Scotland 2013

My aforementioned good news is that I've received a monthlong fellowship at Hawthornden, a writers' retreat in a castle outside Edinburgh. I'm leaving just after New Years. This is an amazing opportunity in and of itself (big thanks to Nova and Rachel for telling me about it in the first place, and to Ann and Sally for writing me such splendid recommendations!), but there's an additional layer of awesomeness to this gift, since my new novel is set in Edinburgh. I feel doubly (triply, quadruply...quadruply??) blessed. I want to wring the inspiration, the possibility out of every single moment, waking AND sleeping.

You know I love my research, so naturally I've been reading about the Scottish Enlightenment and the history of Edinburgh in general. (You'll get a glimpse inside my project "binder" when I post a Scrivener how-to as part of my Flashwrite series--that's coming up in January.) I thought I'd post some appreciation photos of an old book I found at the Strand last holiday season, George Scott-Moncrieff's Edinburgh, published in London in 1947. (I'm only "starting" it now, but this novel took up residence in my head at least two years ago.)Mappy endpapers!What better reason for writing a book than to honor your lost loved ones?A map of the city, 1647."With love and good wishes for a Merry Christmas and a happy 1949."* * *Previous exploits in and around Edinburgh: Enchanted Scotland, part 4; My Kind of Church; New Lanark; Adventures in Glasgow.