Refilling the Well ~ Lexa Fisher

Photo by Frederick Tubiermont on Unsplash

Creatives often feel negligent if they aren’t generating new ideas constantly, but there are times when the creative well needs to be refilled. On my staycation last month, I indulged in activities that took me away from my normal routine, though I still made sure I got in my daily writing time. 

Abandoned railroad track 

As I put the staycation days to good use, my first stop was visiting the actual town and surrounding area that my next story is based on. A hike along an old mining trail showed how rough life was back in the early 1900s. This old railroad track was abandoned shortly after it was built because winter snows repeatedly washed it out.

The heroine in my next story will be using a metal detector to uncover history. My love of tangible history led me to this hobby and it seems my husband was equally as intrigued when much to my delight he bought a metal detector. We visited and detected on beaches and parks I had never been to. 

Before we went in search of treasure, we found great pleasure in a new YouTube channel on metal detecting. As with any hobby, there is a lot to learn. We invested in a quality detector that will serve us for years. Lesson one: metal detectors are LOUD, so I was glad we purchased a model with wireless headphones.

There is quite an acquired skill to metal detecting with the many beeps and tones that one hears. Different pitches cue you into what type of metal you may be hovering over. One spot we dug had two coins nestled together, known as a "spill".

We also found a disturbing number of rusted nails on beaches, likely from burning wooden pallets for bonfires. It's hard to think of going barefoot along a beach again.

Over our week off we developed blisters from digging into cement-like, arid soil to uncover coins, cheap jewelry, but mostly beer bottle tops. 

 

It's said, write what you know, and now I know a lot more about metal detecting. Swinging the three-pound metal detector over the ground got tiring on my shoulder in about half an hour, so I gave my heroine a job that will give her better upper body strength.

The total find for our staycation week? $1.28 in change, lots of time together exploring in the fresh air, and plenty of story ideas sparked by expanded new experiences. 

Photo by frank mckenna on Unsplash