Can I write sunscreen off my taxes?

The perks of this job are many, and today, I got to exploit one of my favorite ones: Portability. I can take my work to malls, restaurants, airports, beaches, my back porch, parks, even the emergency room. I've written in every one of those places. For whatever reason, when my writing is stuck, a change of scenery is about as effective as listening to L490*. Maybe it just gets the juices flowing. Hell if I know. But damn if it doesn't work.

Since Eddie hitched a ride to work today, I was left unsupervised with a story that wasn't moving, a set of car keys, and some serious wanderlust. What to do, what to do.

Naturally, I grabbed my iPod, my notebook, a couple of pens, and took off, destination God knows where.

I went north on a whim and a highway with which I'm fairly familiar. I visited Cape Mazamo for a little while, then decided to do some exploring. I found a random side road, turned, and let the pavement take me where it would. Of course, all roads on Okinawa lead to sugarcane fields, tiny villages...and beaches.

Secluded, deserted beaches.

Beaches without a single fucking soul in sight.

Now, my loyal blog minions. You tell me. How can one not feel inspired while working with a view like this?
Well, okay, I did get distracted a few times by all the crabs zooming around on the beach, but I still managed to get some writing done here. I think I spent an hour or so there, sitting on the concrete tiers in the shade of a pair of banyan trees. Not only that, I worked out the plot issues with NSFW, and now I just need to go in and tweak the outline a bit. The dynamic between my main characters is a bit more complex than usual, and getting it right is taking some doing. However, like most people, they do like going to the beach. So, if I take them to the beach, they tend to start talking.

What? WHAT??

Anyway, just driving around also helps. Driving has always been something that gets the gears turning in mah brainz, and today was no exception. There's just something about being out on the road, alone with my thoughts and some music (an iPod full of Erasure, since you asked), plus a few stops at the beach and Cape Mazamo. I must have put nearly 100 kilometers on the car today.

Also, I realized something about myself today. Now that I have, on multiple occasions, gone to a beach for the express purpose of working, I do believe I have achieved full workaholic nirvana.

Ohmmmmm, bitchez.

* For those not familiar, L490 is an instrumental piece on This is War, and is like WD-40 for my brain. Play it once, and my mind starts working again. Hell if I know why. Gift horse, mouth, etc.