RTW: The Write Place to Getaway
It’s Wednesday, which means it’s time for another Road Trip Wednesday, courtesy of YA Highway. The burning question on the YA Highway blog today is: If you could go on a writing retreat anywhere, where would you go and who would you bring? I think they asked a question similar to this a while ago, and my answer was my study. I know–booooring. So, for this week, I’m forcing myself to think outside the home. Imagine the Extreme Makeover Home Edition people have come to turn our house into a dream home, and we all have to leave. I suppose this answers the “who would I take” question: I would take my family (i.e., my wife and six kids). They’re the people I most enjoy spending time with, so why wouldn’t I? But where would we go? It has to be somewhere I can get some writing done, and where everyone else can have fun too. How about Cardiff (in Wales)?
The last time I was in the UK I went to Cardiff. It’s a lovely city. I could quite see retreating there for a week or so. Where would your ideal writing getaway be? Join in the Road Trip fun at YA Highway!
A Grand Piano for public use? and thousands of books? And family?
It sounds like the place to be! Great choice, Colin 😀
Thanks, Elodie! And Cardiff is a great city to visit anyway. I highly recommend it to anyone planning a trip to the UK. It seems most people visit England and Scotland, but Wales deserves just as much attention.
This is such an incredible incredible coincidence! I live/study in Cardiff! And to my utmost shame I must admit I have never been in the public library since I spend so much time in the university ones. After reading your post though I will DEFINITELY go there when I’m back in September. And to think I was thinking of far away writing retreats when a great one is just at my doorstep!
Wow!! That’s incredible, Kat! And so cool!! And how blessed you are to be studying in Cardiff. Of course, when I lived in England, I probably wouldn’t have thought anything of it. Since I moved to the States 20 years ago, I’ve come to appreciate my former homeland much more. It’s sad how we often don’t appreciate what we have until it’s gone. :-\
I’m not sure a trip to Cardiff is in the near future, anyway, but I love libraries and it was great reading about Cardiff’s. Thanks, Colin!
You’re welcome, Dale. I don’t think I’ll be going back anytime soon–not that I don’t want to, but travel costs are prohibitive with a large family. One day, though… 🙂
Great choice! Another place to add to my lengthy list of places I must go!
Thanks, Samantha. 🙂 Perhaps we should start up TBV (to-be-visited) lists to go along with our TBR (to-be-read) lists. And we could combine them, coming up with a list of books to read in locations we would like to visit. For example, reading THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES on Dartmoor. 🙂
Looks like a great place to find inspiration. I know myself too well, and I think I’d probably start wandering and playing the piano a little too much. Then again, maybe not. I’m surrounded by books here and have a piano and a violin kicking around, and so far it hasn’t been a problem. Plus, it might be super handy having reference material at your disposal too! 😀
I wondered about that too, Jaime. But like you, I realized that I have a piano and guitars within easy reach, so I can be just as distracted at home as anywhere else. And all those books! 😀
A piano in a library? Sign me up. Although they probably wouldn’t like it if I played Scott Joplin.
I suppose that depends on how well you play Scott Joplin… 😉 Of course, if you’re really good, you might start getting requests, and of course you’d want to continue playing… and before you know it you have a delighted audience, and your entire writing day has gone. Hmmm. Dilemma. 🙂
This sounds like the beginning of “If You Give a Mouse a Cookie”….If you give a writer a piano, he will start playing Scott Joplin. And when he starts playing Scott Joplin, people will start calling out requests. And when people start calling out requests, he will think of the Billy Joel video “Piano Man”. And when he thinks of Billy Joel, he will have to remember Christie Brinkley. And when he thinks of Christie Brinkley, he will wonder what ever happened to the “Uptown Girl”. And when he wonders he will start plotting the story of the down and out musician charmed by the beautiful librarian. And when he thinks of the librarian, he will remember the piano in the Cardiff library. And when he thinks of the Cardiff library, he will think of ….
I was thinking the same thing as I was typing! 🙂
Cardiff would be incredible! Not my pick for a writing retreat, though. I’d be far too busy running around geeking out over anything Doctor Who-related to settle into writing. 🙂
That is one of the serious dangers of Cardiff. Remember the story “Boom Town” from season 1 of the new series? Been there–that whole dockside area. I’ve even stood on the rift–what’s now affectionately known as “Torchwood Tower” by the locals. 🙂 Yeah, you could seriously geek out in Cardiff… 🙂
Ooh, that sounds good. I’d love to play that piano!
Doesn’t it, though? I don’t know if I could have a writing retreat without some opportunity to relax with a piano or a guitar in between writing (and reading).
I would have never considered Cardiff a place I wanted to visit. But if that’s the kind of library they provide, I’m there!
If I did go there I would like to see if I could find any Torchwood locations. 🙂
You really should hop on a train and take a day trip to Cardiff, Robin. You wouldn’t regret it. As for Torchwood locations–the rift! I’ll have to post a picture sometime of my two oldest kids standing in front of the waterfall, right where the TARDIS stood, and where the Torchwood team appeared on the streets in series 1 and 2 of Torchwood. I also have a picture of the store that posed for Hendrick’s in series 1, episode 1 of Doctor Who (“Rose”)… and I could go on!
And the Welsh accents. I lived a stone’s throw from the Welsh border, so I suppose I’m a little nostalgic for Welsh accents… 🙂
I don’t think I would be able to get any writing done on your retreat – 6 kids?! Wow.
As long as my kids have stuff to do, they’re really not that much trouble. And there’s plenty for them in Cardiff! 🙂
Cardiff is lovely – I went there last year, great choice! Shamefully missed out the library tho’
I’m glad you enjoyed Cardiff, Vik. I would love to go back sooner than my finances would allow.
Wales is so beautiful, and the great part is it doesn’t take long to travel all around and see everything from cities to mining villages. Great choice!
You’re right. When I was growing up we would go to Swansea and Aberystwyth… and, of course, the book shops in Hay-on-Wye! There’s a lot to see in Wales, and it’s all within short driving distance.
I completely forgot about libraries, which I’ve got a real thing about. I actually cry if I hit on a good library. My State library’s like that and quite a few others I’ve come across. And wow, six kids! You actually find time to write? Really?
Cardiff sounds amazing!
A good library is indeed a blessing. And somehow, yes, I manage to find time to write even with six kids. I want to believe you are under the impression that all our kids are under the age of ten, because that would make me seem younger than I am. 😀 In actual fact, my kids range from 8 to 18, and that helps–the older ones can (at least in theory) help out more. 🙂
Awesome choice. i so want to go to Cardiff so it would combine a retreat with a general holiday!
Thanks, Beck! I wonder if the Cardiff Tourism Board should be paying me a commission? 🙂
THAT looks like an amazing library! Wow!
Writing with six kids – good for you. I’ve got two and they are a handful. It gets better as they get older, eh?
Doesn’t it just? 🙂
From my experience, yes, it does get better as they get older. But you miss when they were little. 🙂
I would rent a little cottage in Tuscany and bring NO ONE. It would just be me and my writing 🙂
I think that’s the hardest part of this question–finding somewhere we’ll actually get writing done! If the location is too nice, might we spend more time enjoying the environment and not our stories? I’m sure some would manage to draw inspiration from their surrounding and be productive. I fear I would be among those that are inspired by the location, but have to wait until I get home to my desk and laptop before I actually start writing. So I think mine would be more of an “inspiration vacation.” 🙂