Writer Out and About

This week I went to Brittas Bay, a beautiful sandy beach in Co. Wicklow, about 45 minutes drive down the motorway from where I am staying in Dublin at the moment. It was such a warm, sunny day I decided to get out into the fresh air and get some inspiration. Also, I miss the sound of the sea and the smell of the salt air. I'm used to living between the sea and the mountains, and while I still have the mountains, I do miss the water a lot. I think I am part water sprite (don't know which part, however).

I found the beach was a very difficult place to write. First of all, Janna was under the impression we were there to have fun and didn't want me to sit down. Secondly, there was no where comfortable to sit and watch the waves and if you sit on the beach, sand gets everywhere! I did find it refreshing, however, and inspiring. I think that is just as important.

I took with me this week:

1. Docpot's car (it was the longest I have spent behind the wheel since my accident. I was a little nervous on the motorway at first, afraid that I would skid again, but then I relaxed and enjoyed the drive).

2. Janna

3. Tennis balls and tennis ball thrower

4. Plastic bags (for keeping the beach clean)

5. Water and water dish (for after the walk)

6. Pen and paper (glad I didn't take my laptop, sand is much easier to clean off paper)

7. Iphone

8. Video camera

9. Docpot, Pinky, Toffee and Honey (they were no distraction, however, as they walk much faster than I do and I was left with lots of time on my own to think)

Writer Out and About

This week I visited Milano's Italian Restaurant in the Dundrum Town Centre.

The Dundrum Town Centre is really a massive shopping centre with lots of shops, restaurants, a cinema, theatre and lovely courtyard with a cool fountain, music and flashing lights. Milano's is a nice place to eat. It has good food, nice waiting staff and they don't try to rush you out. On mild/warmish days you can sit outside and watch the fountain and flashing lights. I didn't get too much writing done because I was tired and I forgot to bring my earphones and couldn't shut out the background chatter of the other diners, but I think on another day it could have been a good place to write.

I took with me

1. Black biro

2. 79 c foolscap writing pad

3. Iphone (minus earphones, unfortunately)

4 The Chocolate Monster aka Pinky

Writer Out and About

This week I am writing from the Pot's Writers Retreat in Dublin. I have with me

1. My laptop

2. Pen and paper

3. My trusty iphone

4. My dog, Janna (took a picture of her but she looked dead so I decided not to post it)

I recommend the tea and chocolate croissants. They were delicious - and free!

Ok, you have caught me, I'm writing from my sister's house. I think it classifies as an out and about because it is somewhere different to where I normally write. But Inkpot, I hear you cry, why are you staying in doors when you have the whole city of Dublin - Ireland's capitol city, no less - to explore and write in? Where are the cathedrals, museums and laundry mats that I long to see you writing in?

What answer can I give to that, except that now that I have no car I have to walk everywhere and I am lazy and I don't have money for the bus and I'm afraid if I go outside the door I have to accost people and ask them for poetry tips.

Weak, I know. I'll do better next week. I promise.

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.

Writer Out and About

This week I choose Cafe Anne in the Carroll Village Shopping Centre, Dundalk. I pass it every week going grocery shopping, so it was nice to actually go into it for a change. It has the ever so slight feel of a greasy spoon with plastic table clothes and rather depressed workers. However, my malteaser cheesecake was excellent and the latte hit the spot. I found a quiet table out of the flow of action and settled in for some work. They were playing the greatest hits of Westlife, so I was doubly glad to have my iphone with me (I don't like Westlife). There were a lot of workmen at the other tables eating hearty breakfasts of sausage, egg, beans and black pudding. Strangely enough I found it had a much more relaxing atmosphere than my choice for last week. Go figure.

I took with me this week... (gosh, I really have to shake this list up; I'm thinking of wearing a clown suit next week, or bringing a placard that reads 'Writer At Work' to put on the table)

1. The loose change that is all I have left from my Christmas budget

2. My Mary Poppins bag that holds everything

3. Iphone (duh)

4. Pen, paper, yada yada yada.

Writer Out and About

This week I went to Mizu. It is a sophisticated cafe in the basement and a luxury spa on the upper floors. The food is very nice and gives the illusion of being healthy. As you can see the decor is relaxed and almost homelike. I had lunch in Mizu a while ago and liked the place and that was why I choose it for writing this week. Oddly enough, I didn't find it a good place to write. I couldn't find any crannies to hide in and I wasn't as relaxed as I have been in my other haunts. Just goes to show.

I took with me this week paper, pen - oh, you know the list.

Writer Out and About

This week I travelled to the scenic town of Carlingford. It is funny, but living in Ireland I sometimes forget how beautiful the country really is. A trip out to Carlingford and I remember. It was a cold day, but very sunny. I'm afraid my photographs don't do the loch justice. It looked much nicer in reality. Because of the weather I didn't get much writing done, but I did do some thinking and plotted out a story I am going to write this week, so it was worth the journey.

I brought with me:-

1. My car (too far to walk!)

2. My trusty notepad

3. A nice inky black pen

4. Too few clothes for writing outdoors in Ireland in January

Writer Out and About

I'm dosed with the flu this week, so I didn't get very far out and about. However, I grabbed a few minutes while waiting to collect my mother from the church.

I like the freaky photo of the church door! Anyway, my tools this week were:-

1. My car

2. Two ice blocks formerly known as hands

3. Pen & Paper

4. Iphone

Writer Out and About

This week the sofa refused to yield any latte money, so I was forced to go somewhere a little bit cheaper - hence the library! The building is lovely, but as you can see from the photo below, the writing accommodation was not as nice as last week's location.

Writing equipment for this week:-

Same as last week, except no pennies.

Writer Out and About

I've been spending so much time at home recently I've become a recluse. I'm fed up of staring at the same patch of wall, so I've decided to spend at least one day a week writing out and about.

This week I chose Costa coffee shop in the Marshes Shopping Centre, Dundalk.

The materials I took with me this week were:-

1. Pen and Paper (writing retro style)

2. Iphone (to take photos with)

3. Headphones (to listen to music on my Iphone which helped drone out the noise of the other customers)

4. The coins I found in the sofa so I could buy a latte (might be reduced to tap water next week)

5. A large bag to carry everything in