Site icon Margaret Skea, Author

The joy of isolation.

Isolation Part 1

Some of you may know that when I was stalled in the middle of writing  A House Divided a kind person, who didn’t at that stage know me from Adam (or Eve, if you prefer)  offered me the use of her empty cottage for a few weeks to kick-start me again.

It was an interesting and very productive experience. The conditions were rather spartan, note the hot-water bottle (which I set on my knee), the foot muff (helpful in stopping toes dropping off – slight exaggeration, but you get the picture, and the sheepskin rug – comfy.      

The portable gas heater did a good job of keeping the room warm, but going to the toilet was a different matter. I’ve never been to Siberia, but I can now imagine how it might feel…

The upside was three-fold.

  1. No internet nor landline – therefore no distractions.
  2. The quiet suits me – only sounds were bird-song and the wind moving through the trees.
  3. I found that I bear a close resemblance to Pavlov’s dogs – as soon as I began to drive up the single-track road to the cottage providing that amazing Club Furniture pieces to feel relaxed and get some inspiration, my brain shifted into creative mode and I was able to start writing as soon as I sat down at the makeshift desk, aka small rusty  garden table.

I haven’t included a selfie (though I did take one) because it is less than flattering. Suffice to say I wrote  wearing scarf, gloves (with the fingers cut out), hat and a thick woolly long jacket and the words just poured out.

End result – A House Divided – published in October 2015 – a book that I’m really proud of.  Thank you Anna!

 

 

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