The Writers' Retreat at Lake Tahoe

Besides the fact that I was up for 25 hours straight on Wednesday for the trip out and the start of the retreat and 21 hours on Sunday for the return trip, I had a wonderful experience. It's going to be hard to cover it all in my blog space, so I may continue some of the story in later blogs.

The gourmet level food was wonderful, the friendships formed were heart-warming, the place was picture-perfect, and the writing information was worth the trip. Since I didn't have a car, I was limited where I could go, so I generally wrote in the afternoons. I am nearing the end of my first novel in the New Mexico series, Second Choice Bride. I did manage to get out and take some photos of the lake once, but the smoke drifting in from the fires in California made it hazier than usual.

The most practical advice for my writing came from learning how to make sure I'm showing and not telling. I had struggled some with that through brief sections of my books. Now I'm clear on how to write the sentences to have it happening from a characters perspective and not told from their perspective. It's actually a subtle change, but it makes a world of difference. If any of my writing friends would like to discuss it, they can contact me.

I came home tired from the time zone changes and long days of travel but relaxed and pleased. When I saw the prices of rooms and food elsewhere in Tahoe, I think I got a good deal, too. I'll show you more of the place and the other authors in upcoming blogs. For now, just suffice it to say the retreat left me feeling greatly blessed.

________________________________________________________