Random Musings

How hard do you work at making your writing better? Like, have you gotten to the point where you think it’s good enough? Do you churn things out and figure that if people are buying, then it must be okay?

I think A LOT of writers do exactly that. They write and hope an editor will fix the big stuff. They write what is probably a good story and that’s good enough. But they stop learning. They stop trying to make their work better, give the reader a better experience. Or, they don’t think of the reader experience much at all, except in terms of sales.

Worse, some writers think they know everything there is to know and other stuff isn’t worth the time, and so don’t bother trying to get better or learn anything new.

This week we had a great group of writers on a writing retreat who were determined to learn, to make their work better, to understand what they struggle with and get some feedback on how to make their work shine. We talked genre, plot, arcs, dialogue, and word level craft.

And it was so much FUN. We laughed and joked and worked out in the mornings and had great food, and we even watched some films at night as the rain beat down outside.

So, why should you attend a writing retreat?

• Refresh the stuff you used to know. Things you’ve forgotten that you could implement again.
• Learn new things. There’s always new stuff out there.
• Experiment with perspectives. Try looking at your work through a new lens.
• Get time to write. There’s nothing like getting away from regular life to spend your days immersed in your writing.
• Community. Getting to talk about craft with other writers who get what you’re going through and trying to do is a gift.
• Get genuine feedback from people who know what they’re talking about.
• Feel the passion again. Remember why you started this journey in the first place.
• Go home renewed and ready to make your writing even better.

Here are some random photos of the workshop week. I’ll post more after the Intermediate Retreat in a few weeks.

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