I’m just back from a Novel Revision Retreat in San Rafael, CA. What a great time. I always learn so much from other writers.
- My suite-mate wasn’t taking my class, but I watched her hunker down for a weekend of writing and learned that sometimes solitude is just as helpful as working in a group.
- I learned all over again, that critique groups can be more honest and more helpful than anyone expects.
- I learned that continuing a group after a retreat like this means commitment to common goals. We talked about how to extend those goals by creating rituals (For example, a Friday check-in to see how you did that week, as the Summer Revision Smackdown has done.)
- I learned that it is San Ra-FELL, not San RA-fey-ELL. And that is in ma-WREN County, not MARE-in County.
- I learned that young men liked to read Tom Sawyer because they fell in love with Becky Thatcher. (Thanks, Howie, for a great laugh!)
- I learned that we all need to do a better job of sharing information about advances. If you’ve sold a picture book in the last five years, I urge you to fill out Barbara’s Kanninen’s survey. If you do, she will send you a copy of the most recent results of that survey.
