A Successful Retreat and One Happy Writer

I hereby declare my writing retreat a success. On the morning of my last full day there, I hit Send! I could go home happy.

• Save

Not only did I accomplish what I’d hoped to with my novel manuscript (my first for adults), I also managed to do some work on a picture book text and resubmitted it to the publisher who’d offered me editorial feedback.

I didn’t do much reading, or knitting, or take much advantage of the Netflix available to me, but I did get out each day for a short walk in the neighbourhood where I spent most of my hours holed up in “my” lovely little studio apartment. That’s where I made the recent photo on my Facebook page and the one accompanying this post. (Scroll to June 1 if you’d like to see the original and highly edited version. Warning: I’m obsessed with the editing of words and photos.)

Flying high after hitting Send (a magic word in the life of a writer even if the Reply eventually lands you anywhere but up) — feeling so satisfied with what my retreat allowed me to do — I revisited the blog post about solitude by Margaret Buffie that I referred to in my previous post and I thought, ‘Yes. She has captured it absolutely right.’ If you didn’t click on the link to it last time, I’m giving you a second chance to discover the wonderful art and quotes that she included along with her own wise words.

Home again now, I’m preparing for my next adventure as a writer. Please come back for my report in a couple of weeks. In the meantime, a huge thanks to Peter Carver for holding the fort here with almost no grumbling at all during my absences this month.