Friday, May 21, 2010

Ocean Oasis

So we mozied over to the beach last night with the kidlets to see the sun set (which was conveniently obstructed by the marine layer of course) and was reminded once again just how much I love the smell of the salty air and the sound of waves crashing against the dunes at high tide. In fact, it looked a lot like the photo at the top of my blog...which reminded me why I had put it there in the first place: I feel my most creative at the ocean's edge. I breath easily and drink it in with all my senses...it's my perfect creative oasis. I've always done my most productive writing and editing at the beach - even as a teenager writing short stories - my beach bag always has a notebook and my favorite fine tip pen (the right pen is essential!)

My husband always asks where I want to retire and truthfully, I can only think that I want to retire next door to my three children - because of course they'll all want to live on the same road next to their mother, right? But last night, as the kids ran around on the dunes and I watched the waves and the tall grass wave in the wind, I realized that what I really want is to retire at a beach front property with a cozy writing room overlooking the water with giant shuttered windows - and of course the perfect fine point pen...

Do you have a favorite place to write...someplace that releases your creativity like no other?

5 comments:

  1. My favorite place to write? Where ever people don't disturb me. I've written in my truck, I've written at the playground, but I usually write at the kitchen table. If the kids are home from school, I put up a little placard type thing, that says "Shhhh...Thinking." It used to say "writing," but my children would see me not typing and assume it was safe to engage conversation...usually by starting a fight. The fifteen-year-old gets smart and writes notes like "STOMP, STOMP, YELL, YELL. AM I BEING TOO LOUD?" His life span isn't looking very long.

    Thanks for popping in to my blog. I can't wait to follow along your journey to publication.

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  2. The strangest thing is that I get great thoughts in really boring placed! LIke driving or in the dark before I fall asleep.

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  3. Nature is always a great environment for creative ideas. I agree, the ocean always inspired me- along with forest groves or even farmland and abandoned stone walls. Unfortunately at the moment, I'm lucky to get to write at all and can't be choosy about where...

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  4. Diane, I am definitely going to try the sign idea...I was already contemplating some rewards for my older two if they "babysit" their toddler sister for an hour each day during the summer so I can write. I wonder if bribery is against the mom code...

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  5. Ohhh! I'm a West Coast girl and I love the beach. We used to go camping near the dunes in Oregon during the summer. So many happy memories there.

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