I wrote the first draft of Falling Uphill in Antigua, Guatemala. Often I took notes while atop the roof of my hotel below. Doesn’t this look like an author’s dream? I recommend all writers to get off their bum and go somewhere inspirational.
Below you can see my tiny, wooden writing desk. It was a little beat-up but high-quality, sturdy wood, no doubt handmade. It was something I imagine Hemingway would have worked at under a tent in the African savanna.
In the center and the right are stacks of journals and printouts of my emails. As I was traveling, I mailed my handwritten journals home. (Update: Surprisingly, they all made it; however, one was lost for over 10 years in my parent’s house. I recently found them and added a new chapter to the anniversary edition.) These unedited originals were about 300,000 words. On the left is a stack of reference books and inspirational reading.
Once or twice a week, as I wrote the book by hand, I would go to the internet cafe and type them into an email.
