Last weekend was the annual Hells Bells Writing Retreat - a weekend dedicated to our writing. No feelings of guilt because I should be doing the vacuuming or the weeding. Instead, I spent the weekend plotting, writing, editing and workshopping. I love the beach and I love Caloundra in winter. Saturday was a bit overcast but Sunday was spectacular. I spent Sunday morning writing on the waterfront and I wondered why it had taken me until Sunday to get down there. Mental note for next year. Only another writer really understands how other writers think. So when you're walking along a boardwalk near the beach and say "So when I kill him I should throw him somewhere like that" they don't even blink. But the person walking behind you will... Just before they reach for their phone to call the cops (sorry about that lady in the purple shirt). There were some absolute gems in the story starter envelopes this year. I loved mine and both of them had me thinking, the first was all about seeds and new life - it had a rural vibe. The second was much more cosmopolitan and the cowboy's belt buckle in the middle of it really inspired me. Then I combined them and my imagination took a whole other turn. I had some real insights into one of my characters in my plotting workshop. I've met Aurora before but only scratched the surface. Now I know she might be impulsive, but she's not stupid. And Kade is going to learn the hard way that little white lies have a way of growing all of their own.
Have you read Debra Dixon's book on Goal, Motivation and Conflict? Then I suggest you try the exercise she suggests: "What's mine is mine, what's yours is up for grabs". The aim is to show a character's goal, motivation and conflict in a short piece that must include the character uttering that sentence. We did it on Saturday and I now have a whole new character in my head. So many new ideas, so little time. Now I need another writing weekend to get them all down. 20/6/2014 12:17:32 am
It was a fantastic weekend, and I'm with you on needing another one to sort out all the ideas from this one. I actually looked at doing that this weekend - going away somewhere for the weekend to write - but real life won't let it happen two weekends in a row. 20/6/2014 02:54:58 am
An ideal weekend - guilt free writing with time to get everything on paper :)
Anita Joy
20/6/2014 04:35:32 am
Very jealous, Fiona! But I'm glad to hear you had a lovely, productive weekend. I look forward to reading the results :) Comments are closed.
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Fiona Greene AuthorWhen you set out on a journey and night falls, that's when you will discover the stars." Archives
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