Unexpected writing lessons from ziplining in the Mexican jungle
The good thing about a great vacation is that you put everything aside and don’t think about much of anything. The bad thing about a great vacation is that it takes a while to find what you put aside.
In my case, it’s back to finding sizzling prose for my short eBook – in progress – on the topic of How to Write a Short Business eBook.
I’ve just returned from a week in Puerto Vallarta with my family (husband, three children, spouses and three grandbabies). It was lovely. Lovelier than expected, in fact. We all got along very nicely.
Two highlights: grilled fish for lunch at the Ocean Grill Restaurant, accessible only by boat. And ziplining* in the jungle 700 feet up.
Not as scary as you might think.
Our three young Mexican guides provided a steady stream of patter. Their silly, good-natured jokes filled in those millisecond gaps when you might balk at zipping off into thin air.
And yes, there’s a lesson in there when it comes to writing.
just.do.it.
Whatever you are working on, stop worrying and start writing. Let your preconceptions go. Don’t think about failure (aka “falling”). Don’t think about perfection (there is no “perfect form” on a zip line).
Keep it simple. Concentrate on getting from here (an idea, even if it’s ill-formed) to there (a sh*tty first draft)… just as you think only about zipping from one platform to another.
And enjoy the ride. You might be surprised how much fun it is to let go.
*We highly recommend Los Veranos Canopy Tour. They run a seamless operation: great guides, margaritas when you zip into the restaurant at the end, a tequila tasting and swimming in the nearby river.
Want to reinvent your life and work after age 60? Follow Sam and me as we reinvent a yin yang life on the coast of Maine and in Brooklyn.
