Sometimes the words stop flowing not because you’re out of ideas, but because you’re sitting in the same chair, staring at the same walls. One of the best things I’ve learned as a writer is that changing your environment can unlock something inside you. A new view, a shift in routine, even the quiet of a small town can make all the difference.

Recently I enjoyed a writing getaway to Port Alfred to this hotel, a charming coastal town in South Africa where the Kowie River meets the sea. I stayed at a boutique hotel tucked between greenery and ocean air, and it gave me exactly what I needed — space. On breaks, I’d drive through the town, past seaside views and fishing boats, letting the landscape refresh me in ways my usual routine never does.

As writers, we sometimes forget that creativity isn’t only about discipline. It’s also about environment. Shifting place, even for a weekend, stirs the senses and resets perspective. My time in Port Alfred reminded me that sometimes the best way to keep writing is simply to get away.

Offline Things

1. Broke my personal record for eating queen prawns in one sitting.
2. Went to a lovely cheese and wine evening that inspired me to host more of my own.
3. Watched the lunar eclipse blood moon — eerie, unsettling, and completely inspiring.
4. Doing some work with this U.S company on a series of spooky posts for Halloween (see other write-ups I’ve done for them here).
5. Spent a Sunday in a beach town, where I had the best seafood platter at a local spot.
6. Still reading a book called ‘The Let Them Theory’