The Loneliness of the Long Distance Writer by Dorothy Courtis

 I write alone. In a quiet room in my flat. (I can't do serious writing in cafes, bookshops, or libraries. I get far too easily distracted!) So when I emerge after a long stint at the laptop, I feel like a mole emerging blinking into the daylight! If this is you, maybe you have your own top tips for dealing with the loneliness of the long distance writer. 

Mine, in the general run of life, is to alternate full days at home with trips out, lunches with friends, essential shopping etc. But summertime brings with it lots of lovely festivals and these are definitely legit writer jollies!

Covid taught me I didn't have to spend house-mortgage-size sums of money to personally attend Hay-on-Wye or the Edinburgh Book Festival, as the wonders of the internet bring lots of great talks straight to my home. But it's good to get out - and my local favourite festival (remember I'm a crime writer!) is Slaughter in Southwold, held on the second weekend of June each year.

This year's festival was the 11th - and I've managed to attend nearly all of them. Beginning as a one-day bonanza with such luminaries of the genre as Elly Griffiths and Nicola Upson, it has grown into a full weekend, with a murder mystery dinner (the murder mystery written by Kate Ellis) on the Friday night, two days of talks (and you can book a catered lunch each day), and a quiz on the Saturday night.

I take notes. Always. With nine speakers over two days, there are always gems to record, new ideas triggered that you don't want to lose, and there is the sheer comfort of hearing a 'proper' writer saying something that you recognise from your own experience. 

Some questions always seem to recur:

1. How did you become an author? Answers range from 'I was sacked' to 'I discovered I wasn't any good at anything else'

2. Plotter or pantser? This year's bunch were mainly hardline plotters (with whiteboards)

And I discovered such lovely ideas as having a pen with a light on it by your bed so if you wake up in the middle of the night with a bright idea, you can write it down and be able to read it in the morning!

Yes, it was a 'secular' event but blessings and inspiration abounded so do check out what's around in your local area. You may find some very worthwhile events and interesting people.

Dorothy Courtis who writes as Dorothy Stewart in currently in the thick of the first draft of book 3 in her Somerset Mystery Series and really shouldn't be taking time out for festivals.