1 - Fall is my favorite season, and my writer's group has held its annual retreat in October for the past few years. An already beautiful spot unfurled into grandeur. 
2 - My friend Kelly picked me up early Friday morning, as we'd both made sure to have that day free from work. Then we picked up our writing chapter president, Annette, and off we went, already enjoying our getaway with our trip out to White Point Beach. Only an hour and a half out of the city, and there we were. Long enough to be a journey, short enough to give us most of the day at our destination. 
3 - We already encountered some exciting weather on the trip down - masterfully navigated by Kelly - but once the three of us settled in at the cottage and began working on our various writing projects, the wind and rain lashed the cottage with the full force of the Atlantic, a twenty-minute walk's distance from our doorstep.
It got a little unnerving at times. But it was also incredibly cozy to be inside and watching the storm from our front row seats. 
4 - Once the other retreat-ers arrived, it was time to break out the bubbly. I brought a bottle of prosecco with me, which Jennie shared with me.
Yum.
5 - We played Whose Muse is Whose? Each person brought pictures of two characters they're working on, and we then guessed which writer the character belonged to, and what sort of person we thought he or she was.
There wasn't a high success rate in matching the character to the writer.
But there was a very high success rate at guessing what sort of character the picture conveyed. And really specifically, too. For example, I said "Time traveller dude" for one picture, who turned out to have started life out as a time travelling character, but then became a straight historical one. And everyone keyed into my female character's attraction to the 'bad apple' sort.
A really fun game.
6 - The next afternoon we played two versions of the Add-a-Sentence game. Here we nab an opening sentence from a book, and then each person adds their own sentence to it, resulting in some outrageously funny stories. It's also eye-opening to see what sort of style emerges from someone we think of as writing in a particular genre. Sometimes a women's fiction writer can shock us with something twisted, or an historical writer can zing us with something edgey or macabre.
Guaranteed to result in howls of laughter. 
7 - This is the first year where we didn't have craft-of-writing sessions. Instead we had multiple timed writing sessions so we could work on our own projects.
Every year by the time I get home from the retreat, my brain is on overload from all of those craft sessions. This year I didn't experience the same level of mental fatigue. Considering I'd happily subjected myself to all of that mind-numbing stimulation, you can rest assured it was all good.
But all of those writing sessions helped me to leave the retreat with my goal of completing eight missing scenes for my vampire manuscript accomplished. 
8 - Last year we decided we needed more glamour at our retreat.
This year we carried on the tradition and worked it, baby.
9 - More traditions. A good retreat is a subtle blend of discovery and soothing predictabilty. Kelly and I always flourish when we partake in our pinot grigio toast at the Saturday evening dinner at White Point Beach lodge.
10 - Real quote from Nikki, the fetching brunette in charcoal gray beside me:
"Stop hitting on me!" 
11 - Discovered our newest retreat-er, Shawna is a kindred spirit.
Shawna's sleepwear = Xena, Warrior Princess
My dog = Xena, Warrior Princess
12 - More traditions. A renewing walk beside the breakers, past the resort and along the road erupting in color.
Happy sigh.
13 - Ever thought about organizing a writer's retreat in your area?
All you need is an amazing location, a group of writers to share the space and the cost, some organized activity, some unscheduled time to do whatever takes your fancy, lots of delish dishes, a considerable supply of vino, several DVDs like Mamma Mia! and Julie & Julia, a willingness to stretch your creative muscles and a kick-ass brainstorming session to set you off and running for the year ahead.
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Thursday Thirteen - 181 - 13 Reasons I Love Going to My Writer's Retreat
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Thursday Thirteen - 180 - 13 Ways to Build a Story While at the Writer's Retreat
In two days I will be at the annual writer's retreat hosted by my chapter of RWA - the Romance Writers of Atlantic Canada.
I don't think I've missed a retreat since I joined the group. As my friend Kelly said on her blog, "I start looking forward to this event the day I return home from it. It is a highlight of my year and is always a huge blast. Now, if this week would just END so I can GET THERE I’d be all set."
Last year we played the Add-a-Sentence game, where we started with a line from a randomly chosen book off the cottage shelf, then each added a sentence as we passed the paper around. Hope we play it again this year.
It was hilariously revealing.
Here are thirteen lines that wound up telling a twisty tale. I've split some of the sections in order to follow the Thursday Thirteen format. All lines preceeding a name are attributed to that writer.
1 - It's summer. Summer again.
[from the book Summer of Fear but I can't remember the author!]
2 - You can tell by the wardrobe of the the tourists - it's all khaki shorts, hawaiian shirts, and Crocs.
3 - I hate Crocs. [Nikki]
4 - I'm more of a strappy sandal girl. Who wants to spend fifty bucks on a pedicure and then have it covered up with overpriced plastic shoes that look like they belong on clowns? [Michelle]
5 - I killed a clown once.
6 - Pasty coloured bastard with that damn obnoxious red nose. [Kelly]
7 - Then there was the whole arterial-spray problem. [Julia]
8 - Yeah, Crocs. Why is it that the tourists always get them in the most garish colours?
9 - Is being on vacation a license to offend the eyes of all around you? [Jennie]
10 - Perhaps I'll kill the next tourist. Follow him home to his expensive air-conditioned hotel and suck the blood from him until he thrashes in that final moment of blackness. [Lilly]
11 - But shit, I'm getting lonely the last century or so. Maybe the next time I'll stop and turn one, have a pet for awhile. That one, maybe. No crocs. [Heidi]
12 - Then again, they do wash up easily. No DNA to trip me up.
13 - As for pets, I had a puppy once. Delicious! [Annette - with Heidi]
The End!
Photo L to R: Nikki, Annette and Heidi
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Wordless Wednesday - 145
Robin says What a great place, I can almost hear the crashing of the waves and smell the salt in the air.
Anne MacFarlane says Lovely. The ocean is so peaceful - love the sound and the smell.
VA Bookworm 87 says Our beaches are flat and boring... Not even any good waves!
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Thursday Thirteen - 129 - 13 Reasons Why It's So Much Fun to Go to the Writers' Retreat
- 1
It's somehow come into vogue to deny the glamorous life we romance writers lead. Out here on the east coast, we're straight to the point. Divas rule. 
- 2
Dinner out with the ladies from the retreat? Sign me up! This is Kelly Boyce and I enjoying our pinot grigios.
- 3
Lots of fantastic, yummy food. Mmm.
- 4
Watching movies at night with the 'Stacked Librarian'.
- 5
The walk over to the lodge from the cottage where we stayed. We've rented this White Point Beach cottage for four years now and we've already established several traditions, including this beautiful 20-minute walk which weaves onto the rocky beach and over to the resort.
- 6
Once at the lodge, we treat ourselves to dinner at their oceanside restaurant.
- 7
I'm slowly making my way through their tempting menu. This year I had seafood fettucine, with mussels, shrimp, scallops and lobster. Divine.
- 8
The waves were really high over the weekend. Heidi and I went for a walk along the beach on the Friday that we arrived. The energy of the sea was too much of a siren call to resist.
- 9
A retreat is a perfect time to notice details.
- 10
Retreats are great for taking leisurely walks with a writer friend like Annette and talk about gray characters and being drawn to darker storylines. 
- 11
This is the view from the cottage, which looks over a protected inlet. The rough sea can be seen on the other side of the water. A strip of land separates the open water from the inlet. I've never seen white caps from the cottage before this year. Click on the picture and look for the white surf in the left center clearing on the horizon. 
- 12
This was our first fall retreat, and the woods beside the cottage were brilliant with color.
- 13
We actually did manage to fill many hours with writing. Cheers to everyone's works in progress!
Annette Gallant says LOL I don't even bother to take a camera anymore because I know you'll be taking such good pictures.
Journeywoman says Sounds wonderful!
Apprentice Writer says Insane with jealousy at people who not only go on writer retreats but do so in stunning Nova Scotia, I of course resolved to refuse to look at any of the photos. Lasted about a second.
Friday, October 16, 2009
I'm off to the Writers' Retreat!
Here are a few pictures from last year's retreat.
I'll be back on Sunday. Sigh. Oh, how I love the retreat.
Lilly Cain
Nikki, me, Kelly Boyce and Annette
Dinner at White Point Beach lodge
Clockwise from left: Pat, Judith James, Lilly Cain, Kelly Boyce, Tammy, Renee Field, Heidi, me and Annette
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