I have learned that for me to be able
to write I need empty time and as few distractions as possible.
For many years I worked full time at the kind of demanding jobs that meant you were still checking your emails at nine at night. The only time I was able to write was during my annual leave. I had started a novel and on two occasions I treated myself to paid tutored retreats. The first was at the brilliant Arvon retreat at Totleigh Barton in Devon. www.arvon.org The second was at Moniak Mhor in Inverness-shire www.moniakmhor.org.uk
At both retreats you spend the morning with a tutor and with fellow hopeful writers talking about writing. The afternoon is yours to write or to walk. You meet again at dinner and can choose to read extracts of your work in progress, if you feel brave enough to do so. I did not!
Those two weeks were inspirational for me both because of the time I could spend working on my novel and discussing it with other writers. But as important I think was the fact that I had taken my writing seriously and had decided to invest in it.
For many years I worked full time at the kind of demanding jobs that meant you were still checking your emails at nine at night. The only time I was able to write was during my annual leave. I had started a novel and on two occasions I treated myself to paid tutored retreats. The first was at the brilliant Arvon retreat at Totleigh Barton in Devon. www.arvon.org The second was at Moniak Mhor in Inverness-shire www.moniakmhor.org.uk
At both retreats you spend the morning with a tutor and with fellow hopeful writers talking about writing. The afternoon is yours to write or to walk. You meet again at dinner and can choose to read extracts of your work in progress, if you feel brave enough to do so. I did not!
Those two weeks were inspirational for me both because of the time I could spend working on my novel and discussing it with other writers. But as important I think was the fact that I had taken my writing seriously and had decided to invest in it.
In May 2011 I was finally able to leave paid employment and to start
writing full time. It was a joy.
However I am still a great believer in retreats when you need to power through a difficult segment of a novel or get your first draft really moving along.
What I do now is go on my own DIY retreats. In the early stages of writing THE LIE OF YOU and AFTER THE STORM I rented a small apartment in the Grand at Folkestone. This is a hotel that has seen better days and which offers apartments rather than rooms to hire. It is very cheap to stay there in the winter months.
However I am still a great believer in retreats when you need to power through a difficult segment of a novel or get your first draft really moving along.
What I do now is go on my own DIY retreats. In the early stages of writing THE LIE OF YOU and AFTER THE STORM I rented a small apartment in the Grand at Folkestone. This is a hotel that has seen better days and which offers apartments rather than rooms to hire. It is very cheap to stay there in the winter months.
 |
| The Grand, Folkestone |
I always rent the same small apartment
which is under the dome of the Grand with views of the sea and seagulls from those oval windows. I have stayed there six times so far for up to two
weeks at a time. I have to be honest and say that at times it feels bleak and lonely. I am there to avoid distractions and I turn off social media. I have one friend living in Folkestone who I meet for
dinner when I am desperate for company. Otherwise there is a daily walk by the sea and the coastline there is stunning. I particularly love the walk from Folkestone to Hythe.
But precisely because of the isolation and the time to focus these retreats have always worked for me and the words do get written.
My novels are published by Head of Zeus.
Thank you— just about to embark on my first solo writing retreat and feel encouraged!
ReplyDeleteMy pleasure. I hope you have a very productive retreat. They certainly work for me.
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DeleteI also need utter peace and quiet when I write my blog posts. I tried for a while to write them (or at least start them) in the living room when my husband was watching TV, but I get easily distracted and it just didn't work for me. I cannot wait for Book 3 - I loved After the Storm and The Lie of You . Thanks so much for linking up to #TalkoftheTown.
ReplyDeleteHello Heidi. Great to hear from you and best of luck with the new project #TalkoftheTown.
DeleteAs a writer I have such respect for the work of book bloggers so a big thank you for all you do.
Hello Heidi. Great to hear from you and best of luck with the new project #TalkoftheTown.
DeleteAs a writer I have such respect for the work of book bloggers so a big thank you for all you do.
I'm quite fortunate in that I can zone out and focus entirely on what I'm doing no matter where I am. Although there is a minus to it too - I miss things when I'm in the zone :)
ReplyDeleteThank you for linking with #TalkoftheTown
You are lucky indeed Shaz to be able to do that. I can write in a cafe or a bar, and block out the chatter around me, but what I find difficult is when I am working at home and there so many potential distractions. That's where the retreat comes in.
DeleteGood luck with #TalkoftheTown