I've just arrived on Fair Isle for a month-long writing retreat at the Fair Isle Studio. I'll be getting my yearly fix of sea and sky and rocks and birds - and finishing a novel that has had to be set aside a dozen times over the last three years for other writing that actually had a contract attached and also because of just life. I was reading Rowena House's ABBA post on reaching the half-way mark of a WIP that has been taking its time and thinking, yup, sounds familiar! Based on word count, I'm at the 2/3 mark. But until I get the book stuffed back into my brain and the stalled bits started up again, there's no way of knowing how many of them will stay.
Also, coming here, I have to grapple with some extremely skewed ambition. This month I want to yes, finish the first draft of the novel, but also write a poem a day, research a non-fiction proposal, turn around liketty-split any chapter edits on the current non-fiction book that arrive while I'm here, and maybe start a new Fair Isle-specific project. And walk my tiny socks off and make the time to sit and stare and take approximately 4 million photographs.
So will I get from 2/3 to done and all the other things as well? Not likely. But I'm really really going to enjoy trying!
Joan Lennon website
Joan Lennon Instagram
5 comments:
Oh, Joan, lucky you! I visited Fair Isle in June, and was swept away with its drama and beauty, and the wonderful friendliness of the welcoming locals. Enjoy!
Good wishes, Joan. What an inspiring setting!
Lucky Pippa, too!
Thanks Penny and Pippa - so glad you got to visit - it is a wonderful place!
What a fantastic place to achieve all your goals, none of them or some. Fair Isle dreamy in my memory, but I bet storms there are something else. Xx
Post a Comment