More Writing Retreat

Today is the last day of our retreat.  I had a fabulous time yesterday. We began the day with two workshops, one from Sharon on characterization and one from Sherry on rhetorical devices. It was like being back at school (I love school) except all of the kids were the smart kids and the social interactions weren't nearly as awkward.

After a delicious lunch of sweet potato soup and chicken wraps with goat cheese and cranberry, we set off on a hike by an old mica mine. Mica flakes littered the forest floor and, catching the light, looked like stars fallen to the ground.  The weather was perfect, pleasantly warm with a pure blue sky (uncontaminated by clouds). We finished the two-kilometre trek in record time (which to me is any speed faster than a two-and-a-half year old sucking her thumb).

After the hike I convinced my friend Carole Ann to go swimming with me (Carole Ann has just finished her book. Yay!) The water was lovely, so clear that we could see the snails at the bottom and so refreshing that we almost didn't notice the weeds grabbing at our limbs.

Later we sat in muskoka chairs by the water and listened to a meditation CD.  We were supposed to connect with our past lives and maybe discover a character from that. I don't know about past lives, but sitting with my eyes closed, listening to the waves and the birds and the breeze was very relaxing.

We had yummy stew with salad and sweet potato fries for dinner (I love Sharon's cooking) and then did skits of Sherry and Carole-Ann's work.  The idea was to see how a scene worked with multiple people. By acting it out, you discover when characters aren't reacting enough, or if some people get forgotten.  Plus it was a lot of fun to try and act out the lines.

Anyway, Sharon has made another lovely breakfast so I must stop being rude and go eat with my writer friends.