Monday, October 8, 2012

A Writer's Retreat

A couple of the authors on various blogs I follow have gone on writing retreats lately. I read their updates eagerly and poured through their retreat photos, insanely jealous. Having time to just get a change of scenery and just focus on the writing sounds heavenly!

I've been thinking about where I'd love to go for a writing retreat and there are a number of places that come to mind.

The first is Alaska. Something about Alaska to me just sounds so magical! Sure it would be freezing and I would have to wear hundreds of layers every day ... but having many, many centimeters of snow right outside the window, with all sorts of animals strolling around, and hopefully even the northern lights at night just sounds so perfect. Particularly if I get to snuggle up with a hot cocoa and blanket beside the fireplace while I write. Doesn't it sound like perfection to you?

The second would be somewhere in the Ireland with views of the rolling hills, a steaming plate of potatoes and that accent everywhere I go! I would imagine I would be writing a different sort of story in Ireland than I would be in Alaska but they'd both be fantastic places, don't you think?

Another place I think would be quite interesting to write in would be Venice. I've been in love with Venice since I first visited at the age of 15. The atmosphere, the European culture and the history that is seeped into every canal and street is breathtaking. It would be a fantastic place to set a novel and a great place to write from!

I can certainly tell you where I wouldn't be able to write .... that would by a beach or in a tropical location as I'd be too desperate to get outside and lie in the sand or swim in the water all the time!

Where I would probably end up going for my writers retreat is my family's vacation home in Hanmer Springs, New Zealand. It's a lovely little chalet up on a hill with views of the mountains and forest. In the winter time it snows regularly and in the summer it's just the perfect temperature. The area is a thermal reserve village, so it's also the perfect place to head down to the hot spring pools every evening. It is a great place for a writer's retreat actually! So, who wants to come with me....!

Where would you go for your dream writer's retreat?

2 comments:

  1. Oh oh, can I come? A chalet in Hamner sounds MAGICAL. I've always felt like a writer's retreat is my kind of getaway, lots of thinking, sitting, gentle walks...

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    1. Yes! Definitely! I'm serious, come down anytime next year and we'll go up there!

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