Writing Retreat

I follow Jane Green on social media because I really enjoy reading what she writes.   Her books, her blogs, even her tweets get to me. This week she is at a writing retreat, and working on a new project.

It got me thinking about downtime and how great it would be actually have the opportunity to have solitude when writing.  I've been writing a book for the past year or so, and it's been an up and down experience.  It was all guns blazing when I first started writing...then it cooled off significantly.  After about nine months, I picked it up again and am happy to say that it's getting close.  Or I think it's getting close.  It certainly isn't ready to be edited or read yet, but maybe in the next few weeks.

Next weekend we head on a mini vacation and I'm hoping that I can spend some time sitting at the picnic table, enjoying the outdoors and getting some much needed editing done.

I would love to get to a point where writing wouldn't just be something I do as an outlet, but a career.  Writing gives me a chance to express myself and essentially just get things out.  There are so many topics that I'd like to cover, but I don't, for fear of offending people.  My friends laugh at that comment, because I am a pretty open person.  My reticence to criticize is for the benefit of my kids.  Do I think when they are grown that I will unleash all hell?  Probably not.  I'm all talk.  I will however expand on things I do write and have a little more fun.

The thought of spending an uninterrupted week at a retreat is pretty intriguing.  Waking up when you want, spending hours sitting on the beach or in a sun room overlooking a forest sounds simply blissful.  Hours upon hours jotting down thoughts and making what is my mind come alive.   

To date, I write while watching TV; I write when I get stressed at work and can spare a few minutes; I even write on my phone in my notes app when sitting at a stop light.  Until the opportunity presents itself where I could get that uninterrupted week (even a weekend will do), I'll take whatever I can get.