Storytime

I just spent a glorious few days away with a writerly bunch of folks. My writing group and I headed off to Sorrento for a writing retreat. It was a very typical wintry few days. We had wild winds (branches down and lights flickering), rain, lots of rain, very cold, hail, and more rain. But there were moments when the rain settled to a drizzle or an almost stop and we ventured out. The writing retreat is never a straight forward - go to your corners and write. NOW! There is the settling in period, the which room is yours, what's for dinner, how have you been etc but then there are the discussions. About life in general, but more specifically the writerly life. We discuss our goals and aims for the year, we chat about works in progress. We read and reread our work. We edit, we discuss. Sometimes we do find a corner of the kitchen table or set up on a chair in another room and write. It's amazing the stillness that comes over the house then. It's an ...

I just spent a long weekend away with several of my writing buddies. Not everyone in my writing group could attend or attend for the whole time away...one recovering from surgery and unable to drive herself came for an hour (chauffeured by lovely hubby)....another came for one day and one night....another unable to attend due to sudden illness gave her place to a fellow scribe...but it was just what I needed. It was a lovely old house with a great shabby chic style inside.  Wooden floorboards that dipped and bowed, twinkling chandeliers and white washed walls. and lovely bedrooms. I arrived first and managed to nab this lovely room for myself.. Writing retreats gives us a chance to escape the everyday demands and focus on one thing. Writing. That doesn't mean that we don't do other things...most days there is at least one walk. Some great meals and chances to chat.  But we knew this time was precious and made the most of ...

Last weekend I went away with my writing group for a retreat. And after all the preparation I had done in readiness (see last post), I was more than eager to get there and get thinking. Every time I go away with this group of writers, I am amazed at how little  much I achieve. Usually I do a lot of walking. After all, isn't that meant to help the creative cogs churn? Some may call it procrastination but I call it 'clearing the head'. Most retreats I do a LOT of 'clearing the head.' But as I was so prepared this time, I actually got a lot done. You may notice pad and pen at the ready. And if you zoom in it actually says 'we solve the world's problems, one sip at a time.' Not that there was a lot of drinking done... This was at a lovely restaurant where we went to help celebrate two milestone birthdays. The food divine...and afterwards a nice 'clearing the head' along the pier. It wasn't all sunshine and clear skies....ther...

What to pack when heading off for a writing retreat. 1. SUSTENANCE. There is nothing worse than being so involved in your work that hours pass and you pause to find your fingers curled into talons, your back needs to be crunched and your stomach growling for food because you have happened to have missed breakfast, lunch and dinner. In truth, this has NEVER happened to me but...I believe for some people, it can, may, and does occur. So when going away, it is always great to have a selection of easy meals and snacks. Healthy snacks such as fruit and nuts, rice cakes and hummus. 2. THAT PIECE TO WORK ON. I mean you have to take your major WIP (work in progress) with you...why else are you going away with a bunch of fellow writers? Surely, some say, you could work on said piece at home. Alone. Or with assorted children/ grandchildren/ pets/ siblings/ parents/ spouses surrounding you. (AS IF) Writing, surely, is easy. Sit down and do it....this is often said by those that do...

Another year, another writing retreat. It was all it was meant to be. I'm not saying I began a novel, wrote twenty seven poems or even two short stories... But...I did edit seven poems, read one poem out for workshopping and edited my junior novel. Work was done. As usual we walked... When we walk, we talk. Sometimes about our families and our home life, but mostly it's about our writing, our process, our dreams, aspirations and goals. It is often interesting how a different location, getting out of our comfort zones, can make us realise many truths. Do we really want what we say we want? Cryptic but so apt....does that person REALLY want to write short stories or are they now more poetry focused. We do tend to end up down Philip Island way---usually very close to the beach. This time we landed a bit more rurally bucolic. More rolling green hills than surf--but lots of nice cows to look out and admire. Even when we were locked in while a farmer went to get hi...

Last weekend I went away with my writing group  for a retreat. During these weekends away we tend to write, read, workshop and talk writing. I, being a great procrastinator, also take walks and a lot of photographs. This weekend was no different. I wrote a little, I read a little, workshopped various pieces, took a few walks and even more photographs, edited quite a few poems from earlier this year and I thought. That was my real aim for the weekend, I wanted some serious time thinking exactly where I wanted to head with my writing. I don't want the scattergun approach. To attempt a dozen different styles and genres of writing. I wanted a focus.  I wanted to think whether I should spend my time writing poetry or short stories- whether to focus on young adult novels or adult novels....or perhaps junior fiction. Hence my need for some thinking. However...the more I thought about what I wanted to do, the more confused I got. I love poetry- love the ...