things.
What do you think it is? Maybe it’s a window in an old house you’d like to renovate. Perhaps it’s a cave with a treasure hidden deep inside. Or it could be a brick oven. Hmmm, did someone say pizza?
Imagine something unexpected that you might find in there and which will make you smile. Then write for 5 minutes and see what you find. If you haven’t done much writing before, you could try jotting down one of these starter sentences and continuing from there:
When Bill inherited his grandfather’s house he hadn’t expected…
They’d walked 100 miles to find the famous…
Helga was known for three things: singing songs, making pizza and…
Happy walking and writing until next time.
Sarah
PS If you’d like to connect on Instagram you can do that by following The Writer’s Walk (this newsletter) and Tales From a Small Island (me).
Hej! I am a enthusiastic walker myself. My friend Nanette recommended this initiative of yours! Thumbs up!!