DIY writers retreat

I've just returned home from a DIY writers' retreat. This was the second time my friend Hildy Morgan and I traveled to the shore to carve out a time away, a time dedicated to concentrated effort on our works-in-progress. No meals to prep, no laundry or dirty floors calling, no weeds or seeds or countless other needs of home vying for attention. Just stories - telling them, discussing them, dissecting them, writing them. Hildy is a perfect partner for such a retreat.

Stories flowed as we watched the rising sun transform the visible world, the churning sea at first steel gray, then touched with a glowing band of red, then coral, then gold, until the full sun danced silver-white on the water. Who wouldn't be inspired?

In the days away, I wrote 5000+ words on my novel-in-progress, the sequel to Risking Exposure. That places me about two-thirds done with the first draft, on target with my goal - finish the first draft by year's end.

Next week, I head to Washington DC for a research day at the Library of Congress. I'll keep you posted.

Scratching the itch

I've been feeling the itch to write more. But the practical aspects of living - spending time with people I love, working, taking care of my home and my health, participating in community and church activities, etc. - have left me precious little time to write.


Don't get me wrong. I am involved in each and every one of these activities because I enjoy them. They fulfill me in different ways, connect me to the bigger world and allow me to use different gifts and graces. But I find myself frustrated, trying to carve out small bits of time to jot down notes and read some background material. Honestly, it's not enough time to immerse myself in ideas and characters, and I need that to satisfy my muse.

Michael and I talked about it yesterday. I think we came up with a way to create a Writers Retreat of sorts. Not a physical place. More like an escape from other commitments which chip away at my writing time. So we're going to try it next weekend, and my hope is for a good 10+ hours of planning and writing.
I wonder if that much scratching will satisfy my itch. Part of me thinks it will ease the itch for a time. But I bet the overall effect will be like scratching a mosquito bite - I'll just spread the venom through my system and overall, the itching will increase. So be it.