10 Writing At The Beach Essentials

I'd like to start off by saying none of the beaches I usually visit look anything like this. There are beautiful white sand beaches along the Atlantic shore of Nova Scotia, but I live closer to the Bay of Fundy shores, so I usually head out to one of those beaches. They are often rocky, surrounded by cliffs and caves, and their super high tides mean I have to pay close attention to what's going on so I don't get trapped when the tide comes in. Now that the weather is finally warming up, I'm looking forward to going to the beach to write. And by write, I really mean look for pretty rocks and sea glass.

And of course, while I try to pack light for my beach trips, mainly because I know I'll be lugging home plenty of rocks, there are several things I MUST have when I go "write" at the beach!

1. Sunscreen: I have the complexion of Casper the Friendly Ghost, so this is my number one must-have lol. If I forget the sunscreen, I look like an overripe tomato.

2. Sunglasses: So I don’t have to squint at the page. And everything else.

3. Notebook & Pretty Pens: I don’t want sand in my laptop. Plus, I have like, 8000 notebooks, so I should probably start using them. Okay, 8000 might be an exaggeration. Or it might not be…

4. Water: Gotta stay hydrated!

5. Iced Coffee in my Yeti: I know, Yeti cups are pretty expensive, but let me tell you, this sucker keeps my hot drinks hot and cold drinks cold for hours. I mean, in the winter, if I took hot lemon water to the barn in the morning, I still could barely drink it at lunchtime. And in the summer, my ice water still has ice in it four hours later. As for the coffee, usually I like it hot, but if I’m going to be soaking up the sun, it’s nice to have a cool drink.

6. Snacks: Honestly, I’d love chocolate snacks. But it’s not the best choice when it’s 25 degrees out (I’m in Canada, so that’s pretty hot). Fruit is refreshing and sort of fills the sweet craving. Sort of. I might risk the chocolate anyway. I mean, if I can bring a cooler for the fruit, I can put the chocolate in it. Right?

7. A Book: You know, for ‘research’. Oh, right, I’m supposed to be writing a book, not reading one. But, hey, you should be a reader if you're going to be a writer. How else can I learn what my readers love if I don't read it too?

8. Something to put rocks in: Pretty rocks. And shells. And beach glass. Which is another reason I leave the laptop home. So I don't have to carry it AND a bag of rocks.

9. Cute hat: Ok, cute hats don't actually exist for me. But I try to wear a hat of some sort so the top of my head doesn't sunburn & peel.

10. A cute bag: Gotta have a cute tote bag to lug everything around in!

Do you like to write (or read!) at the beach? Or do you have another special place you like to visit while you enjoy summer book time? I'd love to hear about it, and what your essentials are!

Feel free to comment below, or on my Facebook or Instagram page!