BEHIND THE SCENES: How I write in the mountains of Colorado

Some writers like to set a specific place and time to write: where they go and when they write, and outside of that time and place, they are done with writing. I’m the opposite—I like to change up where and when I write. True, I do have a place that I often write when I am staying aboard my yacht, but I travel half the time and enjoy finding new spots.

I find that environment makes a difference. It enthuses me, of course—new surroundings, people, atmosphere. But sometimes I need quiet and solicitude. Sometimes for initial drafting of difficult passages; sometimes for editing particularly tricky sections.

A while back, I had the opportunity to write at a cabin in Breckinridge, Colorado. It was such a different experience than most of the places I work: Southern California coast, desert resorts, or downtown big cities in California, Arizona, or Texas. A friend had the cabin for a few days, owned by his boss. Breckinridge isa wonderful town, and we had fun exploring the bars and pubs when I was not working. Great people, food, and, of course, incredible views.

For this trip, I took only my iPad Pro. Since I was only drafting and editing, I wanted to test if it was efficient and comfortable. It was. The small screen is so clear that it was no problem reading and editing. Ulysses app works wonderfully on the iPad. I even jotted down some ideas on my iPhone version of Ulysses while we were eating at the Salt Creek Restaurant and Saloon, which had a great bar on the top floor and roof.

I was working on two projects—a second collection of short stories, and a historical fiction novel based in the deserts of California 1920-1955. Follow this blog or join my newsletter (and get some free short stories) to stay up to date. If you want more access to early drafts, discounts, and more about my writing and travels, become a patron of Team Markus.

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