This is a treat of a retreat. Back in August, I won a two-nights stay at a hotel in Georgetown from winning a couple awards at the Short & Sweet Theatre Festival. Now as I have a week off of work, I’m taking these days and turning it into a writer’s retreat.

Here’s some views from my room:

The streets of Georgetown from the 11th floor of my hotel. Quite vacant on this Sunday afternoon. Should be more hopping this evening. This view is heading eastward towards mainland Malaysia, which you should be able to see except for the smog which is coating it.

I luckily have a corner room, and so I have views in two different directions. This one is heading north, right into the Strait of Malacca (Andaman Sea further north from here.) You can see a container ship pocking his head out from behind the E&O Hotel.

And that’s going to be my writing chair for the next 48 hours.

So what’s a writing retreat all about? Nothing to worry about – no responsibilities – nothing to do but punch away on my laptop endlessly, as I create. What luxury?

Sure, I’ll take breaks. Penang’s great food is just outside my window. Plus, I typically write in two-hour spurts, needing to focus on something else for a while until I get back to my story.

I’m specifically working on my 5th novel which has been stalled for the past six months. It’s probably about 3/4’s of the way finished, so I’d like to push it closer to its conclusion. I want it out of the way by December so I can start my 6th novel over my Christmas break.

I just finished my first writing session and it was full of betrayal, contradictions, plot-twists, emotional discovery, temptation, and desire. Lots of fun stuff going on!

Besides novel writing, I want to take a look at a play I wrote last year but never finished. I have to decide what to do with it.

What a rare treat to have two full days to focus on nothing but writing. I have to thank my wife for this one, even though she might pop by and is more than welcome.

But here’s to two days of productivity!