Northern Writers' Awards
So here I am, sat on our balcony with a view of Parga harbour.
Having booked three weeks in Greece I came with the best of intentions – I was going to write at least 1000 words a day (not exactly a tall order, let's face it) and by the end of our holiday I would have completed the first draft of my novel. Only somehow it hasn't quite worked out that way, but on the plus side, the triggers for writing material just keep coming.
We start our holiday in the north of Corfu in Roda; our apartment is tucked down a little alley between two tavernas. It overlooks an abandoned hotel, the windows are all shuttered up like closed eyes and the swimming pool is full of long grass. A sign of the times yes, but what would Stephen King make of it?
The apartment is a writing inspiration in itself. The predominant theme is red; red flock wallpaper; red sequinned bed covers and large multi-coloured plastic chandeliers. The walls are adorned with feathered Pierrot masks. Should I ever have the need to write about (or indeed decide to invest my pension pot in) a bordello, I will draw on the décor of the Pepitsa apartments.