On a Train to Somewhere

I need quiet to write. It’s hard for me to write in places that are bustling with people, like coffee shops, and I can’t even write in my own home if one of my kids is awake and wandering about. I definitely can’t write with music on, especially when I’m writing about music, which I’m doing a lot of these days.

But at the same time, I can’t write in silence. I need at least a little something going on – it’s strange, but having something to tune out actually helps me concentrate better.

I like something like the gentle hum of a fan, or perhaps birds chirping away outside my door on spring mornings. I like the sound of the kettle boiling or a fireplace crackling.

Recently I wanted to put something on the TV while writing, even though I knew it was absolutely not the productive choice. Where was I going to find a peaceful background video that ideally went on for hours?

Like-minded people, I give you the Norway Train Video. It is 10 hours of real-time footage filmed from the front of a train as it travels across Norway in wintertime. It is the most perfect writing tool I have ever discovered. It’s so cozy and so gentle and so calming. My TV is huge and I can almost believe, while watching it, that I actually am on a train in Norway. No obligations, nothing to do but relax and let someone else drive, let your mind get dreamy, let your fingers type away and capture those dreams.

You probably don’t want to know how many times I have watched this video. It’s a common source of gentle mockery from my TikTok loving kids. But honestly, the makers of this video should be thanked in the acknowledgements of everything I’ve ever written.

Do you have a favourite slow-watch video to recommend for my next writing session?

If you queue this up, don’t panic, it’s not frozen – it just takes several minutes for the train to leave the station. There’s no rush; we’ve got time.

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