Hello from Write by the Lake

Hello friends,

This weekend I had the opportunity to join Jennifer Basye Sander (of Big City Book Group; Jennifer also teaches for UC Davis Extension) and two other women writers at Write by the Lake, a weekend writing retreat that Jennifer runs at her peaceful little house in South Lake Tahoe.

Each writer who attends one of Jennifer's weekend workshops receives "a room of her own," with comfy (king size, in my case) bed, writing desk, reading chair and WiFi, and a view of lovely trees and wildflowers, in addition to meals and happy hours provided from Jennifer's kitchen and--of course--all kinds of time to write quietly and time to chat with retreat-mates about writing, the writing life, and getting work published.

We spent yesterday afternoon getting settled, getting to know each other, responding to writing prompts, and setting goals for the weekend. This morning, I went for a jog while others slept in, played fiddle, etc., and after sharing a relaxed breakfast, we wrote to another prompt. Now is the time we've been waiting for: big blocks of quiet in which we are challenged to meet the goals we have set! The retreat runs through Sunday afternoon. Wish me luck!

And, if you're a woman writer, consider joining Jennifer for a weekend of writing away from all the usual distractions of life! For more info, visit Jennifer's blog.

Happy summer, and happy writing!