Twice a year my Soapbox Queen cohorts–Vicki Lewis Thompson and Jennifer LaBrecque–and I get together to plot books, career plan, catch up, eat great food, build fires and watch British comedies. Sometimes we go to Arizona, other times we go to our little cabin in the woods in the North Georgia Mountains. We’ve been at the cabin for the past four days and I miss them terribly already. Jen is already back in Atlanta and Vicki is winging her way back to Tucson. I came home to a clean house and very little laundry. I almost wondered if I’d walked into the wrong house. :-S
Though I’ve got a network of great friends, writing itself is a solitary job and I can’t tell you how important these retreats are. We pack everything into the cabin and hunker down. We’ve got food and wine, movies, comfy pj’s and notebooks are always at the ready. Though we have fabulous time–and have documented some of it with video evidence we intend to post on our blog in the coming weeks 
–it really is work. We all come prepared with what we’ve got to work on and then we hammer away until it’s all done. Sounding things out, looking for ways to make a book better, to layer in those special things that make a character more compelling, is so crucial to my writing process now I don’t know how I ever managed without it. We don’t critique–the only person who is looking at my stuff is Brenda–but it’s getting those little details in, those things that make for a richer read is just indespensible to me now.
We’ll do it all again in November and will email and talk on the phone in between, but it’s not the same as that face time. I’ll miss hearing Jen’s laugh and watching Vicki tend the fire. (We call her Keeper of the Flame because she’s our official fire-tender. )
So what about you? Do you have a special group of girlfriends who you make a point to spend some time with? To travel with? Authors, what about you? (Ahem, Plotmonkeys, lol) If so, what makes your group so special? Why does it work?
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No special group for me, though it’s something I’ve been working on. I love the idea of being able to get away to do just what you, Jen, and Vicki do. It sounds like a blast and I can completely understand why you’re feeling down about it now.
But…November will be here before you know it. Gotta be positive, right?
Sally, if you can find the right group it really is amazing.
Hi Rhonda…I wish when I got back from a night away, my house is always a disaster. I can’t wait to hear about it.
I am in a MOMS club and we have a great old time on MNO. Too much fun. Today is Mommies/Muffins/Manicures at middle boy’s class…should be so much fun!
Of course, I do most my plotting with my fellow Writing Playground ladies. Between the five of us, we can always find a way around those plot problems and corners we write ourselves into.
Sounds like you guys had a good time. (Y)
I meant to say, my house is always a disaster when I get back (I wish it wasn’t). It always makes me not want to go.
My group of friends is called the Yayas. We all met in college almost 20 years ago and still get together at least once a month for dinner (luckily we all finally ended up within 20 minutes of each other). We go to a different house each month, so everyone gets a chance to have it at their home. We also have a big Christmas gathering with all the husbands and kids.
Yep. The other Playfriends. And speaking of which, I have a book that needs plotting. Or more truthfully, I have a small kernal of an idea.
Katie, my house being clean was a bit of a surprise, though since it’s up for sale, I’m assuming my dh made the kids pick up after themselves.
Andrea, we did! Can’t wait to post the videos for ya’ll. (Tidbit–we got Vicki to ride a broom through the woods.
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Oh, Liza, sounds like a fabulous group! What fun!
Marilyn, don’t you love those small kernals? Isn’t that the most exciting time of the process? That debut “what if?”
I do this same kind of thing a couple of times of year with my author buds Rosemary Clement Moore and Shannon Canard. We manage to have an amazing time, and still get work done. I’m lucky that they also live nearby so we try to have dinner/lunch at least a couple of times a month. I honestly don’t know what I’d do without them.
I get excited and then I panic. The panic mode lasts lots longer than the excited one. I’m hoping to reverse that scenario.
You could be describing exactly the writing retreat my 2 critique partners and I go on every year in January! Except, instead of a cabin the woods, we meet at thehouse of the one who lives alone and furthest away–she is also the tender of the fire (keeper of the flame) and we each almost always have a new book to plot and spend from Friday night (homemade guacamole) to Sunday morning taking 4 hours sessions to talk about our new WIP. I treasure those weekends and if we could all manage to find another free weekend when we can all get away , we would meet more often but right now I have 3 kids with busy schedules. But we have National coming up! Rommies again for a few more days!
;-( The hardest part of our twice-yearly retreat is when it ends! I feel incredibly lucky to have you and Jen as friends, plotting buddies, brainstorming partners, and fellow adventurers! There’s a synergy there that’s amazing. I miss you both!
Does getting together with another couple to play D&D (Dungeons & Dragons) count? Yea, didn’t think so.
I have EC Sheedy, Gail Crease (Whitiker) and Vanessa Grant in my group. We gather at a place we call The Red Door (even have sweatshirts to prove it) and this month, we’ll be there again. Since we began, we’ve used Roman numerals in our book of goals.
This month’s Red Door is RD XXX – yes, 30! We go 4 times a year and countless books have come out of that retreat. Although the XXX has special meaning for me, since I’m the only one writing for Blaze. (although I’ve been prodding Gail to consider a hot hot hot regency set Blaze) :-P
And yes, we work hard, too. Plotting, brainstorming, characters…and just a tiny bit of gossip. (good for the soul, you know!)
Oh, and did I mention wine? (D)
Bonnie
I’m glad you girls had a great time and I can’t wait to see those videos! I don’t have a special group just yet that I meet with but I hope to as I get a little deeper into my writing. But my chapter buddies are great and I love spending time with all of them.
I have a small email group that has been together for years. But I have yet to meet all of them in person. That would be so fun!
Amanda Stevens, Kay David, Barbara Dawson Smith, and I meet every other week for breakfast at Denny’s where we brainstorm. We have our own booth. (H)
Your time away sounds a little like story-lining on a soap opera – everybody pitching in and joining creative energy. But with PJs and snacks and sleepovers. I always enjoy working with other writers, and having those moments where someone picks up your idea and runs with it and that fires you off in a new direction…it’s fantastic and great fun. You guys are lucky. I talk to a few writing buddies on line – Sam Hunter, Joan Kilby – and some local TV writing buddies. But my best sources of brainstorming and story-bouncing are my partner Chris, who is also a writer, and my ed, Wanda. Bless her!