Writing Retreat

I'm going on a writing holiday, no more working for a day or two.

Hang on, that's wrong. I'll be working all week! But I'll be having fun as well!

Thanks to my wonderful, supportive, loving family (who I don't thank enough) I'm winging my way to Co. Cork to the Anam Cara Writing Retreat for seven days of dedicated writing and relaxation. My plan is to start work on my first novel of 2009, working title 'The Bobbit', which is set in my fantasy world of Reath and is an origin tale of sorts for the different creatures that dwell there. I first wrote it when I was twelve and it wasn't bad, but I want to update it, polish it and send it out to publishers. I'm hoping the retreat will help me get the tone right from the beginning.

Because I am going on a week long writer out and about I thought I would take a break from my regular routine and chronicle my week on the blog. I am hoping to vblog every day about my progress, but if I don't have the Internet connection for that, I will text blog.

I start off my week with a six hour drive to get to the retreat centre. I'm looking forward to it because a) I have never driven to Cork before and I'm looking forward to the achievement of completing the drive and finding my way on my own and b) I am going to use the drive to help clear my mind of the everyday clutter and focus on the project that lies ahead. I love driving on my own - good tunes on the radio, the wind blowing in my hair (or the air conditioning),the feel of the steering wheel against my palms, the countryside blurring past my windows.

Here is to a week of adventure and productivity!

P.S Just heard my flash 'Death's Girlfriend' (inspired by a dream - first hand experience that my writing exercise last week works!) has been accepted for publication in Sonar 4's Anthology of Horror and Science Fiction Flash due out in June. Yay! What a good start to the week.