Now that I have completed – at least in a submission form – my latest novel and it’s off to my agent it’s time to that start the gears turning on the next one. That has got me thinking about the creative process and how vague ideas turn into prose.

Every artist has a different thing that primes the pump. For me on of my most valuable tools is a solo trip to a theme park.

Theme parks are not something most people engaging in alone. They are family affairs, days out with friends, or a way for couples to bond, but I discovered a few years ago that solo trips held a special interest for me.

I have been described by some people as a shy extrovert. It is true that forming an initial one on one conversation without someone I do not know is a challenging task, but once that bond is formed I’ll happily chat at length. I also need alone time to think to ponder and to let my idea bounce around in a random Brownian fashion. This alone time doesn’t mean there can be no people, just people I am not interacting with. In my life there are lots of people I care about and lots of people I will interact with if they are around. Since I have a day job and writing is not a full-time profession, I don’t have an empty house to wander through, a solo trip to a theme park perfectly fits my needs.

Theme parks engage me enough that I am distracted, but do not require focused attention, allowing my mind to make those wonderful unplanned connections. I can spend four or five hours enjoying myself and never say more to anyone than ‘I’ll have that hot dog.’

For the last few years, my go-to park has been Universal Studios Hollywood. The annual passes were affordable, had no blackout dates, and on Super Bowl Sunday the attended has been light and the freeways clear. This Sunday will be my last Super Bowl Sunday trip to Universal Studios Hollywood. Now that their newest attraction is about to go on-line, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter,’ they’ve dramatically raised their prices on the annual passes, introduced blackout dates, and in general driven me away.

I am going to investigate Knott’s Berry Farm as my go-to park of the future, but until then, this Sunday will be spent with the tourists and guides at Universal Studios Hollywood.