Wildacres Report

That was the week that was.  About a hundred writers convene on the mountain for a week of workshops, music, partying, and quite a lot of silliness. 

There are student readings and faculty readings, a costume night (the theme was Outer Space and I went as a Hitchhiker as in Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. It was a great costume for someone who's resistant to dressing up -- I carried my Kindle with the words DON'T PANIC in large friendly letters on the cover and also a towel "one of the most massively useful' things a galactic hitchhiker can carry. ) And on the last night is the legendary Gong Show -- extreme silliness.

There were nine in my novel workshop and all of them were great at critique. Each participant's 4,500 words got thoroughly examined and we all learned from one another. The students caught lots of things that I had missed and by the end of the week, everyone had not only revisions to consider but a lot of things to think about concerning the direction of their work. 

It's a grueling (wink) schedule. Five class meetings (half a day) and the rest of the time free to audit other classes, write, play music, wander around taking pictures of flowers, nap, or practice for the Gong Show.

I admit to some naps. I also read a lot and will report on my reading in another post.  Three walks a day helped offset the three meals that someone else cooked.

And best of all, I wrote. One very short piece about a place we lived in Florida, most of a piece about my accident two years ago,  and something that may be the beginning of a novel tentatively titled THE SPARROW WITCH, set in Appalachia in the present day and the Twenties..

Wildacres Writers Workshop was recently listed by The National Geographic as one of a hundred places that will change your life. Students come from all over -- as far away as California, Hawaii, and, this year, even Australia.

Highly recommended for writers!