How to Stay Productive as a Travel Writer

Lexa Pennington's picture
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If you’re a writer, then you already know what a fantastic source of inspiration traveling is. However, it can also be pretty challenging because you’re constantly on the go, you need to manage different schedules, and your access to resources can be limited.

How to Stay Productive as a Travel Writer

Staying productive while being on the road is not easy at all, and for educators and just professionals in general that rely on writing as part of their work, it can be closer to a nightmare than to a vacation. Luckily, we have writing software to make our lives easier. These tools can help organize research, capture ideas, and keep writing projects on track, no matter where the journey takes you. 

Here's how travel writers can use these tools to stay productive and focused so that their writing doesn’t take a back seat to their adventures.

Choosing the Right Writing Software

Staying productive while traveling is all about choosing the right software, or actually, the best book writing software, because you don’t want to waste your time on something subpar. This type of software should offer features that make it easy to work from anywhere. 

Cloud syncing is a must because, with it, you’ll be able to access your projects from any device, from smartphone to laptop. Tools like Scrivener and Google Docs make this simple because they let you pick up right where you left off. 

According to a report by TechJury, 85% of businesses already have cloud technology to increase efficiency. This data shows how mandatory cloud-based writing tools have become for writers who work remotely or on the go.

Offline features are important, too, because there’s no guarantee you’ll always have a stable connection to the Internet. Scrivener, for instance, has an offline mode that lets you keep working without having to worry about losing progress. Good writing software also organizes your projects; it lets you store notes, outlines, and drafts all in one place. 

This makes it easy to go from section to section during travel.

A FlexJobs survey has shown that 65% of remote workers reported being more productive in a flexible/remote work environment compared to the traditional office setting.

Organizing Research, Notes, and Ideas on the Go: 3 Tips

To keep your writing on track, you need to stay organized even if you’re traveling. Here’s how writing software can help with this. 

1. Managing Research Materials
Writers usually do quite a bit of research, and they gather articles, images, and links during that time. All of these materials need to be easily accessible during the writing process; otherwise, you’re wasting a lot of time on trying to find it. Software like Evernote and Scrivener will allow you to store all this research directly into your project. 

For example, you can attach research articles and images to specific sections of your draft and make referencing a whole lot simpler. Cloud-based tools make it possible for you to access your research from any device, whether you’re on a plane, a hotel room, or in a café. 

2. Organizing Ideas
This is extremely important for writers, and tools like MindMeister and XMind can help you visually map out your thoughts, even when you’re traveling. You can brainstorm ideas for a new chapter or outline an article on the go. 

This way, it’s easier to see how your ideas connect. Software like Ulysses and Scrivener allows you to add notes directly into the draft and make your workflow smoother. If you have spontaneous thoughts or observations during traveling, you can just put them in without switching between a bunch of apps. 

3. Keeping a Travel Journal
Another thing that writing software is excellent for is keeping a travel journal so you can document your experiences as they happen. 

Ulysses, for instance, has flexible formatting options, and you can use it to combine text with pictures to create a rich travel journal. What better way to capture what you experience each day? And you never know; this might be an inspiration for future stories, articles, or books. 

Staying Efficient and Focused

This can be tricky, but it doesn’t have to be because you can use writing software to stay productive. With these tools, you stay on course even in the busiest of environments. You can set realistic writing goals, track your progress, break big projects into smaller parts, and keep the momentum going without feeling suffocated by all the things you need to do.

Also, you’ll find that some tools have distraction-free modes, which make it even easier to stay focused only on what you’re writing and not on the noise and interruptions that come with travel.

Data from Gloria Mark's research (at the University of California) suggests that it takes approximately 23 minutes to refocus after a distraction.

The right tools can be a game-changer and help you make the most out of your limited writing time on the road. 

We’ve made traveling seem almost chaotic, but if you’re trying to work and travel at the same time, that’s how it can be. With the right tools, though, traveling doesn’t have to slow you down. 

You can stay organized, focused, and even prepare some ideas for future projects. Instead of struggling to keep up with your goals, you can make your time on the go productive and turn each trip into a chance to keep your writing moving forward.