A Year Without A Kovel...

 For most people, this week--for those who live around here--has been highlighted by the continued winter weather that doesn't seem to want to end. But, for a select group of writers, this past week was the annual Retreat to the House on the Hill...

And, I missed it.

Again.

I'm not bummed because of the reason I did not attend for a second consecutive year. My reason was as good a reason as a person can have, but this week as I occasionally checked social media, I'd see pictures of the event from friends and it hurt.

The hurt is for a few things. It hurt because I wasn't there, of course, but it also hurt because I'm not writing like I used to, not releasing a title or two a year...my pace has been a title every five years, and that is if I get something ready to print this year.

I have no one to blame for this lack of production but myself. That's both the luxury and curse of being a writer. I actually began editing a story this month, a story I finished years ago and started many years before that. 

The retreat is something special. Each year, after the week-long event, those participating get together and bestow the coveted "Edward M Kovel Award." I've been awarded them almost every year and it comes with some awesome swag. Last year, I only obtained a trophy because I had a work meeting that took place a few miles from the house on the hill. I stopped in and the committee took pity on me and allowed me to take the swag home, even though I didn't really "earn" it.

Tonight, those who attended are either traveling home or have already arrived. It's an amazing feeling returning after a week of writing, collaborating, eating incredible food, and playing board games at night. I know after I got home from these events I felt invigorated, recharged, and most of all, thankful for the hosts. They are the best people.

I'd like to say I can't wait until next year, but I don't know if things will change next year. There's hope they will, but as with all things in life, there are no guarantees. Here's to this year's winners, always a well-deserved group. They've earned their Kovels, and the writing community is a much better place for all their hard work.

Honored...Humbled...Won Another Kovel

 In a perfect world, I would have been able to gather with friends for a week of creativity, board games, story swaps, and overall awesomeness.

Sometimes things don't work out.

Sometimes that's okay.

If you consider yourself a writer, you may be one of the fortunate writers who either arrange/create/participate in a writing retreat. I've been on a few in my writing career, though they've all been at the same place. I only have one frame of reference when it comes to writing retreats so I can't with authority speak for them all, but in my opinion. they're fantastic.

This year I wasn't able to attend for non-writing reasons. I did find myself at a work meeting held within a few miles of the annual event. On my way home, I stopped by. I believe this year's retreat was the best attended since I started going. The house is big...had I gone I most likely would have slept in the living room (or in my car...). I wouldn't care.

I got to say hi to many friends and fellow writers. And when I left, I was presented with an Edward M. Kovel Award. Yes, there are higher literary awards, but none mean as much to me. 

To the writers, those who gave up their time and home for everyone else, to the families that support their loved ones and allow them to take time off to pursue something they love, may your Kovel be filled with the tears of your enemies and my all your words flow like sparkling water.

Oh, by the way, my Kovel was for: 

Best Visit to a Mental Hospital...

Much-appreciated, and accurate, too.

It's Like An Old Friend...That's Wearing Out

 I always do it...I'll wear a hat while working in the yard or doing some other activity and the hat gets funky, so I'll toss it in the wash. Can't have a funky hat, now, can we?

I should not wear my favorite hats while working up a sweat so I won't need to toss them into the washer and dryer where they get chewed up but good. And once they start to fray, well...it's only a matter of time.

Being a bald man, I have a certain affinity to hats. They're not just head coverings. They have their own personalities, their own characteristics. No two hats are the same, even if they follow one another off an assembly line. Hats protect me from sunburns in the summer (which totally suck...), and a frozen head in the winter. Back in my father's day, all men--no matter if they had hair or not--wore hats. They were as much a part of a gentleman's wardrobe as a pair of shoes. Personally, I'd love to see that return because the hats were wicked cool, but those days never will return...it's a shame.

All things wear out. In the grand scheme of things, hats last a relatively short time, as compared to, say, rocks, or  VW beetles, or grudges between sports teams and their fans. And if you wear those hats overly, it expedites the deterioration process.

If I'm careful, I can nurse the collection of fabric and stitching and see how long it'll last. Hopefully, a bit longer. But, when it's time, I'll go the way of all things. It'll have no future--no one will necessarily want it, even though it's a trophy of sorts...A Koval Award from 2018. And when it's retired, I'll hold fond memories of the hat.

For it will be replaced by another selection...most likely not a trophy, but another friend to offer comfort, to shield me from dangerous rays, or bitter cold, or the revelation to the world of my lack of hair. For many, it's just an old hat. To me, it's something more.

Doing Kind Things...Even While Quarantined

Last month, a group of writers were supposed to gather at a house on the hill...

To write.

But, it was not meant to be. 

There's a lot of things that weren't meant to be, our annual retreat being one of them. When this is over, everyone will have a story--or stories--about things they did, or didn't do, adjustments they made, and experiences that will be "once in a lifetime" events. 

I guess for us, missing out on writing will be one of the things we'll talk about (then again, maybe we won't talk about it...). The retreat has been rescheduled for a later date--hopefully, we'll meet up then.

So, when the time came when we would have been all gathered under one roof, one of the participants had a great idea. He proposed we send flowers to our host as an act of kindness, and also as a reminder of what we were missing and how we all wanted tto be somewhere else.

I wish I looked for more opportunities to be kind.

Some people just seem to be wired that way. They'll hear of something that happened to an individual and their mind goes to, "how can I help out?" It's a wonderful trait to have. I'm working on it and maybe one day I'll be there.

Our host (also, thinking of others by providing incredible entertainment to the masses during the lockdown...) took to Facebook everyday and gave us all a mini-concert. One of the writers ordered flowers and a card to be delivered mid-concert on a day we would have been there writing our little brains out.

Yes, there are people everywhere doing kind things for others, even while quarantined. And all you have to do is look for them...or better yet, be the one doing the kind deed. That's the best.

I'm An Edward M. Kovel Winner...

This week I participated in a writing retreat. It ran from last Monday to yesterday, but I believe if people arrived on Sunday and stayed until tomorrow, no one would be upset. I missed last year, but attended the year before. That was the first time I went.

Spending a few days there this week became my second time at the retreat.

It's hard to explain how amazing spending time with a bunch of writers can be. Many of you--especially those who spend a lot of time with one writer--might think multiplying that experience sounds like a terrible idea. They'd be wrong, at least, the writers might thing you're wrong.

There's only a couple of rules. 1--you're expected to write, because when you're writing, you're not a distraction for the others who are expected to write. 2--you're responsible for at least one meal. It's like a weeklong potluck. A few years ago, I brought a meal for everyone. This year, there were so many participants already signed up for meals, I just paid each time, and boy--we ate good! 3--after dinner, you can continue writing, or play boardgames with the group. Two years ago, I played games (and had poor showings...). This time, I decided to keep writing.

Since I wrote Chaser back in 2016, I haven't dedicated a lot of time toward my writing, and that's a shame. Sure, we've had issues to deal with at work, at home--just like everyone else. It's amazing anyone who is not a writer full-time writes anything at all (and that can be said for some of the full-time writers as well...). In the 2 1/2 days I was at the retreat this week, I wrote just under 10,000 words. It's been a long time since I wrote that much, and it felt good.

Of course, the retreat wouldn't be possible with the amazing Butler family. They literally open up their home to a bunch of dudes. They put up with our corny jokes, our unusual places to write, our quirky personalities. And we're the better for it. At the conclusion of the event, awards are given out. They're named for Edward M. Kovel. I don't know who that is, but it doesn't really matter, like the awards. The important thing is not the particular award you get, but what you were able to accomplish, the things you learned, the friendships you made and strengthened that matter most.

This year, I got a hat--all of us winners did. I got 10K words. I got great advice about writing and the publishing world. I got to spend time with wonderful people. And I am a 2018 Edward M. Kovel winner. A very good week, indeed.

To The Butlers...All Of Them...I Thank You!

Earlier this week I loaded up my car with some clothes, my down comforter, some food, my computer, and a need to do some writing. I arrived in Provo, Utah an hour later, unpacked the car and got to work.

It was a fantastic week!

It was the first writing retreat I've ever attended. I wasn't sure what to expect, but I hoped I'd be able to focus on my WIP and get a lot accomplished.

I ended up doing a lot more than that!

I stayed from Tuesday morning until Friday morning and wrote several chapters. I basically have the story's opening written. There's so much more work that needs to go into it, but I am so stoked at where I'm at.

Of course, this whole experience--the writing, the editing, the eating, and the gaming to round of the evenings--would not have happened if it weren't for the Butler family. It's one thing to have some friends over for a movie night, or a game night. It's another thing completely to have 6-8 grown men basically move in for a week. I thank Dave for inviting me and being a fantastic host, but I thank his wife, for basically allowing it to happen in the first place. If the wife's not on board, it just won't work. Thanks to the Butlers--all of them, even the kids who allowed us to invade their space. I know I wouldn't have been able to do the amount of work I did without them.

And, as an added bonus, I won two awards!

The 2016 Retreat to the House on the Hill is complete, and the Kovel Jurors have returned a verdict. 2016 has seen the following Kovels awarded:

Edward M. Kovel Loves You for:

Most Editing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Chris Husberg
Most Force Breeding . . . . . . . . . . . . Jon Rock
Snappiest Hat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Daniel Braithwaite
"Like Ben Hur, with Demons" Prize . Scott Taylor
Best Post-Apocalyptic Cattle Drive. . Aaron Michael Ritchey
Most Day Job Work Done . . . . . . . . Eric Patten
Dwarf Ringer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Marion Jensen
Best Game Explanation . . . . . . . . . . Nick Dianatkhah
Best Dark Fantasy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Chris Husberg
Best Drug-Addicted Duellist . . . . . . . Michael Dalzen
Most Editing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Chris Husberg
Best In-Progress Fantasy Novella . . Jon Rock
Best Chicken and Rice --- Tie --- . . . Aaron Michael Ritchey
Scott Taylor
Most Hittite Erotica . . . . . . . . . . . . . D.J. Butler
Best Beard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Nick Dianatkhah
Most Improved Health . . . . . . . . . . . Eric Patten

Congratulations to all Kovel winners, their editors, agents, and interns!