3 Places I’d Rather Be Than Chained to a Computer #writingisajob #retreat #allworkandnoplay

Good morning friends and readers… *sips coffee* Thanks for stopping by today. Grab yourself a cup of java and hang out for a while. We’ve had more than our fair share of rain this summer, but at last the sun has come out and everything is bright, blue and beautiful.

So naturally, now that it’s lovely here in the Illinois countryside, wanderlust sets in and I find myself staring out the windows at the blue sky and the fluffy clouds… the deep green of the surrounding forest… and wishing I could be out there instead of in here, chained to a desk.

I look at the blank pages of a half dozen manuscripts that should be written, that are due to the editor, that will actually pay my bills, and instead of black and white I see golden sand and frothy waves, sweeping vistas of grass and wild flowers, rough hewn brick and crumbling towers.

Wanderlust. When I boil it all down, I come to three places I’d love to be writing right now that aren’t my kitchen, much as I love my little kitchen office.

Where? Lying on a lounger on a white sandy beach… somewhere in South Carolina, like this…

Or sitting on a deck staring out at forest… like this…

Or down on the deck of a gently rocking boat… like this ...

What about you? If you could run away from home and write anywhere you wanted… Where would you go?

Ooops! Busted. Running off to write now!

On Retreat: Getting Away From It All and Writing

Writing Retreat

Good morning everyone! I'm terribly excited today as today is THE DAY. I leave today for a weekend long retreat to refresh myself, rediscover my creativity and write. For the past eighteen months or so, I've been immersed in a sea of self-doubt. I find it hard to maintain enthusiasm for anything, and with a few notable exceptions, like the resurgence of Story Orgy Mondays and the ongoing drama that is Pulp Friction 2014, haven't written a lot.

People, other writers, readers, editors, frequently laud the benefits of conventions and gatherings of like-minded people, and I've envied them the way they return from these events keyed up and raring to go. It's just not possible for me to attend such an event though. For one thing, I don't travel well, for another I can't deal with crowds.

Then it struck me the other day.

I don't need to be a part of a larger group that would create anxiety instead of bringing peace. I find my peace and inspiration in the rising and the setting of the sun, in the whisper of the wind and the hum of life in the countryside.

That's what I needed to find again.

And it probably can't be found in a big city at a huge hotel or convention.

But…

There are other ways.

I put my somewhat clumsy google foo to work and found a place nearby, so the travel won't wear me out, that's fairly remote, on a lake, and before those aforementioned self-doubts could tell me I was being an idiot, I reserved a cabin on a wooded lake shore for a long weekend.

Lake of the Ozarks

This weekend, I'll be watching the sun rise over the Lake of the Ozarks, drinking my coffee and soaking in the things that make me feel like the world we live in is still a pretty good place.

I've got some rules set up and some goals written down.

Chief rule?

No internet.

I'll be working on a laptop with no wireless access, so I should get a lot done, but won't be around at all from Friday morning to Tuesday morning.

Just thought I'd let you know, so you don't miss me.

 Last time I disappeared for a day or two, I ended up with an inbox full of concerned emails- 

I think that means I'm usually too much on web :P. 

So wish me luck, and I'll see you on the 8^th!