How About a Writing Retreat?

 

Leadership Lodge at Rock Springs Ranch

There are several ways writers can gather together to concentrate on writing. Conventions, big or small. Conferences that offer workshops. Retreats that give writers the option to have lots of time to write plus a few other things offered. 

Read here about one state organization that is trying a Writing Retreat instead of the usual convention. 

Kansas Authors Club (KAC) is a state organization that has members throughout the state. The organiztion began in Topeka in 1903 with a few people interested in writing. In the 120 years since then, KAC has grown and grown and grown. 

KAC has sponsored a state convention and a state literary contest for many years. The state is divided into seven districts, and each district takes a turn in planning the annual convention in a city in that district. During the pandemic years, the convention was done on zoom which proved to be quite successful. Still, members liked the benefit of being together at conventions. 

This year, District 3 & 4 were to be hosts, but they have fewer active members, making it more difficult to plan and run a full convention. Some state leaders talked about having a Writing Retreat instead. There would still be planning but not on such a large scale. District 3 & 4 picked up the banner and moved with it.

The committee selected Rock Springs Ranch, just outside Junction City, KS. Most people know about Rock Springs because of the many 4H camps held there over the years. They also welcome other groups to use the facilities in this beautiful wooded area. The lodging, meeting, and dining halls have been updated and are very nice. (See photo of one building) I toured the area several weeks ago and was pleasantly surprised at how nice all the buildings were as well as sparkling clean. The aroma of food being prepared in the Dining Hall made our taste buds tingle. All the buildings are nestled among tall, stately trees. 

OK, the place is great, but what will writers do at a writing retreat? There will be a motivational speaker on Friday evening and a social time. On Saturday, yoga and nature walks, campfire storytelling and music, guided writing exercises, writing prompts, staffed critique rooms, small group discussions, open mic practice, a make your own chapbook station, and of course, writing time wherever, whenever, and any length of time you want to spend. All of the choices listed here are exactly that--choices. You can choose to do one, none, or all. 

On Sunday, there will be time for more yoga or nature walk, a Book Fair, Annual Meeting time, Rosemary Time (recognition of members deceased this past year), and Member awards announced. After lunch, the awards for the annual Literary Contest will be announced. 

Writers will do all this in a truly lovely setting on an October weekend. The cost is a great deal less than a convention at a hotel which can leave some members out as it is not in their budgets. This Writers Retreat is something new for KAC, and I think it will be enjoyed by all who attend. 

The KAC Writing Retreat is open to all members and also non-members. Any nonmember who attends will be given a 2024 KAC membership. 

More details can be found at https://www.kansasauthorsclub.org/upcomingconvention.html 

You don't want to be one of writers who say "I wish I had gone to the 2023 KAC Writing Retreat." October 6-8, 2023 is the time. 

Writer--Stop Doubting Yourself!

 The quote in today's poster is filled with very few, but very wise words. A simple bit of advice to writers, whether newbies or seasoned. Sylvia Plath was a complicated, but talented, poet and novelist who took her own life at an early age. Perhaps she struggled with self-doubt herself, which is why she spoke about what it brings to the writer. 

Self-doubt in a writer is like an open wound that grows worse without treatment. How in the world does one treat a problem like self-doubt? It can become a mental block that might grow to gigantic proportions. 

Become a positive thinker. You might have to force yourself to find and dwell on the positives in your writing life. Even so, it's something to work on. Make it a morning habit to list the positives in your life  as you begin your day, or last thing at night. Be fair to yourself rather than look for negatives first. There are definitely positive things in every writer's life. We all have days when it is hard to find one, but it can be done.

Admit to your self-doubt. Trying to avoid it will not be helpful at all. It's a problem some writers have, and the sooner it's faced, the quicker it can be either lessened or overcome. 

There is no need to compare yourself to others. We are all individuals. We work at different levels, at a different pace, and with different goals in mind. You're not Sylvia Plath or John Grisham or Stephen King. You are a company of one, and your writing is yours, no one else's.

Have a friend you can lean on occasionally. It's helpful to be able to talk about your cares and woes in your writing life to another writer. They are people who have a better understanding of your plight. Don't use this person as a crutch, however. Plus, they might not want to listen to what you have to say every day of the week. Now and then? Fine. 

Self-respect has a lot to do with how you feel about your writing world self. Remind yourself now and then about the many good things in your writing life. No writer has everything awful or all wonderful. Dwell more on the positives than the negatives. 

If you can handle any self-doubt you have, your creative side will have a chance to emerge and flourish.  

Writing With Emotion

 

Two posters today that bring some insight to writing with emotion while bringing some emotion to the reader, as well. Both are helpful in creating a good piece of writing. 

The first poster quote by E.L. Doctorow tells us that we need to make our readers identify someting. Not that it's raining but that they feel that rain as they read. The way to do that is to show what you're writing about, not merely tell or report. 'The rain came harder, and Jean began to shiver as her clothes felt heavier and her hair plastered itself to her head. Her shoes squished as she plodded down the muddy road.' Doesn't that give you more of a picture, even make you shiver a bit, than if you said 'It rained as Jean walked home.'?

Look at the quote by Robert Frost. Sometimes, memoir writers hold back their real feelings as they write. It might be too painful to experience those emotions that assailed them during a traumatic event all over again. But, isn't the reason for writing the memoir to visit that part of life again and try to figure it out? If you hold those emotions inside, your reader is not going to feel what you're writing about either. You'll be reporting what happened but that's all. 

One of the reasons we write memoir is to help us heal after a difficult time in our lives. No, it isn't a cure-all, but one step in healing. As you write, relive the experience and let the emotions rumble and roil, bring them to the surface. You might write with tears wetting your cheeks, or you could feel a lot of anger or frustration. Isn't that one of the reasons you're writing a memoir about a troubling time in your life? To let it out? There is no shame in being emotional while writing. I think it's when you'll end up with some of your best writing.

All memoirs aren't sad tales. If you're writing a memoir about growing up in a special family, show the joy that you lived with, the special qualities your parents and siblings had. Show the laughter and the love. Don't only tell it. Feel it and your reader will, as well.

What if you're writing a humorous story or personal essay? If you write with a sour face, that humor is not going to come through as well as it might if you write with a smile on your face and an occasional chuckle. 

Emotion and sensation are both parts of writing a writer needs to perfect. Keep in mind that showing rather than telling will be a great help in both of these aspects. 

Trust and Try Your Writing Wings

 

It's pretty well established that Fear is a trait most writers deal with at some time or other. Some only occasionally while others must wrestle with their writing fears on a regular basis. It's nothing to be ashamed of, as it's one part of this writing life that a good many writers must deal with. 

Some fear the actual act of putting words on a screen or paper, while others worry themselves sick about submitting their finished work. 

This is a fact:  All the worrying in the world will not change a thing. Easy for me to say, but maybe not so easy for you to believe. You can read the words. You can say them out loud. But that doesn't always mean you're going to truly believe it. You might have to work at it a little at a time. 

Let's look at both problems. First, there are would-be writers who think about writing a lot. They dream of creating characters in a story. They jot an occasional note, but they cannot seem to put butt in chair and proceed. Some fear that what they write will be no good. Some fear that, once they write the story, then they'll need to move on to the next step--submitting to a publisher. 

You don't know how well you can write until you try it. Your first efforts might not be spectacular, but writing on a regular basis helps in becoming a better writer. Reading all you can about the writing world will also aid you in writing better. Joining a critique group can give you help in areas needed. You do have to join a group like this with an open mind and be willing to take their suggestions, not as criticism but as a help in making you a better writer. Writers must develop a tough skin.

Those who fear submitting their writing to an editor or publisher worry that their work will be rejected. Guess what? All writers get rejections. Many of them! In fact, you'll get more rejections than acceptances, and maybe that is what makes the occasional acceptance so wonderful. The rejection is not personal. It's not YOU that is being turned down. Your story or article or essay may be too similar to one they recently published, or the subject matter doesn't fit their theme, or you may not have followed all their guidelines. There are many reasons a submission is rejected. And yes, it is disappointing, but life goes on, Your next step is to submit the same piece somewhere else, after you've taken a good look at it to see if there are any changes you might want to make. 

I love today's poster. It fits writers ever so well. Test your wings by writing and submitting. Repeat. And repeat again. It's an ongoing task. 

Things Not to Ask a Writer

 

A writer's journey is filled with hard work, joy, and frustrations. One of the frustrations is that those who are nonwriters don't always understand what you are striving for, nor do they shy away from asking rather personal questions or making comments. 

I can't tell you how many times I've been asked if I'd published my book yet. First of all, what book? Second, I don't write books. I write in short form in several genres. Sometimes, when I say I haven't published a book, I get 'the look' from the questionner. The attitude of some nonwriters is that you're not worth much if you haven't published a book. 

There are countless fine writers who have never published a book and never intend to. They're perfectly happy writing short pieces or single poems for magazines, ezines, and anthologies. They may have a long list of credits to their name, but one them is not having published a book. 

Perhaps some nonwriters don't understand that there are numerous facets to this endeavor. People who have sold plays and screenplays may not have written a book, but what they have chosen to write is just as important as that of a novelist. 

Some may ask you the same question each time they see you. "Have you been published yet?" They know that being published is one of a writer's goals, but do they ever consider the writer's feelings by asking this again and again. Better to wait until the writer friend spreads the news of being published. 

Instead, you might ask something like, "How's your writing life going?" The writer can give you the short answer or enlarge on what he/she is working on. They will most likely appreciate your interest in their work but aren't pinned to a certain kind of answer. 

Ask "What are you working on"" instead of "Have you sold anything yet?" 

Please don't ever ask a writer how much he/she made on their last sale. You wouldn't visit your doctor and ask "How much did you make on that last patient?" Extend the writer the same courtesy. 

Showing interest in the writer's writing life is fine. In fact, it's great. Inquire about their present writing project--what it is, how it's going. Or ask if they're working on a new project. Just don't ask some of the questions mentioned above. 

Find the Desire and Drive to Write

 

To be a writer who finds some success, you must have the desire, the drive, and the passion within. How do you know if you have any, or all, of those three traits? None of them are things you can touch or hold in your hands. They can't sit on your mantel as a daily reminder. You can't gift wrap them and give them to yourself.

The desire to write begins with a seed planted by your subconscious. You think about it, and as time moves on, you think about it a lot. You read books and magazines, and you have a yen to try this writing thing yourself. That little seed might start growing within each time you thnk about trying to be a writer. 

For me, the desire was there from school age on, but I allowed life to get in the way. If I could live my life over, one of the first things I would do is pursue a writing career. Because I put other people in my life first, the drive to write became stagnant. It wasn't gone, but it didn't get nourished so it could grow either. I wouldn't abandon those others in my life, but I would definitely allow myself more 'me' time.

Once I reached a point in life where I had fewer obligations to my family and community, the desire started to grow, and the drive became a constant in my life. I'd wasted a lot of years when I wasn't writing, so I felt like I had to make up for lost time. 

I read all I could about writing. I joined my state writers organization. I joined an online critique group. I slowly acquired a group of writer friends. Best of all, I did start writing. The more I wrote, the more I wanted to continue. The drive evolved from the desire. 

When I started writing with hopes of submitting my work, the passion began, and it grew like the desire and the drive. Writers don't acquire these traits overnight. They grow little by little. The love of writing acts like fertizer on a flower bed making the desire, drive, and passion bloom like a glorious summer garden.

If you have the desire, you must work at this writing business to acquire the drive and the passion. The more you write, the more you'll develop these three traits. Don't be an occasional writer. Make writing a part of your life, and you'll reap benefits. 

Ready, Set, Write!

 

Neil Gaiman gives two opinions on how to write. Just sit down and put one word after another until it's done. Then he qualifies it by saying 'It's that easy, and that hard.' Anyone who's tried it will nod their head in agreement. 

What do you need to do to put that great idea that's been swirling in your head into the printed word on your computer or by hand in a notebook?

You need to stop merely thinking about writing and actually engage your mind and fingers to putting words, one after the other in a printed form. We all procrastinate now and then. Partly because we worry that if we actually write something, it might be a bunch of drivel. Your subconscious tells you that you needn't be concerned if you don't actually write. A cop-out? Yep!

You should set aside time to write. If you're a professional writer, you have a set amount of time to write almost every day. If you're a hobbyist writer, or a part-time scribe, you need to work out a schedule so that each day includes some writing time. 30 minutes, an hour, 2 hours--whatever you can manage in your life. The key is to be consistent as much as you can. There are always going to be interferences, but if you promise yourself to write a certain amount each day, stick to it as much as possible. If you do, you'll create a habit. 

There will always going to be little problems with whatever you write. This part of the story didn't work out like you planned. Another part ended up too sappy. Yet another lacked life. Don't worry about that when you start a new writing project. Keep writing--putting one word after another--until you complete a first draft. Finishing a first draft gives you a sense of accomplishment, even though you know you have more to do.

That 'more' includes setting the first draft aside for several days, then bringing it out and starting the editing and revision process. You might need to continue this process two or three times until you feel satisfied. 

Next, it's time to look for a market that your story might fit. Matching story to markets is not an easy task. It can sometimes become a guessing game. Some are obviously not the correct market for your story, so are easily eliminated. Others are definte while still more are 'maybe' kind of markets. That easy and that hard? Yes!

Submitting what you have written is a part of the writing life, too. An important part if you want to be published. Sometimes you're successful and many times, you aren't. All part of the process.

It appears writing is a mixed bag of easy and hard. If you have a passion for putting words together that people will want to read, it's a little easier. That passion can drive you to keep writing. If you're so-so about wanting to be a writer, you're probably going to find lots of excuses why you aren't going to actually string words together but only think about them. 

Once again, it's up to you!