Entry to property of my retreat cabin

One of the ways I edit my writing is to print it out, read it aloud into my phone’s recording device, then listen back to my words to hear how they sound. I can catch repeats, oversights and inconsistencies that way. I also notice if the words flow and if what I’m saying makes sense.

By noon today I’d written for nearly 3 1/2 hours and reached a point of completion on Chapter 5. I needed to take a break before the reading aloud process, so I rewarded myself by a drive to Hanover, NH, a nearby town. I had lunch at Market Table, walked the stunning campus of Dartmouth College, and rounded out the visit with a trip to the food co-op there to pick up supplies for my next few meals.

Ladder to other sleeping loft that I’m using as my dresser

When I returned, I read out loud for 40 minutes and will listen as soon as I finish this post.

I’m loving the simplicity of this place. There’s no TV on the premises, which given the Times headlines, I’m happy to be spared. The grounds are wild and spectacular. This morning, walking to the main house to pick up a clean set of dishes, I heard a chorus of chickens cackling their little hen hearts out.

I’ve been sleeping through the night without having to take a bio break at 1:30am as I often do at home. This is very good, because my bed here is in a loft accessed by a steep ladder. I can’t go blithely down a set of stairs, but have to descend slowly, step by step, holding onto the rungs for balance.

All of this is forcing me to slow down, pay attention, and take in my environment very closely. Good practices for a writer.