Like, pshaw, Dude. Was that supposed to be some well-kept secret????
Hahahahahahahahaha!
But her post struck a nerve with me. Usually they just make me wince, or get sick to my stomach, in the nicest way possible, of course, BLESS HER HEART, but this time her words hit home... Writers are unbalanced and WE LIKE IT THAT WAY.
Tina says most of us are "A.D.D." but I was too busy twirling my hair and imagining my next hero to hear her.
:)
And a lot of us are torn (as Mary said so succinctly) by life's expectations when we'd really rather Emily Dickinson-it and just write, write, write (with catered food, of course) in our gabled bedroom. With little or no interruption.
Well, that ain't about to happen, so we're plannin' the next best thing: A Virtual Writer's Retreat for youse!
Cost: Nothing
Time Involved: Totally up to you, Individually-based
Lodging: Green Mountain Dude Ranch in Northern Idaho
Food: Virtually Amazing!!!
Writing Time: As you wish
Communal Time with other writers: Nightly 8-9 PM Eastern
This is your chance to "get away" without going anywhere, without grabbing a credit or debit card for any reason, an opportunity to hobnob with other time-starved authors like yourself. A chance to work, create, brainstorm, laugh, report your word count, commiserate...
I love retreats and when I go on a writer's retreat I work. Writing is my gift to myself, so this is our chance to gift ourselves without hurting the budget and with the support of our own kind.
Definition: "Our Own Kind": Weird loners with strange people living in their heads. Like this one:
And this one:
And don't forget them!!!
And where would we be without these guys???
Although only virtual pets are okay to bring on the retreat! Sorry, Lyndee!!!
:)
So here's the skinny! RWR (Romance Writers Report, issue June 2013, the one that I'm in TWICE, by the way, once revealing my former stupid self, the second time listing 4 (Four) books coming out this year, a fact that I have to pinch myself to believe) talked about writer's retreats this month. Years ago the late Janet Edgar (The Inn at Shadow Lake, Love Inspired Suspense 2006)
hosted a retreat like this one cold, dark January to jump-start writers after the holidays. In her honor I'd like to do the same thing this spring/summer. So starting on Sunday June16, we'll begin our eight-day retreat. E-mail us HERE!!!!! and I'll send you a Yahoo Group Invite to our "Semi-Annual Writer's Retreat." Remember to e-mail us from an e-mail address that is okay for the public to see because it will be visible to anyone on the loop.
And you know how these mountain men can get!!! :)
Come to a place where you're not only understood, you're respected. Your time is your own. You can take advantage of the hunky (and very inspirational) cowboys or chill-lax in the shade of your porch and write as much or as little as you'd like. Each day will bring you inspirational messages....
Links to inspirational music....
Camaraderie....
Fun....
Food!!!!
And fellowship.
Taking time for ourselves and our careers is huge... Finding that time is difficult for so many of us. So this time treat yourself to a retreat that costs nothing...
But could be the turning point you've been looking for!
Basic Itinerary:
1. Morning message from ranch owner and operator Jake MacKillian.
2. Free time to write or ride or peruse the ranch... check out the scenery... :) If the scenery is wearing Chaps, all the better!
3. Lunch
4. Free time to gather/sightsee/write/check out the cowboys
5. Dinner on own or with friends
6. 8:00-9:00 PM Eastern Daylight Savings Time ( do not ask me to do the math, it's too right-brain for me, check Google time) you can pop into the Great Room and we can chat together!
No dress code, comfy is recommended but totally stylin' is fine if that's your gig!
What do you have to do?
E-mail us HERE (I'm posting it a second time just in case you slept through the first one or started skimming around paragraph 30).
and I'll send you and "invite" to the Dude Ranch. The Dude Ranch will look like a Yahoo Group, but we know the truth!
And the truth shall set you free. :)
Stop in this morning, Helen should be by with coffee and I'm always grateful for her attention to detail! Breakfast is Dude Ranch style, sizzlin' fritatta, griddle cakes, real maple syrup or triple berry syrup put up by Jake's two daughters, bagels (Gus makes the bagels fresh daily), fresh fruit in season (which means shipped in from California because it's not a season for much yet in northern Idaho) and fresh, cold spring water.
We've got chairs facin' east, some lookin' west and free wi-fi. Mother Nature's on the house too.
