I’ve been staying at Sandhead in Galloway – far out to the west of Scotland. With deadlines looming, I went there to finish one book and start thinking about the next one.
The house overlooked the sea. I worked upstairs at a table by the window. Whenever I looked up, the whole wide sweep of the bay lay before me. With its changing light and cloudscapes, the sea coming in and going out, curtains of rain passing over – it was marvellous. And since the book I was working on is set on a remote Scottish island, it was inspiring.
I also achieved my aims, which was very satisfying. And didn’t think about houses, the buying and selling thereof, for a whole fortnight. Bliss!
I’ve had this experience before. By going away, especially beyond the reach of internet access, life narrows down, gets much simpler. It’s easy to fall into a routine. Work in the morning, out in the afternoon for some exercise and diversion (often involving cake), back to work and then relax in the evening. And nothing else to think about except the book.
It’s so much harder to achieve this focus at home. Chores, appointments, friends, emails, the lure of the internet: so many temptations and distractions.
Maybe that’s why I would love a writing shed. By going down the garden and shutting myself in, I imagine I would achieve that same sense of separation.
How do other writers manage?
