Follower Suggestion #1: Writing After a Move
- Annie Mishler
- Oct 10, 2023
- 2 min read
Prompt Given by @lowlyred on Instagram
I have never felt so inspired by my environment. That has been the greatest influence moving to Washington has had on my writing. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve worked on non-fiction projects that depict the world I grew up in. I am still undoubtedly amazed by the charm the Midwest carries. Most wouldn’t imagine farmland and crops when they think of beauty within nature. However, nothing will take my breath away quite like driving through Clay City in late July, when corn is growing green against a backdrop of sky bright enough to burn. I will always cherish that land.
Washington is simply different. It’s impossible to compare the two states in terms of beauty. But I tend to seek out the color green, and Washington is ripe with life no matter the season. That’s what pulled me here. I love how the trees tower, how the roads wind enough to make you dizzy. I love catching a glimpse of Mount Reiner, a shadow among clouds. I never thought I could write a fictional story based on a town I live in; however, Washington has challenged that. This is a state that makes me yearn for exploration. This has been the greatest impact moving has had on my writing. Finding the right ambiance can mean the world when making art.
Back in Indiana, I was holed up in an apartment that left no room to breathe. In Muncie, there was just concrete, concrete, and more concrete. Ball State's campus was beautiful, but only in spring, and that was just too short of time for me. Here in Washington, my window faces a towering sumac tree. Its leaves are flaming red against frequent misting rain. I am settled in a place that matches my definition of beauty perfectly.
In terms of method, I wouldn’t say moving has influenced that apart from making it difficult to find the time and rhythm. But that’s mostly sourced from working full-time and having an actual commute. I’m not used to being so busy, and in truth, I despise it. Unfortunately, that’s the way life has been built for us. I just have to adapt the best I can. To do so, I am focusing on smaller projects to send to journals, putting longer works on the backburner in the meantime. I’m working on a short story—perhaps several—that take place here. I can’t say for certain yet whether Washington is a permanent home for me. It’s too early to speak with such confidence. But I am eager to soak up this part of the world and drain every ounce of inspiration the environment has to offer.
If you have a topic you would like me to cover on The Empty Pen, leave your suggestions in the pinned post on my instagram, @a.e.mishler_writer.
Comments