My latest article out from Matador Network: 7 incredible experiences in Montana’s Yellowstone Country.
There are so many winter experiences you can have in Yellowstone country, it was hard to narrow it down to just seven. I had a great time writing about the places I enjoy in this area. And researching this piece reminded me how many places I still have to hit.
I’m getting the feeling that this winter is going to be epic. Enjoy!
I’ve been taking a lot of time off from writing on my blog. A lot of time off from writing on my novel project. A lot of time off from fiction in general. I haven’t been taking a lot of time off. While on a short leave from fiction, I’ve been writing articles for the Matador Network, working with New England Mountain Bike Association and most importantly, in a transitionary sense, shooting some video.
What’s a novelist with no kids doing shooting video? Funny you should ask. It brings me to an admission. I don’t know what to do with my life. Just when I think I have myself nailed down, I do something that defies my conventions. I’ve done this plenty of times in the past, moving from fiction to travel writing (or photography) and back. I’m convinced I like adventure and the grass always looks greener on the other side. Well, I’ve strayed way to the other side this time.
Ever since I can remember, I’ve been a fan of documentaries. You get to watch a true story unfold in front of you. That love only compounded with the invention of The Travel Channel. I would search the cable listings to find shows like The Lonely Planet series with Ian and Justine or The World’s Most Dangerous Places with Robert Young Pelton. For an hour each afternoon I would be swept away to another world. I was addicted to travel and Ian and Justine were my dealers. (Pelton’s the kind of dealer that pushes you past the gateway drug into the more dangerous stuff…) But what these guys were peddling was the free sample. And for most viewers, that’s all they needed. I, however, need the real stuff. The stuff of adventure.
Enter my new HD camcorder. Armed with a new way to see and show the world around me, I’m hoping it will be the catalyst of a more significant change in my life. A change that will take me out into the world, rather than just watching it from the sidelines. I already have a few projects in mind and you can read about them here: Life’s Fast
I’ll still be writing fiction, but my tiny amount of free-time will be divided between passions (as it always has been.) In the end, I hope that this transition makes me a better, more dynamic writer of fiction with a fresh passion that only a little distance can provide.
