We arrived in Whitstable
on Saturday afternoon in glorious sunshine, four writers away for a week with
the aim of leaving distractions behind and getting on with it. Entering into
the spirit of the thing did we begin working immediately? Of course not. Instead
we walked along the front and drank in the atmosphere, going out in the evening
for a first class meal at the Samphire prior to starting work in earnest on Sunday morning…and
start we did.
This isn’t the first
retreat I’ve been on and I’m well aware of the benefits of dedicating time to a
particular project, and we all have one of those. With a study, lounge,
conservatory and large kitchen accommodating a large table, all
inter-connected, we sat, each of us, in a different part of the house and all
that could be heard was the clicking of keys as Elaine Everest, Francesca
Capaldi Burgess, Elaine Roberts and I lost ourselves in our own little world. A
new novel was begun, the first three chapters of another finely tuned and a
third, at something over ten thousand words in, expanded upon. My own work in
progress is a first draft and I am hoping to use the time to develop my
characters, maybe to introduce a new sub-plot and generally to complete the
first edit, though I have no expectation of finishing it in the time available.
That said, it’s amazing how much can be achieved in a morning when the phone
isn’t ringing or, with one designated coffee break, one isn’t jumping up to
make a drink or feed the cat or, well, anything other than writing.
I looked up at one
point to see the other three in rapt concentration and I realised that I had no
idea what they were seeing or where they were. In this country? In Australia or
the US? Our stories would all be different, the only similarity being that they
would all have an element of romance. We are, after all, romantic fiction
writers.
 |
| I know crabs walk sideways but this is ridiculous |
Whitstable is a quaint
seaside town, one we’ve all visited before.
Having satisfied ourselves that we’d
used the morning wisely we set out to explore the High Street, not populated by
chains but with individual shops carrying individual wares. We indulged in a
little window shopping. Back at our holiday home (holiday?) we resumed our
positions and that is where I am now, writing this ready to post tomorrow
morning so that the rest of the week can be dedicated to what I came here to do
– to work. Tonight though we will of course be watching the final episode of
Poldark!
Let no-one
underestimate the potential of taking this time out to get away from it all.
From past experience I know that by the end of the week we will have achieved
far more than had we been at home. We will have worked together, eaten some
fine meals together, drunk a glass or two of wine and, by next weekend, will I
am sure have formed the intention of doing the same again at the earliest
opportunity. If you have the opportunity try it. I can’t recommend the
experience too highly. 
