Retreat from Reality

I spent last week on a writing retreat with ten fellow authors whom I'm lucky to call my friends. We took over this gorgeous Victorian guesthouse on the Bellerine Peninsular, an hour and a half south-west of Melbourne. Eleven bedrooms, eleven authors, eleven laptops, and eleventy hours of talking, brainstorming, sharing wisdom, and an equal number of fall-down-laughing moments as we relaxed in the evenings over a quiet wine or three. For me this truly was a retreat from reality: I turned on the television once, checked my email once, didn't have to think about cooking or housework even once. I've returned home rejuvenated about my writing, with two new storylines synopsised and also chomping at the bit to start my next book after an inspiring collaging session (more on that tomorrow.) What is it about a morning walk along the beach that sparks energy and inspires relaxation in equal and paradoxical measures? I don't know there's anything to match, although I'm willing to listen to alternatives. What is your favourite re-energiser? How do you recharge your tired muse?

Labels: the muse, writing retreat