wanted: a quiet place to shut out the world

[Anne Frasier]

I would sell my soul – if I had one – for a quiet place in the woods.

Here’s my story:

I sold my house so I could afford to write my current project without a contract. This means it could be two or three years before the book is published, if it sells at all. (On the positive side, my agent has read the first 40 pages and thinks it has the potential to be something big, and he feels I need to focus and get it written.) I’ve always wondered about living in a condo – nothing to take care of and all that – so I signed a six-month lease on a 700 square-foot condo in an old Victorian mansion.

And I’m losing my fucking mind. I might have to kill somebody before this is over.

The noise is absolutely unbearable, not to mention all the other crap/repairs that never seem to stop and nobody feels responsible for. But anyway, the noise is creatively crippling. I would sell my soul for a place in the woods. My lease is up the end of November, and I’ve been watching craigslist, but so far haven’t spotted anything promising. Does anyone know of anyplace in the country where I can rent a secluded place (that isn’t a dump) for under 1K a month? I’d prefer the Midwest or the Georgia/Florida area, but would consider other spots.

[DADavenport]

Check here in the Rockies. There are so many houses that will do month to month. A very transient place outside of Bailey and within 50 miles of Denver, so people get jobs elsewhere and leave the houses vacant. They have to rent just to make the payments if it doesn't sell right off. The housing market is second lowest in the nation so there are a ton of deals up here. And trust me, there's nothing more secluded that the Rockies during winter.

[Sandra Ruttan]

Oh, well... wrong country. But good luck. I go mental with a lot of interruptions.

[John Dishon]

Come to Kentucky. We have plenty of woods and housing is not expensive.

[carole gill]

too bad you're far from Yorkshirie. it's so quiet here, you could go into a coma!
Hope you find a plac.e you know, you have another story there--based on what you said. about an author who sells their soul in order to find the right place to write. it's perfect. only at the end, there's no way out. none. the person is there forever!

[Anne Frasier]

thanks for all of the ideas. :)

i've looked into northern wisconsin, but haven't yet come upon anything affordable. mainly because the kind of thing i'm looking for is considered a vacation luxury which equates to a high price.

angela, i've heard of places like that, but again -- haven't found one that's affordable. most seem to be around 1K a week. :O maybe someone will have a specific suggestion.

[Karen J. Laubenstein]

Alaska -- then you could come to Bouchercon and get lots of enthusiastic reviews *live* with Alaska Sisters in Crime. You want woods. There are woods. Also, only a couple hours down the Seward Highway, there is the Snowy River hostel - a stone cottage on the edge of the National Forest. It's not Northern Wisconsin - much drier and so won't feel as cold. It's wild. It's remote. It's Alaska.

[chelbel]

I live in Ireland so ive no ideas for you. I do want to wish you luck. Big risks deserve huge rewards!

[Patricia Abbott]

There must be a million cottages vacant in northern Michigan. Not the UP, just the Traverse City area. You'd be right between summer and sking. Should be quiet and very nice. If you're interested I have a book club lady who lives there I could ask.

[Barbara Fister]

I'm assuming you've tried earplugs already.

Twice when we didn't have much money or jobs we went to the coast of Maine in the fall and were able to rent furnished houses on the shore for cheap. One was amazing - it belonged to millionaires who used it for a few weeks during the summer and liked it occupied in the winter. Three stories, a big stone fireplace, 75 acres along Penobscott Bay. Our own beach, a little island. It was quiet except for the waves and the loons and the bell buoy at the end of the point. Cold, though, because we couldn't afford to turn the heat on much. But we could afford the house, which was under $400/month. This was quite a while ago, but even then it was a hell of a deal.

Maybe you could find a semi-winterized lake cabin in Minnesota along the same lines for a month or two by putting the word out? As they said in the books for immigrants - "bring warm clothes."

Exciting about the book!

[Anne Frasier]

OMG, Barbara! that sounds like heaven! i am in touch with a realtor who handles cabins up north, and i've let her know that i would love to rent something that might be on the market but hasn't yet sold. She actually showed me a very nice lake house that is a slight possibility, but i'm not holding my breath because most people who are trying to sell don't seem to be willing to rent unless they know the renter at least through somebody. and i can't really blame them.

but it's a bit early, because realtors are still hoping their listings sell before winter. something might fall into place for me in another couple of months.

[Anne Frasier]

karen, that sounds nice! i was really looking forward to checking out alaska during bouchercon, but had to give up on that idea.

chelbel: big risks deserve big rewards. i love that! and i'm hoping it ends up being true.

patti: hmm. i'll think about that and let you know.

today it was like jerry springer above my head. the mother shrieking like someone in the middle of a total meltdown, kids screaming and crying, along with tv blaring and something that sounded like roller blading. it was a kid's birthday, so then they had a party and the mother was laughing her ass off during that scene. pretty sad. then she'll walk out in a business suit, heels, and leather briefcase to get in some expensive car. i actually rented this place because i was told it was totally silent, like living with nobody else in the building. guess i learned a big lesson.

[Karen J. Laubenstein]

Hi Anne,

I think some of these places sound so great, I almost want to go rent them!! I'm from Maine originally and agree there are great winter prices for summer places. I even have a possibility for you on a 100 acres about 25 miles SW from Portland on a lake ... can give you more details if interested, but since it's family-owned, I don't want to post them on here...

but wish you had bionic ears like I do. When I remove them, it is completely, absolutely, total SILENCE. The surgery destroys the inner ear, so it is more deafening than before when I still picked up some sounds, however remote. It's so peaceful when the batteries run down after we come home from our day jobs -- and my little boy signs to me to communicate then and we get along well. Just hearing again often makes me feel like you're describing in your condo! I can't believe all the sounds and so many of them I have no idea what it is and where it is coming from! Sometimes, like flushing a toilet, or using an electric pencil sharpener -- totally blow me away and make me cringe in pain because it is just too much!!! I can adjust sensitivity and volume, but you don't always know the sounds are coming. I even have to turn the things off before going in a bathroom, the rushing water just HURTS! So yeah, I've been there, and there is the feeling you want to run away and find a quiet place!!! So in that way, i'm lucky. I just take them off. And I'm back - hello Deaf world!