Current Project: Leg Shaving Leads to Trouble
Status: Sobbing over the 30,000 words I cut out over the weekend :(
This weekend is our chapter's beach retreat. I, for one, am definitely looking forward to it. The retreats are hit and miss when it comes to my writing progress - it depends on what kind of mood I'm in. I remember one retreat I spent most of the weekend taking naps, but I needed it! There was another where I wrote 50 pages.
I have a feeling this weekend is going to be productive. I had some time away from my book and finally figured out a different angle to take that will be much better. I'm doing some research now so that I'll have it at my fingertips this weekend (I need some science heavy stuff). But I don't know how successful I'll be until the weekend gets here.
There are a few things I try to do to prepare for retreats like this, to get the most from them.
1) Do any necessary research in advance. Some of the houses we stay at don't have internet (I think this one just has a single ethernet hookup). I don't want to be stalled or distracted by research background I need for dialogue.
For my current book, the hero and heroine are working on a psychology research team. I know I want their research to be somehow related to sex, to steam it up a bit, but I have no idea what kind of sex-related psychology research is going on. So I need to do some Googling and prepare myself so I can sprinkle those bits into my scenes and dialogue this weekend.
2) Do some pre-plotting or at least think about where you want to go. I know you pansters are freaking out right now, but I think this is helpful no matter where you fall on the panster-plotter spectrum.
To make the most from this weekend, I have thought about scenes in the next couple of chapters. However, I've already written much of it (over this past weekend) so I need to be sure to think of several more scenes before Thursday. That way I can just sit down to write and I don't spend the whole weekend looking out the window to the ocean and thinking about my characters, which I could just as easily do while unpacking my apartment.
3) Bring necessary tools. A laptop is a must for most of us, for you longhanders - don't forget paper and writing utensils. Personally, I think it would be fun to write a book with a quill! Don't forget your charger, backup battery, whatever you need. If you need music to write - bring your headphones! I definitely need to write to music, silence pulls me out of the work and I start thinking too much. Or maybe bring earplugs if you need silence.
What tips do you have for a successful writing retreat? I know we're all busy and these weekends are to be cherished because they are few and far between!
6 comments:
I can't wait! I'm doing exactly what you're doing, Lisa. Getting all the prep work out of the way so I can just write and eat! At least that was my plan for today...
I wish I were going on Thursday. Blasted children. Can't they get themselves off to school on Friday?
Lisa, a lot of what you mentioned is what I do to prepare to write a new story. Yeah, confessions of a detailed plotter. :)
To all of you who are going on the retreat: have fun and get a lot done!
I wish I was prepping for the retreat! This is the first one I've missed. But I need exposure to other chapters and readers more than I need to go to the retreat.
I always make sure I bring any research books I'm using or notes I've taken. You never know when you need to check on something you have on a small scrap of paper!
Have fun all!
OOOHHH, I'm sooo excited about the retreat too! And I just want to apologize ahead of time for the fact that I snore. Very unladylike. LOL
I get so much done at the retreats. The only one I didn't get much done at was our first one. I was overwhelmed and couldn't concentrate, plus that horrible hurricane thing kept me awake because I was SURE we were all going to die!
To prepare for the retreat, besides buying food, I make sure to pack my blankie, my comfy clothes, and my toothbrush. All necessities. Especially BLANKIE! *grin*
Then I make sure I have all the stuff for my laptop... chargers, headphones, etc.
I also like to bring along pens and notebooks and sometimes a thesaurus incase there's no internet. (Now worried about the ethernet thingy you mentioned and will get DH to tell me what to bring to hook up for the weekend.)
I like to go the extra day early because it takes my freaky brain that long to settle into a new environment and stuff. I am one who DESPISES change. Even temporary. So, it helps to get acclimated before the crowd gets there.
But this is going to be a great weekend with you girls and I'm so pumped! And I'm not even going to miss my family. LOL Well, maybe just a titch.
Happy dance, happy dance, just four more days until the beach retreat! I'd love to go Thursday, too, but can't because of pupzilla. I'll leave early on Friday, but it's 4 hours on the road for me. I'm going to Blockbuster to rent an audio book. Not sure what I'll get, but they have all the bestsellers there.
Preparations. Well, food of course. Just went to Costco today and I got a humongous bag of premium gourmet coffee, plus all the other stuff I signed up for.
Now that the laptop puter is in fine working order, I have my most important tool. I'll also bring my book of 19th Century New York City Slang since I won't be able to look things up online. I don't research much in advance, but on the fly. It's more fun for me that way.
If I work my butt off the next few days, I may have a first draft done to edit. That would be the optimum.
I'm so pumped for the weekend, too. Can we, like, go today????
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