I’ve recently returned from a month-long artist residency in Hrísey, a small island in northern Iceland’s Eyjafjörður fjord. During this intensive period, I completed the first draft of a new manuscript exploring themes of isolation, adaptation, and finding connection in unexpected places.
The unique setting – a remote island village with a population of 150, accessible only by ferry – provided the perfect backdrop for deep focus on the work. It took me about a week to get going. I spent a lot of that time sleeping. I needed some time to think my way into the project and work out how to start chipping away at it. I had the workroom to myself and I loved having two walls that I could just cover with my project. I wanted to be able to visualise things because I knew I would struggle without my computer and full-sized monitor.
I completed a manuscript of 98,000 words which turned out to be a lot more heartfelt and emotional than I had planned. I’m giving it one more pass and then it will begin its journey toward publication.