Writing Retreat

Hello. This is my first ever blog. And I thought I’d kick it off with another first in my life – my first ever solitary writing retreat.

Five days of uninterrupted writing in a cottage in Devon – alone.  Just me and my dog, Maggie, the mud monster.  Bliss, right? I thought so too. Read on to hear how it went.

Mud monster

Sunday 27 November, 2011

2.00 pm. Arrived, laden with laptop, note book, clothes (scruffy but one nice top in case I went out to pub), supplies (basic food that wouldn’t take long to cook and big jar of coffee) one dog (Maggie), one dog basket, books to read (in case I got fed up of writing), three competitions to judge (in case I got fed up of writing).

Discovered owners had left a bottle of wine to welcome me. How lovely. Discovered cottage had amazing view across a valley with a window seat so I could sit and dream. A log burner, a well equipped kitchen, central heating, internet access.  I was going to do without the internet access, I promise, I was, I was.

But as I was about to start a brand new novel – I thought I might need it for research. Yeah right!

3.00 pm.

Plugged in laptop – wrote first line of my novel. Scary stuff. I was slightly worried it wouldn’t work. I’d had this novel swimming in my head for a few months. Had not yet committed a single line to paper.  Very very Scary.

Evening.

Have written first chapter – not a very long chapter, mind, (1600 words) but I like it. I think! The acid test is tomorrow when I read back.