Rolling hills, rolling words

 

Happy Monday! I trust you've all had a super weekend, and that your new week began with a sparkly day today.

I got home less than two hours ago after a brief glimpse of the the bright lights of London, and having spent a most joyous, cosy and unusual few days tucked away in a rather lovely cottage, right in the heart of the Cotswolds. I went with a lovely friend of mine, a fellow writer and all-round super person whom I have known for seventeen years (gulp!) and we were laughing in the car on the way out to the house as it wasn't far at all from where we grew up - a weekend away in a place we actually know very well! I didn't, however, know the village that we were visiting, and it was truly beautiful. We were lucky with the weather on two of the three days, and I took the above photo yesterday morning, looking out from the garden across the rolling Cotswold hills. Stunning.

So, the weekend was about writing, so write we did; we also managed a decent walk around the village, I did a slightly comical run around the house in my slipper socks (I didn't want to abandon my newly-found exercise regime for too long!), there was a trip to some delightful local places, including the amazing Broadway (two words: film set!) and several bottles of bubbly, as well as a homemade roast dinner, risotto and a blazing open fire. I found that, at the end of Sunday, I had added nearly 5,000 words to my word count, and for me that is real progress! A little space, a little luxury, a great friend and some yummy food can make all the difference. I found a spark, some confidence, some peace; I felt like I was writing with conviction, and got quite emotional several times. Cheesy, you may think, but I revel in that connection with my book; I love to feel like I'm breathing life into my characters, and I got a chance to flesh out some of those sections that I had been looking forward to cracking on with. I can't tell you how proud I felt when I realised I'd got underway with it all again.

I've come home with a renewed motivation, so this week will be spent focusing on continuing with my book. Hurrah! Better catch up on Downton Abbey tonight so that I can knuckle down tomorrow..

What gives you that spark, that fire? I'd love to know.

See you soon! x