At the Retreat

The second day of the retreat is almost over. We've all been typing our little fingers to the bone, editing, writing, re-writing...

From the time we arrived yesterday morning, you could feel the energy surrounding you. There are fifteen of us here, all of us writers, all at different stages in our careers. We have best-selling multi-published authors and newbies who have yet to make that first sale. Most of us fall somewhere in between. But we are all enthusiastic about our work.

Our retreat venue is like a hotel, but without television or phones. Though we do have the internet. We'd all be going through withdraw without that. Our meals are served buffet style on the lowest level of the complex. We are surrounded by woods and streams and yet are close enough to a town for those who need "civilization" to make a run for it.

We hole up in our rooms typing away with occasional breaks to chat, go for walks to clear the brain, eat, and chat some more.

So far for me, I've done almost two hundred pages of edits. Forty to go to finish my work-in-progress. Then I get to start fleshing out my next project.

For anyone who has a chance to do something like this, I highly recommend it. You don't even need to go with a group - though that has a certain energetic dynamic all its own. It gives you a chance to focus strictly on the writing. Something many of don't have time to do in lives already too busy.

I am definitely glad I came this year and am already looking forward to next year.