RETREAT!!
And I mean that literally. Sort of.
This weekend my local RWA chapter held our yearly writer’s retreat. About twenty of us spend the weekend at a secluded resort type place where we hold workshops and bond in our writing insanity. When we’re not talking craft or bonding, we’re writing.
On the first day we all set writing goals for the weekend. It can be anything from writing one sentence to writing one hundred pages. Because I was psyched and ready to go, I set the goal of twenty-five pages. *waits for everyone to stop laughing then continues*
I’ve been stuck on the same scene for a couple of weeks now. It’s actually a pivotal part of my story where my hero and heroine, who have each vowed to avoid the other, realize they must work together. If I blow this scene, I could lose my readers completely and my story is dead in the water. No pressure, right?
My first attempt came from the heroine’s POV. Four pages in I realized it wasn’t working. *delete delete delete* My second attempt came from the hero’s POV, but three pages in it wasn’t working either. *delete delete delete* At this point I was sitting at negative two pages for the weekend. Now you get where the retreat part comes in. I took it a little too literally.
The common denominator in both of these attempts was the fact it started with the heroine being late for work. So when I started my third attempt, I took this aspect out and the scene practically wrote itself. Turns out, my heroine flat out refused to be late for work. If she had just told me this weeks ago, it could have saved both of us a lot of stress.
All in all, I had a great weekend. We laughed our butts off (sadly mine grew back), we cried out our frustrations, and we challenged ourselves to keep going. Writing is a solitary pursuit. But thanks to the internet and writing organizations like the Romance Writers of America, we can be solitary together.
If you’re a writer, do you belong to your local chapter or an online chapter? If you’re a reader, have you found a book club in your area where you can share your love for a good story? Maybe it’s quilting or scrapbooking. Tell us about your group and if you don’t have one, what kind of group would you like to find?
June 30th, 2008 at 2:28 am
I’m a reader….I live in France but 99% of the books I read are in English…. How am I supposed to find a book club here????? I meOne which focuses on paranormal, fantasy and romance? So mostly the only way for me to share is
June 30th, 2008 at 2:31 am
okay forget the previous post I hit the wrong key…
I’m a reader….I live in France but 99% of the books I read are in English…. How am I supposed to find a book club here????? I mean one with more than one member in it? One which focuses on paranormal, fantasy and romance? So mostly the only way for me to share is the internet….There are boards and readers groups there but it’s not the same as real people you can meet and talk to.
June 30th, 2008 at 7:24 am
Stef - we’re glad you found our little writer’s group!
I belong to RWA and Beau Monde online, but I haven’t joined a local chapter yet. The NJ chapter is over an hour and a half away. And anyone who’s been to NJ knows that an hour and a half can become 2-3 hours in the car pretty fast. So, I’ve avoided joining. I just joined RWA last year so maybe when I renew my membership I’ll join NJRWA. We’ll see.
But, my online friends are invaluable. (Love to all!)
June 30th, 2008 at 7:45 am
Stef - I’m sure there is at least one other romance reader over there, but I can see your dilemma. You’ll just have to stay on the ship with us. I realize that sounds more like punishment than fun, but that’s all I’ve got. LOL!
Marn - you’d get tons of great stuff out of joining the NJ chapter even if you never go to a meeting. I haven’t been to one of my local meetings since February. But the loop and the connections and the support are still there. There’s an author in my chapter that refers to herself as a chapter whore. LOL! She belongs to seven chapters and some of them are thousands of miles away. Join the chapter already!
June 30th, 2008 at 8:06 am
I’m a reader and writer! I love both. But I’m not a member of RWA, though I know I should be. I do have, however, two fantastic critique partners in Mary and Stephanie over at First Edition!
June 30th, 2008 at 8:12 am
I realize it’s going to sound like I’m some RWA pusher but I do recommend you join, Kelly. It’s such a great resource. And you do have to great partners over there. Y’all have great blog topics and I see big things for all of you in the future.
June 30th, 2008 at 8:40 am
Hey Terri, I know how you feel when you say that the scene wasn’t working, and I’m glad that you figured it out. I was having some similar issues along the same lines for the longest time, and for me I was stuck in the “moment”, because I still hadn’t figured out what needed to happen after that moment, but once I did things went much more smoothly.
And yes, I am a member of RWA and my chapter, which has been invaluable. For those of you who have not yet joined, I strongly strongly recommend it.
June 30th, 2008 at 8:41 am
Oh, and I’m also a member of EPIC
June 30th, 2008 at 8:46 am
J.K. - what does EPIC stand for? I don’t know that one.
June 30th, 2008 at 8:57 am
Good morning
Love long weekends…
Anywho, I do belong to RWA and my local (TRW) chapter. Kris and I got to actually meet when we figured out we were part of the same chapter. Now I get to pester her when I drag my rear out to a meet (Ter, I haven’t been since March)
The resources available are wonderful for writers so I highly recommend it too.
June 30th, 2008 at 9:11 am
I’ve been thinking of joining a “local” chapter, even though the closest is over two hours away. It sounds like I should.
I’ve always thought these writers’ retreats sounded wonderful.
My on-line CP group has been a huge help, even though we’ve become a little scattered lately.
June 30th, 2008 at 9:30 am
Tiff - I haven’t made a meeting since February due to Isabelle’s softball games being every Saturday morning throughout the spring. If figures the first time I make it back is when *I* have to give the presentation. And your welcome for all my bitching that got you to go to a meeting in the first place.
June 30th, 2008 at 9:30 am
I’m not a member of RWA but I have attended a few meetings of some local chapters. The two are quite different but I think I found the one that I like! It’s really just a matter of me joining RWA and then the chapter. I feel cheap, but I really don’t want to spend the money right now. Granted, I know I should look at it as an investment but when I’m trying to be budget conscious and buy a couch, well, you can imagine I’m not too keen on spending anything “extra” right now.
It would be neat to have a book club in the area but most of the ones that I find via Craig’s list are too specific for me. I’d like a book club where people get a chance to choose and suggest books rather than a book club that’s geared towards something like best sellers or one that’s geared toward the classics.
June 30th, 2008 at 9:56 am
I belong to RWA but not my local chapters (the HERA and MORWA are both 1 1/2 hours away minimum. Though there is a MORWA member who drives from Jeff City to go…and that’s pretty similar to my drive. *LOL*) Still. With these gas prices, not a chance.
There is an online RWA chapter (okay there’s several) but this one is a chapter, not a specialty one like Beau Monde or Passionate Pens. I’ve thought about that one; and the offer a lot of online workshops.
When my crit partner, Dee, lived in St Louis still, we’d meet in New Florence and have monthly crit meetings which were a little like “chapter meetings”. Now Sin and I keep up the crit groups, though they occur closer to home; and we’re not nearly as focused as Dee would make us. *LOL*
Speaking of groups, I think I’m supposed to have written one or two chapters this month and I didn’t do it. *LOL* Crap. Sin, are we meeting this weekend or the weekend of the 12th?
June 30th, 2008 at 10:40 am
I have no book club here. *tear* That’s why I go online. But I do have a list of books from an online book club that I want to read. There’s only 100+ books, so it should take me…oh a year or so. I know there’s a Shakespeare book club nearby, but I don’t always have the time to read the book before the club. *makes a face* Is there anyway we can get more time in the week?
June 30th, 2008 at 10:52 am
Hellion - I think you should join that online chapter. So much stuff comes over those loops and you know I’ve looked into that one. I might even join it myself.
Di - I’ll have to mess with the Earth’s axis but I’ll see what I can do. And I could never belong to a book club because I hate being told what I *have* to read. Plus, I can’t read on someone else’s schedule. At least not at this point in my crazy life. LOL!
June 30th, 2008 at 11:49 am
I don’t belong to the RWA or a chapter or an online chapter. I’m not affiliated with anyone in anyway and that has nothing to do with groups. I love groups. I belong to quite a few actual, but none of them are professional. I’m sort of waiting it out until I get this whole writer thing under my belt and feel like I can float with my nose above the water.
I have a crazy group I belong to… it’s called the RWR. Crazy wenches.
June 30th, 2008 at 11:57 am
Tiff, you don’t pester me when you go to a meeting. You pester me when you go to a meeting, when you don’t go to a meeting, when you breathe…
June 30th, 2008 at 11:58 am
Hellion, HERA is exactly 1 1/2 hours away from me too, but I’m on the west side. Mid-America Romance Writer’s is about an 1 1/2 from me too, and Wichita is about 2 hours away. So, no, I don’t belong to a local RWA. There is a local writer’s group and it is fabulous, even though it’s not geared solely toward romance writers. I also belong to RWA, can’t stress enough how important that one is. And HHRW and CHRW.
The only thing I miss from not belonging to a local chapter is that we don’t have larger conferences, like Spring Fling etc.
I was fortunate enough to see Cathy Maxwell not too long ago and she said if there is a conference within a 3 hr driving distance with agent/editor appointments then get yourself there. Unfortunately, I haven’t seen any listed recently.
Congratulations Terri, on moving forward.
Renee
June 30th, 2008 at 12:00 pm
Oh and Stef, I’m almost positive there are reader’s groups online. I was apart of one many years ago. Definitely stick with RWR, they’re always going in the right direction.
Renee
June 30th, 2008 at 12:06 pm
Yes, yes… thank you Ter for talking me outta being the frightened gal I was. I think I was hyperventilating before I went to the meeting.
I can’t remember all the reasons I haven’t gone to the meets, we go to two locales and one is just too far even on subway for me, like two hours, so I don’t care to go to those meetings… one meet was on my son’s birthday and we went to african lion safari for that… next meet, here I come…
I’m thinking of joining an online chapter too, not sure which, but I’ve been looking at a few.
June 30th, 2008 at 12:08 pm
Sin - I can see how joining too many *official-like* groups could blow your super secret author of mystery cover. LOL! We’re just glad you’re willing to compromise yourself for us. Or is that compromise us?
Renee - I’m lucky enough to be planning a joint conference with Cathy Maxwell right now. She is so sweet and I’d follow her advice anywhere. None of those three chapters you mention have their own conferences? My chapter is very small but we manage to put something together every year.
June 30th, 2008 at 12:11 pm
I totally get the distance stuff. Especially riding in a subway that long. Though you could get lots of reading done I guess.
For those who would have to travel, I wonder if you could post a flyer of sorts at the local library or bookstore to see if there might be four or five others in your same situation close by that you could sort of have your own little meetings the way Hellion and Sin do.
June 30th, 2008 at 12:57 pm
har har, Kris. You love me anyways.
And Ter, four hours in one day on a subway, when you have to three different trains and a bus to take, is annoying. No I never get four hours of reading down. Maybe an hour. Hell, maybe I’m bringing the wrong book, and it’s hard to read when you are thinking of what you just learned at the meet. I’m HM I know!
June 30th, 2008 at 1:06 pm
I didn’t realize it was more than one train. That makes more sense. That meeting would have to be REALLY good to go through all that. LOL!
June 30th, 2008 at 3:49 pm
Terri,
I’m so jealous. Cathy is a fountain of info especially for the new writer.
As far as conferences, I have only seen one and it happened to be a weekend I was going out of town. The local writer’s group I belong to here, did have Gemma Halliday and Leah Hultenschmidt in September, I had my first pitch appointment, boy that was an experience, not sure what they’ll do this year.
Renee
June 30th, 2008 at 5:40 pm
I’m very lucky, Renee. I remember the day we went driving around looking for things for the conference. I was riding in her vehicle with this voice in my head squeeing the entire time. LOL!
When I took my mom and sister to the booksigning at RT, they each got her book and when she autographed them she wrote, “You have a wonderful daughter” and “You have a wonderful sister” in them. LOL! How can you not like a lady like that?!
June 30th, 2008 at 8:36 pm
Wow! That is awesome, Terri!
Renee
June 30th, 2008 at 10:45 pm
Great blog. Congrats on clearing that block!!
What groups do I belong to? My local chapter is in NYC and I’ve made only one meeting. I keep in touch via emails. I also belong to a great group of fellow writers, some of whom have known me from the beginning of my writer’s journey. I value their support and their advice. Not that I’ve shared anything with them….or anyone for that matter. I’m hoping future meetings with my chapter will change that.
July 1st, 2008 at 7:26 am
Santa - I bet that NYC chapter is huge. And you have the bonus of having all the big publishers right there at your fingertips. You’ll get around to showing those pages off. Hopefully.
Now go relax!
July 2nd, 2008 at 9:00 pm
There is a local, but apparently they are going thru some sort of change. They have a new newsletter group I’ve joined. We’ll have to see about meetings. I’d love to join the actual group & RWA, but finding a job has to come first.
July 2nd, 2008 at 9:38 pm
DJS - I’ll keep my fingers crossed for your job hunting first. Belonging to a payroll is more important than belonging to a chapter right now. We’re happy to consider you part of our little group so if you need anything, you let us know.
July 3rd, 2008 at 12:07 pm
Thank you for the good wishes. Have an interview next week. I’m trying to change careers too, so this is taking a while. If I have to go back to cooking, I will. But I want a ‘normal’ life with weekends off, or at lease some weekends.
July 3rd, 2008 at 12:59 pm
You’re a cook?! Oh, DJS, I may have to tap you for some information. My hero is a chef and I can barely boil water. What was I thinking?!
Fingers crossed for the interview. I gave up radio because of the wonky hours (and piddly pay) so I know how you feel. Here’s to normal working hours.
July 4th, 2008 at 1:36 am
Ask Away. I’m available. I love to cook, but after 27 years of doing it professionally, I need something else. And here in the ‘Burgh, cook wages are lower than the average.
July 4th, 2008 at 10:12 am
You’re a doll! If I make it up there this summer, we’re going to have to meet up. Which means double good luck on the job hunting so you’ll have weekends off. LOL!