Writing Retreat

If you follow along you know I’ve been planning to take a few days for a personal writing retreat. I’m so close to finishing this draft of my novel. I want to lock myself in a hotel room with a about thirty cans of Starbucks espresso shots and a dozen or so Trader Joe’s hummus wraps and just write until it’s done.

At first it was going to be this week. But then I got busy with work and started talking over the details with Daniel and we decided it would be better if I did it the last weekend of the month (make Memorial Day a 4 day weekend and go then). But then yesterday we got to talking again and it seems like I had it right the first time. My sister-in-law is getting married the weekend after memorial day weekend, and there may be fun happenings leading up to that. Also, we have friends in town for memorial day weekend, and I’d like to see them.

So I did some calling this morning. I talked to my favorite, most wonderful client to see if there were any big projects starting up this week (there aren’t). I called Staci at Affordable Honda and found out the civic should be drivable by the end of today. I don’t have any appointments or meetings. In fact, this week, from tomorrow through Friday, is looking like the perfect time to disappear for a bit. The only trick is the hotel reservation. The place I’m staying doesn’t take calls until 3pm, so I don’t know yet if they have room for me this week. I hope they do, but really, if they don’t I might just book a room at any old Motel 6. It really doesn’t matter where I’m at. My only hope was to be in the desert, since that’s where my story is set. Also, it needs to be cheap.

So I won’t know for a few hours exactly where I’ll be, but it’s looking like this is it. Yeah! And then the panic sets in. Holy shit. You mean I actually have to finish my novel? Yes, that’s the whole point – set aside time to get through this final stretch. It is as scary as it is exciting. I’m pretty sure I know what needs to be done. I’ve been plugging away at it, a few hours a week, for months – years even.

So I guess I just need to not psych myself out. Just go and revel in the freedom to write, write, write. No schedule to keep. No laundry that needs doing. No meals to prepare. Just me and my hummus wraps. And cookies. Lots of cookie.

I’ll write a blog post when I get home Friday to let y’all know how it goes. Wish me luck.

Being A Productive Writer

In 2010, a woman named Sage Cohen published a book titled “The Productive Writer.” I blogged about it a bit at the time, but what I couldn’t have foreseen was how I would continue to reference the book. It’s a really good practical guide for trying to squeeze as much writing as you can into your life. And for those of us who are working at making words our livelihood as well as our passion, the book helps to set goals, find clients and not make yourself crazy with it all. I highly recommend it.

But that’s not actually the reason I’m blogging about it. I was re-reading chapter 8 (Tapping Your Source) last night. In it Sage talks about finding your inspiration, and how important it is for writers to not lock themselves away in a room. You have to listen to other writers talk about their craft, you have to build a community.

The further I get in my writing career, the more that rings true for me. I have a writing group, but as awesome as they are (and they are amazing), I need more. I not only need inspiration and feedback on my fiction, I also need a network so that I can continue to find work as a professional. I need to meet more magazine editors, agents, potential clients. I also need writer friends who have similar schedules and can sneak off to a movie in the middle of the day.

I love working on my own, in my pajamas, with no one around to bug me with inane questions about how to make the copier work, but I am also a social person. I need to build my community of writers if for no other reason except that I get lonely sometimes.

To quote Sage Cohen: “Having friends to learn with and from, who are intimately engaged with the unique opportunities and challenges of the writing life, is something that I wish for every writer.”

So I’m starting today. I’m having coffee with an alum from Scripps College (where I got my BA). I’m really looking forward to it. I’m also going to send an email to a couple other writer friends. Wouldn’t it be great to have at least one date a week with a creative cohort? If you happen to be one of those lovely creative types I’ve met over the years – drop a line, we’ll get a cup of coffee one of these days.

Score One For Focus

In March I blogged about needing to focus my efforts as a writer. I was trying to do everything, and the result was that I was succeeding at nothing. I took a long, hard look at my goals for this year and decided to cut some projects loose. It was hard. I feel like I could live three hundred years and not have time to write all the stories I want to write.

Since then I’ve been working on the novel and my business. Both are going very well. My favorite client has been sending all kinds of work my way, and I’m nearing the end of a draft on the novel. Life is pretty simple. I sit down at my desk in the morning and check in on the work that clients need done. Some time shortly after lunch I switch to the novel and spend an hour or so on it. Then, from about 3 on, I do whatever needs attention most. If there’s no more paid work that needs to be done, I write query letters, pay bills or even read a little. It’s awesome.

It’s true, I could use one more client like my favorite client – I’m not quite where I want to be as far as yearly earnings go, but considering I only started this business last January, I’m feeling pretty good about it. And that’s not something I would have said in March.

So my little experiment in focus is going swimmingly.

At the end of this month I’m taking it to the extreme. I’ve booked a hotel room in Mojave for four days and I’m going to lock myself in it and finish this draft of my novel. I’m close, I know I am, and writing just an hour or so a day feels painfully slow. I’m hoping when I emerge at the end of this long weekend I will have a version of my story that I’m finally ready to let people (other than my writing group) read.

Exciting times.

Las Gracias de Dona Diabla

Congratulations to my father-in-law, who just published his first book.

It’s titled “Las Gracias de Dona Diabla.” There was a huge launch party in Quito, Ecuador, last weekend. I couldn’t make it, but I hear it was a big success.

My Spanish, as of yet, isn’t quite good enough that I can actually read the book, but if yours is, I suggest you track down a copy. He’s a great story teller.

Felicidades, Juancho!

Tribeca Film Festival

Last Wednesday my husband’s latest film premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival. It’s called Knife Fight, and it stars Rob Lowe. You can check out the trailer by clicking here.

Though my guy’s been in the film business for a while now (he started as an assistant at DreamWorks back in the day), it’s only the last five years or so that his own films have started doing the whole festival thing. Coincidentally, it’s also in the last five years that we started our family. So while he’s been traveling to France, New York (he had another film, “Splinters,” at Tribeca last year), South America and such, I’ve been home taking care of the babies. Which is fine, really. I mean, who wants to walk down the red carpet when they can stay home and change poopy diapers.

Ah-hem.

Needless to say, I was pretty excited to go. My dad came down from Idaho to watch the kiddos (thanks dad!) and I took the red eye Tuesday night to New York. I crashed into our hotel bed around 5am, slept untilI felt like waking up, ate, read my book, slept some more and basically lounged the day away until it was time to don the fancy duds and go to the screening. I got to walk down the red carpet and wait in the back with the cast until the screening started.

The theater, the largest at the festival with 900 seats, was packed (sold out, in fact). The Q&A after was great. The festival threw an after party at this cool, basement bar all lined in brick (what is it with New York and brick – they love that stuff) in the Village. It was a great night all around. Here are a few photos:

Sometimes it can be challenging being a creative couple. Sometimes our creative angst can lead us to lash out at each other, or be moody in unexpected ways, but sometimes, it’s awesome.