Georgia on my mind

Tomorrow I leave for Hambidge, and already my brain is drifting into the WIP (work in progress, for those unfamiliar).  It’s been too long since I’ve gotten any substantial work done, and I’m anxious to get back into my fictional world.  I’ve been dreaming about the main character lately, which is a good sign, and I’ve been creating scenes in my head while driving.  Writers really shouldn’t be allowed to drive when in the middle of writing a novel.

So, the suitcases and books are packed, my lucky writing totems are boxed up (more about those another post), and enough music is downloaded into my iPod to last a year.  I still need to pick up a few things at the store, like batteries for my flashlight, but I’m about ready to roll.

Internet is only available in the main building at Hambidge, and cell service is non-existent, so there will be few distractions to keep me from my work.  I have a box of books to read when I need downtime, a few dvds to watch, and of course there are 600 acres to explore when I need fresh air.

So, I’ll try to post every week while I’m gone, but I’m not making any promises. If you don’t hear from me until December, have a great Thanksgiving.  Remember what it’s all about and really be thankful.  I know I am.

On the Road Again

“The world is a book and those who do not travel read only a page.”                                                                                                                                   – St. Augustine (Thanks, Hope, for introducing me to this quote)

What a difference four months makes.  In a post in June, I was commenting about staying put for a while. Wondering how that might affect my writing.  Seems I won’t know anytime soon.  Since that post, I’ve moved back to Charlottesville for a few months, been awarded a November residency at Hambidge in northern Georgia, and signed on for the Key West Literary Seminar in January.   And I’m heading to Michigan soon for a quick trip to see family.

I have to admit, while I love Charleston and miss it and am looking forward to getting back down there, my feet were getting itchy.  I’ve been even more antsy in Charlottesville, though Virginia is a beautiful place to be in the fall, and I love it here too.  But the road is calling me.  I’m ready to remove myself from familiar places and immerse myself completely in my novel again.  Ready to eat, sleep, and breathe writing.

Don’t get me wrong.  I write when I’m not traveling.  But there is something about picking up and going that makes me want to move forward in my work, too.  New environments make me rethink the way I look at things, make me notice more. And of course it doesn’t hurt that many of my travels are writer-centric.

It also doesn’t hurt that I’ll be in a cabin in the woods in beautiful Rabun Gap in November and hanging out in warm and wonderful Key West in the most miserable month of winter.  There are some perks to this nomadic lifestyle, after all.

Bridges, boats and birds

Dolphin playing in Shem Creek
Dolphin playing in Shem Creek

Yesterday I was lazy.  About my writing, at least.  I spent the day on the water, enjoying the sun and the ocean breeze and the spray off the bow of a boat.  I saw several pods of dolphins playing in Shem Creek, and a flock of pelicans crowded up against a fishing boat.  I hear there’s a family of manatees underneath a dock there, too, but they weren’t out.  Now that I know where to watch for them, though, I’ll keep looking.

I felt guilty for about 3 minutes yesterday as I pulled on my bathing suit and made a conscious decision not to write.  But there are times when we need to refuel, and it was one of those days for me.  I’d been hard at work on the novel, and also finishing up applications for scholarships and residencies, and it was time for a break.  I needed to clear my head to make room for new stuff.

Pelican and friend
Pelican and friend

So I spent the day on the water, and the evening reading.  My idea of the perfect day.  Today I felt rejuvenated, ready to get back to my fictional world.  And while I was working on my tan yesterday, apparently I did get some other work done.  Subconsciously I must have been unraveling a tangled plot point I’ve been having trouble with, because this morning it had worked itself out in my sunburned head.

That’s the thing about being a writer.  I’m always working, either thinking about a story or picking up sights, sounds and smells for new ones.   At least that’s what I like to tell myself as I rub in the sunscreen.

Arthur Ravenel Bridge
Arthur Ravenel Bridge from Mt P to Charleston