Monday 11 April 2011

Climb Every Mountain

I have just spent a week in Cumbria with hubbie and little son. The holiday house was a 17th century farmhouse in Grasmere with wonderful views from every window and the sounds of rushing water from the stream and birdsong in the garden.



Hubbie has a special birthday coming up and requested an early birthday present of a hand held GPS unit. I saw a great postcard in the local newsagents with two women grumbling about a man holding one of these. It was titled Gadget Pratt Syndrome. Hubbie was not amused.

I suppose I should be grateful that it rained at the beginning of the week, because I was exhausted after several route marches across the fells. Strange that I seem to be able to walk miles on the flat or at low level, but as soon as you put steep ups or downs into the mix I slow down.

After Wednesdays 7.9 miles hike, up a fell so high Windermere looked like a map below, I went on strike. Hubbie and son went off to tackle Green Gable and I spent a day by myself.

I did a #1k1hr challenge on Twitter with @katylittlelady (her blog can be found here) and managed to write 1552 words in the hour. See Julia Broadbooks' blog here  for details of the challenge. I shall definitely be doing this again, as it was a focussed way of getting words written. No surprise to find my story was about a girl who had been route marched around the fells by her ex and was now taking things at a more gentle pace.

I then had a quiet amble through Grasmere and sat at a pavement table to drink latte, eat a toasted teacake and finish my story– bliss. The boys had a good day too without me trailing behind and there was a nice meal on the table when they got in. Maybe I should go on strike more often, as I felt so relaxed.

Have you tried the Twitter writing challenge #1k1hr?

10 comments:

  1. Glad you had a nice holiday, Morton! And well done on the word challenge. 1552 words is very respectable!

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  2. The photograph is absolutely beautiful, Morton. Wow. I've been to Cumbria once, and would love to return. It really is wonderful up there.

    No, haven't done the Twitter challenge, but then editing (and additing lol!) at the mo. Actual writing a new fresh story is on hold. Though I should try to tackle my next assignment. But once your novel takes hold, sometimes that's all you want to work on, right?

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  3. Doing the 1k1hr is a fab way to just get the writing done without stopping to check the email and answer the phone. I'm need to finish up my edits so I can go play again!

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  4. I've done the 1k1h on one or two occasions and it's a great way to get past the block, if you have one. And it gets the inner editor off your back.

    Your holiday sounds lovely - I especially liked the bit about the pavement cafe and the latte!

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  5. The holiday house in Cumbria just sounds gorgeous! Congrats on the 1.5K in an hour!

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  6. Serenity – Holiday was lovely apart from the aching calves! Feels a long way away already.

    Teresa – I have some lovely photographs. Strange the landscape looks more like autumn on a lot of them. The plants are about three weeks behind those at home. Good luck with the editing.

    Julia – Thanks for blogging about #1k1hr, I am really going to enjoy it. Good luck with your edits too, reading your blog about it with interest.

    Alexandra – I didn’t have a block on this occasion, more a story that couldn’t wait to get out! I so enjoyed my day on my own, although by 17.30 hours I was starting to worry whether they were okay and had cooked them tea. I even got sort of chatted up when sat writing outside the cafĂ© – always good for the ego!

    Lacey – when we first arrived at the farmhouse, which incidentally was two doors away from where we stayed last year, I thought the downstairs bedrooms with all the dark beams and doors was creepy! I soon changed my opinion and managed to find the house on the 1841, 1851, 1861, 1871, 1881, 1891 and 1901 census. There could be the makings of a story there too.

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  7. I'm laughing over that postcard! And yes definitely go on strike more often - it will recharge your batteries beautifully!

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  8. Hi Flowerpot - congrats on the publishing deal. My hubbie likes to try every new gadget going, some work better than others! I shall definitely be going on strike again soon. Lol. Mx

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  9. Just reading through and had to stop and say hello! It was great doing the #1k1hr with you the other day, Morton. Back to main WIP now but will certainly do again!

    @katylittlelady x

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  10. Yes it was fun. I haven't managed another one yet, but I will. Mx

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