Changing places and shifting perspective
February 29, 2008
My stay in England has been unexpectedly extended and it looks like I’ll be here for another month. Not that I’m complaining. It’s lovely not having to charge around at 150kph (see, I’m all European now), trying to cram in seeing dozens of people in a matter of days all because my time in the country is limited.
I’m enjoying pub lunches, brisk walks along the beach, dipping my feet in the icy sea off Sandbanks, and listening to the woodpecker as he pecks away outside my bedroom window. It certainly beats waking up to the irritating ring tone on my mobile.
But what I didn’t expect was the effect this different routine would have on my writing. I’ve been jolted out of my ordinary every day surroundings of granite cliffs and kingfisher-blue sea that hug the soft, sandy beaches of the Costa Smeralda and thrust into the no less stunning scenery of Dorset that I took for granted when I was growing up.
And I’ve noticed my writing has changed as a result. It’s softer. More introspective. A reflection, certainly, of what’s going on in the outside world. Just as you’ll do when you join us for Absorbing Writing in Sardinia, I’ve shifted perspective and am now telling a different story to the one I left behind.
from Emma in Dorset
February 2008
Photo Credit: Hungry Woodpecker by Steffe on Flickr
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The Pleasure of Writing in a Café (Part 2)
February 19, 2008
Last week, Joanna blogged about the joys of writing in a bar or café. Like her, I love it, too.
I love watching the shouting out of orders and the quickness of the barmen as they respond. I love listening to the gurgling of the coffee machines which give rhythm to my writing. And I love how sitting in the bar at different times changes what I write.
If I’m in there at breakfast time, the tempo is fast-paced. In the afternoon, it’s more laidback as everyone steps down a gear and recovers from the post-lunch blowout. And in the evening, with a glass of red wine to hand, my writing takes on a more indulgent stance.
What does writing in a bar or cafè do for you?
from Emma in Sardinia
February 2008
Alghero’s sunset and how it helped my writing
February 18, 2008
I’m back in England but still dreaming about Alghero.
As I’ve blogged about before, the coastal city has had a special place in my heart ever since my first visit back in December 2002.
But this time around, it was a truly cathartic experience.
I’ve been struggling with my writing for a while. Not my everyday writing but the book I have to get out if I’m ever going to meet my deadline. But, however much I wrote my diary on the beach and sat in front of my computer, it just wasn’t happening.
That all changed, though, with my trip to Alghero. Whether it was finally getting to catch up with my friend, Sally, in the sushi bar near her house, or seeing the sun set over the sea at Capo Caccia, something powerful shifted inside of me.
So much so that this morning, I woke up hours before my alarm clock, switched on my computer and let the words flow. All I had to do was type as fast as the words were coming. And that’s a wonderful feeling.
from Emma in Sardinia
February 2008
The Pleasure Of Writing In A Café
February 11, 2008
There’s something about cafés that helps us to write.
Sometimes it’s the opportunity to sit, dream and wonder. Sometimes it’s the chance to people watch, to pay attention, to be truly mindful of what’s going on - and then write what we see. Perhaps it’s something to do with the ‘time out’ signal we get in a café - away from our routines, deadlines, things we’ve ‘got’ to do.
And I don’t know about you but there’s something about the environment of a café - the sounds of the coffee machine, smell of the cakes, light streaming in through lettered windows, the hubbub of conversation - that makes me want to write.
Natalie Goldberg describes this in Writing The Bones:
“Writing in a café can work… to improve concentration. Instead of reducing stimulation, the café atmosphere keeps that sensory part of you busy and happy, so that the deeper, quieter part of you that creates and concentrates is free to do so.”
It’s one of the reasons we’ve set aside ‘café’ time in our programmes - time to relax, to take time out, to people watch, to be mindful, to find the creative space to write.
Notes From The Elephant House Café
Edinburgh’s full of literary cafés and pubs, places where famous authors have sat and penned their works. I popped into one on Saturday, partly because I was thinking about just this - the relationship between cafés and writing - partly because I wanted to record a message to share with you all here, oh and partly because I wanted to do some writing 
The voice thread below has some pictures from the Elephant House Café, one of the cafés where J.K.Rowling wrote Harry Potter, and a thread of my voice. Just press the arrow to start it playing,and it’ll then scroll automatically through the three ‘pages’.
Although I believe we can use our written words to create a powerful connection - and that’s one of the things we’ll be working on in the conversation - it can only take us so far. We depend on other things - photos, the sound of someone’s voice, to create a fuller impression… until, that is, we get the chance to meet in person.
If you like the sound of café writing in Sardinia, let us know! Just drop us a line at info@absorbingwriting.com and we’ll take it from there.
from Joanna in Edinburgh
February 2008
Writing Doesn’t Need To Be A Lonely Business
February 6, 2008
Writing doesn’t need to be a lonely business.
Of course some parts of the writing process are deeply personal and private, but sharing our words together is a great way not just to stretch and improve the way that we write but also to rediscover the fun, the spark and the passion in the writing process.
Join us in Sardinia and you’ll be guaranteed a small group setting - a maximum of 10 participants, plus me and Emma. And the way we’ve structured the programme means there’ll be plenty of opportunities to:
- chat to other people about your writing hopes, fears, dreams and aspirations
- find out how others have approached different styles of writing
- get ideas, tips and inspiration from aspiring writers, just like you
- share your words in a supportive group setting - and enjoy the buzz of constructive feedback
- explore new ideas, words, writing possibilities over a good meal and glass of wine
Sound good?
If you want to be part of the group, let us know! Just drop us a line at info@absorbingwriting.com and we’ll take it from there.
from Joanna in Edinburgh
February 2008