Wednesday, October 7, 2015

IWSG: Retreat!

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IWSG
 It's that time of the month again! Check out the Insecure Writers Support Group
Every first Wednesday, we post about writing--the highs and the lows--and offer each other a shoulder to lean on. 

Let’s rock the neurotic writing world!

Our Twitter hashtag is #IWSG

Our co-hosts for October are:
Tamara Narayan  http://www.tamaranarayan.com/   
Eva E. Solar   http://lilicasplace.com/  
Shannon Lawrence   http://thewarriormuse.blogspot.com/  
Stephanie Faris  http://stephie5741.blogspot.com/   

I know you looked at this post's title, and it took you back. What's she doing? Telling us to give up? To retreat from our dreams?

No. Far from it. I want to share a lovely way to hurtle your fears, find writing buddies, and Go, Writers, Go!

September 24-27, I attended the first-ever Women's Fiction Writers Association Retreat in Albuquerque, NM. I had a blast, but best of all, I am renewed. My writing is front and center. So, sit back and check out the perks of Retreating. ;-) 

1. Go new places.

Lovely Albuquerque Lifts Off!

2. Meet old online buddies face-to-face.
with Annee Brizo
 3. Try new things.
While I have read snips of my work in public many times, I have never sung part of them. Here, I'm reading my original lyrics to an "old folk song" to my self-composed melody. Really! Add lyric writing to my curriculum vita.

4. Learn new tricks and share insights.
Our Lovely Board and Me

5. Eat tons of good food. ;-) 


6. Share writing space with other creative minds. 
Of course, it helps if there is a helpful wait staff providing you with nibbles and fluids to fuel the effort. ;-)

8. Write a nifty, little character sketch/essay.

So, Retreat, Writers, Retreat!


For the next two months, I'll be posting on the first Wednesday and third Tuesday while I'm taking Barbara Rogan's Next Level Workshop: Revising Fiction. I promise I'll be writing...tons. ;-) 

See you Tuesday, October 21. 

11 comments:

  1. Ha! Your sketch made me laugh! The retreat sounds fantastic - it's one of those things I'd love to do sometime but never seem able to justify.

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    1. I'm now in the "can't afford not to" camp, Angela. It was amazing. The fact that we all write the same genre, and an up and coming one at that, really made it special.

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  2. A lovely post and a great advice. Thank you.

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  3. What a great place for a retreat! Cool town.
    I've never been on a writer's retreat but you make me want to try one.

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    1. Alex, if you get a chance, take it! It was lovely and inspiring.

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  4. Retreats can provide such an upsurge in energy and creativity! I actually declined one two weeks ago. It would have been in the mountains. It just didn't work for me. But now my brain is clamoring for a trip to the mountains to write. I'm glad you had a great retreat!

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    1. Time to just write is the Holy Grail, isn't it? Good luck on finding it, Shannon!

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  5. Love the photo of you and Annee. I've still never been to a conference or a retreat but would love to do both! Closest was attending a workshop in Montreal, where I got to meet Pam P and Marsha Skrypuch!

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