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.

Another Photo Album...Is In The Digital Books

Tomorrow I begin a new photo album in Facebook to continue my Pic Of The Day posts. This next album will be Number 16.

 I can't believe two-hundred days have passed so quickly. 

I began this album back in November of last year. It wasn't the most eventful seven months, but there were moments. We came to experience a new family member as the puppy grew up and got used to us. And we said goodbye to another family member. One was definitely harder on us than the other.

There were good times, too. I attended an amazing college football game, one of the best games I've ever seen. Of course, the team I root for overcame a huge deficit and came out victorious. If I rooted for the boys in blue, I would think the game not that great.

We celebrated Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years. I survived a writing retreat (literally...) and I helped out and plan part of a comic convention. The former sent me to the E.R., the latter proved to be a huge success.

It takes less than a minute to log on to the Facebook photo album and scan the two-hundred photos. In a blink you can see a daily moment, a memory of each day. Some photos garner more attention than others--I'm particularly happy about the tall grass in the garbage can shot--and some are more personal. Some are so random I just needed something for that particular day, and others I'll want to remember for the rest of my life. 

So, bring on Album #16! I have no idea what's going to happen in the next two-hundred days, but I plan on snapping at least one picture for each of those two-hundred days and sharing it with the world. Not knowing what's going to happen is part of the fun, too.

Writing Retreat...Day Three...The Ending

My writing retreat came to an end today, sort of an abrupt end as I departed from the House on the Hill and traveled home.

Actually, I went to an InstaCare before I went home. Turns out I've got a little infection on my face, so I had that looked into.

So, because I left early and have been resting most of the day, my writing count went from several thousand words a day to none. I'm okay with that. Had I not attended the writing retreat, my writing word count may have been hundreds or none. 

So, another year has come and gone. I'm excited about the project I'm working on, and interest usually translates to me continuing to work on it. There's so many projects I've stopped working on because the interest just wasn't there. Hopefully, this particular story will be in the can (and maybe a publishing contract...) so if I'm invited to another writing retreat, I'll have something else to write.

Love the writing retreats! Thanks to Dave and Emily for their incredible hospitality. Glad I could attend.

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.

Retreat To The House On The Hill...The Third

There's a place where the valley meets the mountains, where creativity flows along the foothills like low-lying clouds before a summer storm. Each year, a troupe of dedicated artists gather, each staking a claim to their own fortress of solitude within a roofed sanctuary. 

All in an attempt to further creation.

Some traveled hundreds of miles, others across the valley, and a blessed few need only wake up from their bedroom, traverse the hallway, and begin to write. No matter how far they've come, they share a common goal, to get as much work done as possible. And when the writing's done, the gaming begins--and it's serious gaming, not Sorry, or Chutes and Ladders, though I imagine they would play to win those games as well.

This year's event marks the third anniversary of the Retreat to the House on the Hill, and my soldiers in the cause have already begun their mission. Alas, I will not be part of this year's retreat. Commitments have called me elsewhere, but I am grateful to receive an invitation. 

So, I raise a literary toast (a blog post...) to my fellow authors. May your typos be few and your word count be huge! Write well, you chosen, you blessed, you storytellers to the masses. I'll be with you in spirit and look forward to the Retreat, the Fourth!

My Own Writing Retreat...At The Library

I did something yesterday I've never done before. I left home Saturday afternoon and went to our local library. That isn't the unusual thing. But this time I took my computer, my wireless keyboard, and reserved one of their conference rooms.

And I wrote.

And it was fantastic!

The last time I worked with my friend Issac at the library he said something interesting. He said, "You should just go to the library when you would have been scheduled to work and just write." I had not thought of doing that, but it made total sense. One of the main reasons I couldn't remain working at the library was because I had no time--or very little time--to write. Issac's suggestion was genius. And since my library work schedule was the same every week, I have adjusted my life to work around that schedule. 

So yesterday was the first time I did it. I went in at 2pm and wrote until about 5:15pm. I wrote just under 2000 words on my latest WIP, which increased the total number of pages for that WIP by 25%. That's a good day of writing for me. Another cool thing, when the album I was listening to ended, I just walked over to the CDs, picked up Weezer's latest compilation and wrote while it played. I think I'll be doing that again. It's a great way to listen to more music.

As I left the library I asked if I could book the conference room again. I was told I could. I scheduled two shifts, both times I would have been working at the library had I stayed at that job. I don't know how long I'll be doing this, but I hope I can continue. A few months of this, and I'll have this story done and maybe a few more.