DIY Writer's Retreat over the holidays

[redhappy]

I have nowhere to go NYeve this year, and the dcs are off to their dad's for a week.

So, I've decided to try and turn this enforced isolation into something positive! I will have 5 days, and I would love to have written something, or made strong written plans for a novel.

Anyone fancy joining me? We could check in each evening to give each other enouragement and report on how we're getting on.

[GrendelsMum]

Sounds good to me - I'm planning to devote a fair amount of time to writing.

Which days were you thinking?

[redhappy]

Great!

Well, I was planning to make sure I do something every day from Monday 31st December until Saturday 5th of January.

That's what works for me. Which days would you want to do?

[GrendelsMum]

Great - Im back at work from 2nd Jan so we can't overlap much, but I'll commit to writing for an hour every day from 26th December to 1st Jan.

I'm happy to pop in to report and offer motivation.

[redhappy]

Ok, yes am happy to do the same. I wont be able to do anything til 31st unfortunately.

Have you got any goals? I'm just casually working on notes at the moment. Completely unconnected ideas, but the plan is to link them together and see what comes out of it.

[GrendelsMum]

Yes - Tunip very kindly did a read through of my book, so I have a long list of tasks!

My Goals for the Writers' Retreat

• write new scene
  
• revise 5 chapters to make more tense and with a greater sense of emotional direction
  

Today I have

• revised 1 chapter to make more tense (I hope)

[sundaywriter]

Not joining you (lazy) but just to say I did this at Easter and it was fab! I booked myself into a b and b where there were no distractions and wrote. I didn't speak to anyone for a week other than to ask for coffee or another sausage, was really refreshing and I got a lot done. At the time it felt very self indulgent (the b n b I mean) but it saved my sanity, I think.

[GrendelsMum]

Just popping in to say that revising chapters is going rather slowly, but I hope successfully.

I have written two new scenes and done preliminary revisions to two chapters so they are (I hope) less flipping dull.

Your writer's retreat sounds wonderful, Sundaywriter

[HerBigChance]

I read about Michael Hauge's Six Stage Plot Structure here yesterday, which I hadn't heard of before and found very informative when I did a little more research on it.

I am going to use it to try to plot my novel over the next few weeks.

[GrendelsMum]

Oh, that looks rather interesting. Thanks!

[HerBigChance]

It's one of the most useful things I've discovered recently.

[GrendelsMum]

Well, all going as per schedule - still slowly, but it's going. Have you begun writing yet, RedHappy?

[redhappy]

Hi Grendelsmum, sorry I've been useless at this!!

That's great you're on schedule!

The kids went away today so I've been doing my best procrastinating. I bought a book I've wanted for a while though. Just working through this review and comments.

You appear to be ahead of schedule actually! Your goal was to write one new scene and you've written two. I think you're allowed a to celebrate.

[GrendelsMum]

How did it go, Redhappy? Did you feel you made good progress?