The cabin I slept in was set along the Damariscotta River, an ocean-fed river. The spot was perfect. It had all the tranquility of a lake, yet still with the salty scent of the sea. Friday night I arrived, met all the ladies from The 5 Randoms and then walked in the rainy forest back to the "Quiet" Cabin by the light of a few flashlights. After a brief tutorial on how to use the 1800's cookstove without burning down the cabin Robin's husband had built, we fell asleep to the sound of the rain on the roof and the crackling kitchen stove.
Saturday I spent the bulk of the day in this little light-filled room with three walls of wavy glass windows, sea shells lining the windowpanes, bookshelves, and two white wicker chairs. A perfect writing room, and I got a lot accomplished. We gathered for meals in the "Loud" Cabin, and sat around a massive wood table talking about our books, our projects, politics, agents, publishers...pretty much everything.
I left Sunday reenergized and reminded that at the core, writers are all the same. We're all trying to tell the best story we can. And a peaceful retreat in Maine will help a lot!
Currently reading: Black Tuesday, by Susan Colebank
12 comments:
God, that sounds fantastic. I want a writer's retreat!
That arm-wrestling match must have been an awesome thing to see. Now, was it wine-enhanced arm-wrestling or just regular ole beer guzzling arm rasslin?
Except for the getting-any-writing-done part, this sounds a lot like the writers' retreat I went to in New England a couple of months ago. Everybody should go to one, at least once (a year, a quarter, a month...).
Prince B, the arm wrestling was a completely sober event believe it or not. As was the full body wrestling the next night, in which my butt got kicked once again. My excuse: I grew up with all girls and never wrestled before! But yeah, I'm going to learn some basics for next year. It's an annual competition!
Chris, I was surprised at how much I accomplished! The rowdy bunch of ladies also proved to be disciplined. I need at least two getaways each year to maintain sanity! Where in NE did you go?
I am so jealous - what a romantic writer's retreat - romantic in notion - not in kissing! ;0 I have always wanted to do this. So, you just gathered up a bunch of writer friends and you each stayed in the same cabin, or individual cabins? The "loud" cabin makes it sound like maybe you had your own cabin or perhaps shared with one or two people... Either way it just sounds perfect. I WANT TO DO THIS TOO!!!!!
Wow, that sounds absolutely wonderful! :) And who cares about the arm wrestling?? Fingers are the only things that matter, anyway. :)
Sheri, there were two cabins and ten ladies, and one house was the designated "Quiet" cabin where the arm wrestling and body slamming was banned :-) But really, even the Loud cabin was quiet during the day while everyone worked. I was invited by the woman who organizes the retreat, Robin MacCready (BURIED, 2007), and I cannot express how lucky I was to be included! Go check out Cynthia Lord's Sept. 14 LiveJournal post to hear more about it: http://cynthialord.livejournal.com/
Tabitha, you are so right! I was worried my fingers would be injured in the wrestling match and I'd end up typing with my toes or something! Ha!
Sounds amazing! I love getting away and focusing on writing.
Your retreat sounds like heaven! Especially the quiet cabin. I would love to attend one - to be "allowed", in the middle of all life's responsibilities, to JUST WRITE!
Good for you!
I know exactly the area you mean -- I have family in W. Gray, near Portland, and have driven around that area.
Isn't a great retreat amazing?
I would love to go on a retreat like this! Someday...:-)
Angie, I thought of you yesterday -- at the LOC book fair, they had the big painted Scholastic school bus on display! Right in the middle of the national mall!
Hey, where you been?
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