What made the Muses’ Colorado retreat so great for me? Well, everything the ladies wrote about all week: Good friends, limited contact to the outside world, writing goals, shop talk, plenty of s’mores, and PLENTY of coffee/wine (depending on the hour). But I wanted to give a detailed play-by-play⁰, because dissecting a case study has always helped me understand on a deeper level.

⁰Feel free to read the footnotes if you want some extra insight. If you’re not interested, skip them. I mean, it’s not like I worked hard on them for you. Jerk.

Friday. 5am. I rolled out of bed, braved the early airport masses, and hopped on the plane by 7am. With a coffee in hand, I spent the plane ride writing and critiquing.¹

¹ Talia rocks. That is all.  

Friday 10am. Hello, Denver. This was not an airport for the weak-hearted. After a 58 mile walk and a train ride, I trucked it toward Baggage Claim 9.² And there we were, The YA Muses, together again. We hopped in our borrowed Jeep³ and aimed toward Estes Park – our home for the following two nights.⁴

² Logistics were critical: We’d all arranged our flights to come in around the same time. Donna, offered to pick us up and selected a pre-determined, easy-to-find meeting spot. These little things go a long way. Believe me – I’ve been to other retreats where the stress of the details nearly did me in.

³ Plenty of space for us and the bags, though we were warned that coming back home we better not have any food leftover…or I was going to have to ride on the roof rack. I hate being the rookie in the group.

⁴ I so wish this could’ve been a longer retreat. But this is what worked into everyone’s crazy, busy schedules.

Friday. 11am. On the drive, Donna outlined a plan for the afternoon: straight to the cabin, make/eat sandwiches, write, fun, write, eat, critique… but we could adjust that as necessary.⁵ We loved the itinerary so we headed up the mountain and got to the good stuff.⁶

⁵ The sign of a great cruise director: A schedule – with flexibility.    

⁶ a.k.a talking about writing, books, and all that stuff your average spouse/friend/coworker understands very little about. Be warned: these conversations can consume DAYS if you let them, but (as Katy said) car rides/meals/hikes are great times to dive in.

Friday. 12:30pm. The views at the cabin were breathtaking. The air was clear. If we stopped chatting, there was only silence.⁷ Starving, we tore into the lunch spread: all the fixin’s for sammies…yep, even hummus.⁸ Stuffed, we corralled for Writing Time. We verbalized our goals, set a timer, plugged into our iCaves (a.k.a music), and set to work.

⁷Ok, mostly silence. Every so often there’d be an Elk bugling, which sounds very much like a high-pitched-dino-squeal out of JURASSIC PARK. And, take my word, Donna did a fantastic demo so we’d know what to be listening for.

⁸Or whatever them veggie-tar-ians eat…actually, this is a good point. Our cruise director provided options that could accommodate the group without being overly complex. After all, food is merely writing fuel.

Friday. 4:30pm. The timer went off. As we finished our goals (or came within spittin’ distance), we congregated on the porch for more talk and opportunities to hear Elk.⁹ Eventually, we piled into the Jeep and Donna took us on an ole’ fashioned safari.^{10, 11}  

⁹This is one of those rewards Donna spoke of.

¹⁰In which we witnessed (in no particular order of importance): A coyote, deer, a tetherball court, some kinky Elk rituals, and Bret laughing so hard he almost peed his pants.

¹¹Can’t tell you how important it was to get out of the house for a little bit.

Friday. 7pm. We welcomed the personal pizza bar.¹² With a roaring fire, we followed the meal with wine, mini-cupcakes, and a read-aloud critique session with our new projects.^12.5 By 10:30pm, some of us curled into bed and others stayed up way past our bedtimes watching the stars, talking, or tackling a little more writing.¹³

¹²Again with the delicious, all-encompassing meals.

^12.5Be jealous. Be very jealous. These ladies are genius.

¹³Veronica. Is. A. Machine.

Saturday. All Day. We devoured some great homemade pancakes¹⁴ and then got to work. The day was gloomy with spots of rain. Perfect writing weather.¹⁵ The coffee, tea, and snacks¹⁶ kept us productive. By 2:30pm, brains were fried. Back into the Jeep for another safari. On the car-ride to the spectacular Bear Lake, we locked down Blog topics for the next several months.¹⁷ After a break in the storm, we hiked to the lake, and then headed home for more (you guessed it) writing time.

¹⁴Do you notice a food-trend yet?

¹⁵When you’re picking a spot, you want places where you can get out, but not where you have to be out the whole time. Sorry again about Hawaii, Katy.

¹⁶Bring lots and lots.

¹⁷ There’s some great ones in the queue. Stay tuned.

Saturday. Night. We take Donna out to a nice dinner on the local river.¹⁸ Then back to the cabin for more reading, s’mores, wine, laughing, and conversation. We all stayed up way-too-late, not wanting the night to end.

¹⁸It was the LEAST we could do for all of her hard cruise directing.

Sunday. Morning. We checked out of the cabin, grabbed breakfast, and hiked to a nice waterfall. We found a local coffee shop and took over their biggest table for a few more hours at the grindstone.  Too soon, we left for the airport¹⁹ and made the long trek back to the gate. I touched down around 7pm, tired, though oddly recharged, and totally excited to see my family. It’d only been a weekend, but a jam-packed, productive one.²⁰

¹⁹And had a great time rehashing all the jokes and talking about our future plans – including where the next retreat will be!

²⁰And I wouldn’t want it any other way.

Can't wait until NEXT time!

Big Fella with his harem.

You’ll see in Donna, Talia and Katy’s posts how valuable we all found the weekend in Colorado. From work sessions to laugh sessions to critique sessions—we went from fun to fun to fun.

You want to know the secret to a great writers’ retreat? Listen up, because it’s simple but important.

It’s the people.

If you’re thinking of retreating, more than schedule, location—more than any consideration--try to find the right people to surround yourself with. Make a list of what matters to you as a writer. Respect? Creativity? Motivation? Retreat with people who possess those important qualities.

Here’s what I value:

People who make you laugh. We Muses crack each other up, I’m not gonna lie. I think we have a combined maturity level of your average sixth grader. Combined. (As in, we are all somewhere around first to second grade.) With all that laughing, I will say that some of the best laughs came from our critique sessions. Some people are funny and write funny. Banter. Razor-sharp wit. Consider yourselves warned. There's some funny books coming out of this bunch.

People who make you cry. Estes National Park, Colorado is stunning. The Aspens were just starting to turn. The elk were bugling, the bulls daring young challengers to take their harems. (Yes. Harems. I learned a lot about elk this weekend.) We saw coyotes prowling through brush. We saw deer and waterfalls that dropped hundreds of feet and lakes that take your breath away. None of that made me cry. I teared up because of one of the Muses has written a character who is so real and beautiful inside and out, that her triumph moved me deeply.

People who make you stretch. We did not do yoga at our retreat (although a yoga conference was arriving as we were leaving.) But my writing mind was stretched when I heard portions of one of the Muses’ new stories—just in its infant stages—so limitless in its imagination that my heart pounded as I pictured the possibilities. I could see it. More so, I wanted to see it. That kind of creativity is infectious, and I am lucky to have been… ummm…. Infected. You get what I mean.

People who make you love words. There’s one particular Muse who is so artful in his-or-her use of language that you just want to sit back and close your eyes when she reads (OK, it’s a she, but I’m not saying which she.) We work in words, and this particular person is a master. I can’t wait for her book to come out so everyone can enjoy what I have privilege of hearing in advance.

People who fill your tank. Let’s just be frank here and admit that it’s hard to share your work. Even to your closest friends. I think as writers, we’re always in a love/hate with our stories, our characters, our prose. (Maybe it’s just me. If so, just skip ahead.) One of the best things I got out of this weekend was validation. We all feel reassured when told that, yes, you’re heading in the right direction. In critique, we right our compass by learning what we need to improve or change, but we fuel our tanks when we hear, “This part was great.”

People who make awesome raspberry pancakes. Just making sure you were still paying attention. But Donna does make awesome raspberry pancakes.

I hope you have friends/writers who can offer you these things. If you don’t, don’t despair. Really. Save the despair, because you can find great people, it just takes a little effort.

Get out there. Go to conferences. Join a local critique group. Print some business cards and be ready exchange information with people who might make a good match. Get involved. The writing community is full of interesting, talented and supportive people. Get out there and claim some of them your friends. You don’t even have to bugle or lock horns like elk do. See how easy you have it?

I just got word that the title of BANDIA is changing.

I always knew the title could change, and my agent Sarah and I spent days last summer coming up with a number of options before we submitted under BANDIA.  We were torn, because BANDIA is a Gaelic word that is important in the book, but it's also a word that's largely unrecognizable to most readers.  As recent confirmation, my Google alert kept returning misspellings of Japanese video game company Bandai, and nothing related to Celtic mythology.

So BANDIA is still an important word in the context of my story, but it is no longer the title of my debut novel.

The title is simple and evocative, and also has a strong connection to the story.  It's a title that I've loved since Sarah first suggested it last summer, and I'm thrilled that the team at Flux agrees.

From this day forward, the book formerly known as BANDIA shall be called SILVER.

As you might have noticed, we are back from a rejuvenating writing retreat in the Colorado Rockies.  It was beautiful and inspiring.  Our group originally met when we were randomly assigned together in a critique group at a conference, so it was especially fun to listen to each other read from our new WIPs and to see how far we've all come since that first meeting nearly two years ago.

We talked about Artist's Dates a few weeks back, and I think of a weekend writing retreat as the ultimate Artist's Date. We went as a group, so it probably doesn't count, but we had plenty of opportunity to commune with nature and indulge our creative sides.

A writing retreat may be just what you need to:

1.  Break up your routine.

Everyone needs a break from the daily grind now and then, and writers are no exception.  It's amazing how taking yourself away from your own work area can shake up your perspective, and give you a new outlook on your writing.  When you come back, your work space will be familiar, but no longer stale, and you'll be surprised at how much you have to think about things you usually do subconsciously.  Thinking is good. 

2.  Change your surroundings

A new view can give you a whole new outlook, and when that view is of the gorgeous Rocky Mountain scenery, you can't help but be inspired. Writing in a mountain cabin is really cool.  If you can't get to the mountains, try a beach, or just take your laptop out on the patio for an al fresco writing session.  It's not just about breaking routine, it's about experiencing a new setting, and finding details that you can incorporate into your work. 

3.  Get You Writing

If the change in setting and routine doesn't get you writing, the scheduled work blocks of time and peer pressure will.  One of the great things about out retreat, was that we blocked out time when everyone was working, and set times in the evening to read and critique each others' work.  If being in a room with four other productive writers wasn't enough to get me working, knowing I needed to have something to read at the end of the day was.  I knew I needed to get writing on a sequel to my paranormal, and I used the retreat as a springboard to get past the blank page and start writing.

4.  Just say No to Guilt

Writing a novel may be the greatest time suck ever invented.  Throw in creating a web presence, social networking, agent and editor research, marketing, submissions, and reading, and it's easy to feel guilty about all the things you're not doing (like housework, shopping, playing with your dog, talking to your family).  Yes, there will be guilt associated with taking a weekend just for your writing.  But once you're there, you'll be able to write without seeing the dirty dishes in the sink, hearing the dryer beep, or listening to the pathetic squeak that accompanies the Saint Bernard chewing on his stuffed bumblebee.

5.  Be Inspired

Nothing is more inspiring than surrounding yourself with like-minded writers, listening to their own struggles and then reading their amazing work.  The Muses all have unique writing voices, but each one is special in its own way.  Good work is always nice to read, but it's even more inspiring is seeing the work evolve and grow, until it becomes something great.

6.  Talk Books

I love to talk books and writing.  I love to listen to talk about books and writing.  Not only do I get ideas for books to read, I get to, well, talk books.

7.  Make Personal Connections

We communicate via email all the time, but there's no substitute for face to face contact.  A writing retreat with other writers provides a wonderful opportunity to get to know other writers better and build your support network.

8.  Learn to Love the Process

The exciting thing about writing, critiquing and writing again, is that you can see your work getting better as you go through the process.  Writing, revising, and revising again are all part of the process.  A writing retreat with a critique component can help to remind you how much you really do love what you do.

How do you organize a writing retreat?

Yesterday, the lovely Elizabeth Briggs  posed this question.  And even though I didn’t do the real planning (Donna did – our Colorado cruise director) I thought I’d address the question.

1. Find people to retreat with. These could be good writing friends, beta readers, acquaintances, or even people that you found by posing the question on a discussion board, like Verla Kay’s blueboards. I, personally, advise inviting people you already know.  And/or friends of the people you know.

2. Find writers who have the same goals. This could be spending all of your time writing, half of your time writing, or very little of your time writing. Work out your writing to play ratio, and make sure everyone's on board with that.

3. Send a quick e-mail to find out how many people are interested, and what they're interested in. Try to discover how much everyone is willing to spend. For example, when I suggested that our next retreat be in Hawaii, I was shot down. Of course, I think my family would've rebelled, too.

4. Once you have a headcount and budget, look at venue options. Last year, we all went to Talia’s house. She had enough room for all of us, and the only person who had to fly was Donna. But this year, we figured we would go to her. As it turned out, the YMCA of the Rockies in Estes Park was perfect. I think we all would highly recommend it. We stayed in a three-bedroom cottage, sharing rooms, cooking and cleaning duties. There was a large table, at which we could all sit to work, eat, and critique. We had a fireplace for roasting s'mores, and a balcony from which we could stare at the stars and mountains.  For me, at least a little natural beauty is a must.

5. Choose a date. If you have several people interested, you might choose to do a poll, possibly using a device like Survey Monkey. My local SCBWI chapter recently did one for a large retreat they are planning for next year. However, if there are only 5 of you, like us, just have everyone check their calendars to see what works.  Keep in close e-mail contact as the retreat draws closer.  This was easy for us, since we are in almost daily contact, anyway.  (In fact, the one thing we missed while on retreat was the ability to procrastinate by e-mailing each other).

6. Transportation. For our retreat, we each organized our own flights to Colorado, where Donna picked us up, and drove us to our cabin. Because Talia and I flew from the same airport, we coordinated to share a flight. If people are driving, you may help figure out if they can carpool. There's nothing like two to three hours of book talk while traveling.

7. Food. Based on budget, venue and personality, determine how you are going to eat. You could find a place that's all-inclusive, or choose somewhere near very good restaurants, or figure out a cooking rotation and provision list before. We did a combo, cooking our own dinner one night (Donna provided pizza crusts and fixings), eating out one night, and scrounging from a variety of delicious possibilities that Donna brought with her for lunch and dinner. Including hummus. And cupcakes.

8. Have fun! Make sure that you balance your writing time with playtime and chat time and critique time. Enjoy each other's company. Laugh.

There's nothing like being able to spend an entire weekend immersed in writing and craft and good company. You can have a writing retreat in a family cabin in the woods, or in a five-star hotel. You can subsist on nuts and berries, or have gourmet meals catered in. All of that is incidental. It's the writing and writers around you that matter.

As you might know by now, the YAMuses spend one fall weekend on a private writing retreat. This past weekend, I was the host here in my home state of Colorado. The weather was cloudy, rainy, and chilly. Absolutely perfect for spreading out in the cabin and writing our little hearts out. The schedule was simple. We'd start the day by eating breakfast together at the big dining room table, talking about new book ideas and problem scenes. Then we scattered out throughout the cabin and all wrote for 2-3 hour blocks of time. Sometimes someone issued a challenge to meet a certain goal by the next break--word counts, critical scenes, backstory--everyone had different goals. At the breaks, "we went on safari," planning our blog topics and talking about the business of writing. We also saw the amazing scenery and wildlife of Rocky Mountain National Park.

At night, we read manuscripts in process (sometimes freshly written the hour before), critiqued the hell out of them, and then built a big fire in the fireplace and roasted s'mores.

As a writer, it was heaven. So what did I learn?

1) Retreat with like minds. The Muses share a wickedly funny sense of humor. When we're together we laugh a lot, sometimes so hard we can't catch our breath. But when it comes time to work, we focus completely on accomplishing our writing goals. If I'm going to retreat from everything else in my life, I want to be sure the time is spent productively.
2) Renew your commitment. The writing life is, for the most part, a solitary endeavor. Having four brilliant writing minds in one room focusing on making my manuscript better is an incredible resource. It also means I'm able to have constant conversations with others who completely understand the process and the business. So rare in everyday, non-writing life. It all brings me back home to my solitary time in front of the computer, and the rest of my crazy life I'm trying to balance, with a renewed sense of commitment and belief that I can do this. So so SO important to see from time to time.

3) Reward your success. I realized when I'm in a retreat setting, and the writing process is so intense, I tend to reward myself frequently. I write a scene, then take a walk. I revise a chapter, then go for a drive. Or make s'mores. Or have a glass of wine. Or, the best reward of all, read the fabulous manuscripts surrounding me in the room where my fellow muses are writing. I'd like to take a little something of this reward system back to my writing life. I often have things I HAVE to do once I finish a writing task, but I'd like to do more things that are little rewards for a job well done. It's a wonderful transition back into the real world.

P.S. If you want to SEE the retreat for yourself, just scroll down a bit more and catch the highlights.

Why, yes, we are just this cool.

Conversation of the morning:

Veronica: Wow, I feel like I just got my eyes checked.

Donna: Why? They're dry?

Veronica: No, everything outside is SO clear.