The Writing Life

I was very lucky this weekend to be able to take part in a getaway with a few other authors from my RWA Chapter. We rented a really nice little suite at a ski chalet in Collingwood. (No snow, so no temptation to use skiing as a distraction from writing)

It was a great opportunity to not only get together with people I only see every few months or so, but also have a very productive and inspiring writing weekend.

We arrived on Friday evening and after catching up and getting comfortable (in my red kitty cat pajamas!) with a nice glass of wine (okay, a bottle of wine), it was time for a brainstorming/plotting session! We even had chart paper and big square sticky notes. (Here's to raiding the supply closet at the day job.) I have to admit, this was my most productive part of the weekend. I didn't get any words written that first night because I was having serious plot issues and had to figure out how to work my next major turning point -- I'm heading into the black moment! It worked for me to be able to talk about it out loud with people who understood what I was trying to do. Hubby just doesn't have the same attention span, sad to say.

It was a late night, but I was still up really early the next morning, eager to start a full day of writing. I don't usually get a chance to write THE WHOLE DAMN DAY--Ever!! Saturdays and Sundays are family days at home, so if I get any writing done, it's minimal, usually less than what I would write in an evening during the week. The chance to write ALL DAY without interruption was absolutely wonderful.

As a group, we did a series of timed writings. One for the morning, another two in the afternoon, and again after dinner. Usually around 1 hour long each. After which, we accounted for our total wordage and took a breather. The weather was great Saturday too, so we went for a bit of a walk outside. Sunday morning it was tidying up time with one last writing session and then back in the car to head home.

Like I said, I don't get a chance to do this often, so I really wanted to make the most of it. The great part of being able to participate in something like this is the amazing energy and motivation that comes with being in a room full of such great writers. It's also good to have a change of scenery when you really need to focus on something. I know that if I had been at home there would have been a hundred things to take me away from the computer--laundry, cooking, shopping, kiddo, kiddo, kiddo... (I love him, but he's not focus friendly)

You know, it made me see why I really really want to be able to do this writing thing full time one of these days.

Final weekend wordcount: 5,000 words and one 1500 word plot plan