Writer’s Retreat Triumph: Wins with Passion, Gumption, and Lots of Words

Another writer’s retreat in the books and we made memories. Sometimes it takes a little time for it to gel. I had hoped to post this last week, but I was still processing it. So many rich thoughts. Some many wonderful connections. And so many words. And sitting in the heart of it all was passion and gumption to grasp those words.

Food and Drinks of the Writer’s Retreat

Writers need nourishment besides coffee, which flowed freely. We ate and drank well. From Mr. J.’s welcome chicken dish to our new favorite resident chef and bartender’s creations, it covered us at home base. His Tequila old-fashioned and bacon-wrapped dates stuffed with chorizo were a hit. The writers even took a cooking turn with our infamous summer pasta night. The two main dishes were vegetarian and meat lovers.

But we also ventured out to taste the food of the city at Timotis, The Boat House, and Espana.

Events and Friend Connections

Some writers have been coming since the first retreat five years ago. It’s a chance to reconnect with folks on the island. We had a birthday party at the beach for Mr. J.’s sister with a lovely beach walk. Our resident photographer of Chemical Sex 2 Just One More came over twice for dinner with his wife. Our energy is infectious and we let off steam when we played Anomia.

The surprise for the writers was I booked a river cruise so we could enjoy the sunset on the water and see the wild horses on Cumberland Island. The resident bartender did not let us down. He prepared a pitcher of margaritas and we all filled our individual to-go cups for the event. The temperature was perfect, and it was a great way to pause halfway through the retreat. On that rocking boat, I reflected on how grateful I was to have these spectacular writing people, Mischa Eliot, Ally Daine, and Heather Whitaker, in my life.

Writing Accomplishments of the Writers Retreat

How do you quantify the accomplishments of seven days of focused writing? I summed it up in three areas. The process, the words, and the new ideas.

The Process.

We had a specific writing structure that rotated around the events of the day. It was a little different for everyone, but when we were all working together, our synergy was undeniable.

I loved when Ally pulled her earbuds out, signaling the timed writing was complete. She’d announce “Power Walk. I need to figure something out.” When she came back to the front porch, she had her answer.

Mischa and I had coffee time together early and we would talk about life and business details. Then the writing of words began.

Heather is the true pacer of the group. Earbuds, phone, or computer, she was always walking. While we each had a different approach, we accomplished much, and it amazed me.

It was important for us to be writerly together, apart from writing our own words. We talked about using Ream Stories, Plottr, and the upcoming Inkers Con meeting. We attended the local FWA Chapter of the Amelia Island Writers. The board members discussed the book On Writing Well by William Zinsser. All four of us got to contribute to the meeting. They celebrated our writing group for our skills, know-how, and experience.

The Words.

While we produced many written words, we also read words, but the highlight of the retreat, I think all will agree, was watching Ally Daine type “The End,” to her first novel. For Heather, it was two consecutive weekends of watching an author finish their story. She was sandwiched in a glorious writer sandwich. Ally finished it an hour before The Sexuality Space. We had much to share within our live discussion of the retreat while we sipped champagne.

The New Ideas.

New ideas are always fun, but when they come out of the writing synergy, they are a treasure. I created the idea of taking the Purple Sex Cards and making a romance book series called Cards of Passion. I envisioned nine writers taking a topic card from the deck and me creating the fiction romance anchor story of how the cards were created. We made visuals of our three ideas for book covers and since then I’ve been contacting authors to see if they would be interested. I have seven of ten commits.

It’s A Wrap for this Year’s Writer’s Retreat

This writer’s retreat was an enriching blend of camaraderie, inspiration, and productive writing. We had a great time with food, activities, and connecting with each other.

Each writer had their own style, and together we achieved great things, like Ally Daine writing her first novel. We also shared discussions on writing tools and books, while contributing to a local writer’s group. A novel idea emerged for me as a romance book series called “Cards of Passion,” sparking collaborative plans with other authors.

It was a retreat filled with memorable moments, heartfelt connections, and substantial writing accomplishments. And lest I forget, someone’s shoe broke, and we helped buy new ones.

So, tell me, if you’re a writer, would a writer’s retreat be for you?