I am so relaxed right now. The calming effects of the writer’s retreat I attended yesterday are still with me. We writers spent the warm, sunny day under a flower-covered pergola, looking out on gently rolling hills and fields of lavender. I think it was breathing that lavender all day that has made me feel so peaceful today. There’s something healing about lavender, and also about keeping company with people who share a passion.
We spent our five hours together feasting on wonderful food and drink, exchanging writing stories, swapping “must read” novels, and reading a bit of our work out loud to each other.
Most of my meetings so far with DWW have been more formal, in business settings, where we plan future activities. I’ve also participated in a few events hosted by group members. While both of those kinds of get-togethers have been beneficial to me as a writer, they were not intended to be social.
Yesterday’s event was a chance for me (and another new member) to truly join in this circle of old friends. We got some inside stories of their history together (including some juicy bits about many of the famous writers who were keynote speakers at past events) and they got an opportunity to know us better as well as reconnect with each other.
It was a beautiful thing. Most of these women have been together for a long time. Many of them are journalists who are now branching into writing fiction. It’s funny because lately I’ve noticed the opposite has been happening to me. I spent most of my writing years pursuing the publication of fiction and am only now turning to non-fiction. It sort of happened when I wasn’t paying attention. The blog. The book reviews. The magazine features. My book.
Also, my most special current writing project, the one I’m most excited about these days, is non-fiction. I really don’t know what is up with that. Normally I’d be fretting that my love of fiction writing has deserted me forever, but I’m too blissed out in the afterglow of the retreat.
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