It wasn't a writers' retreat; it was a writers' advance. This last weekend, I took four days away with five other writers for a time of writing, revision, thinking, reflection, encouragement, and rejuvenation. For those of us who take retreats, most of us use the word "retreat" to imply that we're getting away from something. But if you think of that same word in terms of…
In two and a half days, I logged over 10,000 words of story architecture, plotting, and brainstorming for my newest novel idea as a byproduct of a writers retreat that I and seven other individuals enjoyed this last weekend. Was the writing retreat productive? Absolutely. But it was so much more than word counts and fresh pages of prose. Can you remember those time-freezing, luminous moments that your…
I took this picture on the beach, a few minutes' walk away from the cabin where I and three fellow writers retreated for three nights and four days (last Thursday through Sunday) that we dedicated to writing. You do not have to be rich to go on a writing retreat. We've used cabins that belonged to friends. You do not have to be a brilliant established writer to go a…