Italy! I’m finally here. I’ve wanted to come for years, but somehow it never happened – except for a day trip to Venice from Croatia back in 2014. Now I have three weeks here on my own, in Umbria, near the town of Terni. A good rental deal in exchange for looking after two cats while the owner is away. I wouldn’t really call it a holiday – more like living a quiet life in Italy. And that’s exactly what…
The mist lies thick outside the door. The thermometer shows below freezing in Oslo. I can’t help but long for Bali—for the warmth, the tropical rain showers, and the peaceful mornings at a café with my writing session. Sitting outside, with life unfolding around me at a slower pace. Yes, I’m well into my next book. This time, it’s different. When I started my first novel, I had no idea what I was going to write about. Now I do….
From freezing temperatures and snow to 33 degrees and sunshine – I’m back in Bali, where my writing adventure began. Right now, I’m sitting in a café with a large glass of freshly squeezed juice. A lot has changed; the buildings are denser, and so is the traffic. I haven’t ridden a scooter in nine years. It’s a little scary as I squint, change lanes, and weave between cars. My shoulders are tense, but it’s fun too. It feels great…
This post was originally published in Norwegian on May 26, 2022, after my novel, Livskraft – en nøkkel til frihet, was launched in Norwegian. Soon, it will be available in English as Alchemy of the Hidden Spring. Six years ago, in 2016, I traveled to Bali with the intention of writing. A friend had mentioned that she knew an author who wrote a book every month. I naively thought I could do the same. Despite attending a writing course the previous fall,…