The Great Outdoors

Take a walk. Or a hike. Go on a run, or drive to a favorite spot and take in the colors, shapes and motion all around you. A Pantone chart is alight in the leaves at this time of year. Some are the red of apples, cherries and blood; others the orange of cheddar cheese and sweet peppers; and still others the yellow of lemon and pear. Swaying in the breeze and cascading to the ground, the autumn leaves never fail to inspire me.

I’m always happy when I take the advice to go outside. Being in nature helps me sort out character questions, identify fresh approaches to story issues and find better ways to structure plot details. Pulling myself away from the laptop screen and immersing myself in the colors and sounds of the outside world clears my mind, allowing new connections to form in my brain.

Best of all, going outside is easy (and free!). No matter the season, there are endless things to notice outdoors. The shape of a leaf, the way a squirrel scampers across the grass, the grace of a sturdy hawk swooping through the trees, the curve of a branch against the sky. There is some piece of wisdom or story epiphany waiting to be found when you venture outdoors.

What are you waiting for? Lace up those sneakers and head outside!

Thanks to Mother Nature for this dose of inspiration.