It was a lovely weekend, and I got to re-read the entire novel, capturing little wording and plot snags and correcting them. Tomorrow it is off to my Kensington Writers’ Group for critique and I plan to take a Saturday or two off to get caught up on all the things I have been ducking as the novel came close to completion. I’ve already plotted the next book, and will start writing, probably during the Write-Off.
Ta-ta!
Isn’t it amazing how many errands can wait “until my week off?” So, here it is, Monday, and I’m just settling in to write. Sigh. However, I have 19 files on my tape recorder with ideas — things to revise, etc. — and let’s face it, the thinking is the hard part. However, I DID get my eighteen-year-old daughter’s graduation dress sewn. Turned out great, by the way: she looks like a Cinderella cream-puff, only blue.
So, the Rainforest Retreat was absolutely fabulous — finished the rough draft of my novel. Also, thanks to Patrick Swensen who put the retreat together so well — each day there was an optional session run by a top-notch writer at 11 AM and again at 3 PM, so we got great tips on plot, setting, character, openings, and so forth, while most of our time was spent on our own writing. This, of course, meant that we could begin to apply what was shared immediately. Earlybird writing in the common room started at 6 AM, and I was usually there between 7 and 8; and Nightowl writing seems to have gone until about 2 AM — although I generally quit by about 10 PM. Other than the workshops, I only stopped writing for dinner (with friends, old and new), grazing lunch and breakfast, and physical breaks for yoga and short hikes to clear my head and think through my next scene. I hoped to finish about 6 of my 12 remaining scenes, and as I said, I got the whole thing done. This weekend, I’m spending time with my family skiing, snowboarding and playing pool to get a little distance from the novel (okay, that’s not much, but it’s a LITTLE). Next weekend I begin a week of Spring Break, and that’s when the real work on the novel begins: revision!
Thanks to everyone who took a moment to nominate me for the Aurora Award — I have been short listed in the Short Fiction category for my short story in Analog last June, entitled “Back.” Doubly good news, I am in competition with my good friend, Randy, who wrote a humorous novella, “Ringing the Changes in Okotoks, Alberta,” which appeared in Tesseracts 12 by Edge Press last November. Randy was also nominated in the category, Fan Achievement – Organizational for running the World Fantasy Convention in Calgary last fall, which was a great convention.
I belong to 3 writers’ groups and one of them, Kensington, meets on an as-needed basis. Last Monday we got together to crit a novel just completed by one of our members. Francis wrote a historical YA that is excellent. We had a few suggestions for her, but it’s pretty much ready to be sent out. Then we had a discussion about the business, again, trading information that can be helpful to all. Got a couple of websites to check out and more inspiration! Only 2 days now to the Rainforest Writers’ Retreat west of Seattle, run by Patrick Swensen of Fairwood Press. Can hardly wait!
