We’ve talked about it. We’ve dreamed about it. And now…we’re doing it.
One week from today, the Disco Mermaids are hitting the highway and heading south. We’ve planned a weekend writing retreat in Santa Barbara…just the three of us!
What we realized was that we were all on the verge of either finishing a project or starting a project (for Eve, it’s her new romance; for Robin it’s the final third of her first young adult novel; for Jay, it’s the beginning of his second book for Razorbill). And we all decided that what we really needed was time away from people and dogs and the magazine rack at Barnes and Noble.
How did the big idea get started? A little conversation between Eve and myself, while we waited for Jay to join us at the coffee shop. Here’s how it all went down:
EVE: I need some time away, in a hotel or something, to just get my stuff done.
ROBIN: That’s a great idea!
EVE: I want you guys to come with me.
ROBIN: No.
EVE: But whhhhhyyy? It’ll be so fun and—
ROBIN: Exactly! I’m not going if we’re going to have fun.
EVE: Awwwright. No fun. Only writing. I promise. Think Jay will want to go?
ROBIN: Only if it’s strictly writing and no fun.
(in walks Jay)
EVE: Hey, Jay! We’ve decided we’re all going to get a hotel room in Santa Barbara and—
JAY: I’m in.
So that’s pretty much how the Disco Mermaid Writing Retreat came into being. But we definitely all agreed that we will write like the wind and leave the “disco” part of our “mermaidism” at home. (Which I guess means our families will be partying hard in our absence).
That said, I would like to propose the following rules:
1. We will write for three days straight.
2. The only breaks taken will be for the bathroom, showers, eating, caffeinating and the first ten minutes of The Daily Show.
3. We will wake up early. And by “we” I mean, “Eve, get the hell up!”
4. Use of the cell phone will not be needed since we only call each other anyway, so, hey, that’s taken care of.
5. There will be no alcohol. (I know…no one really believes that one.)
6. If someone does sneak alcohol in her suitcase, it must have a fruity mixer and a box of Tylenol attached.
7. Every night we will have a “write off” in which we must read one page from our manuscript that was written that day and the worst writer will be voted off. Or forced to mix drinks.
Anybody out there in blogland got any more rules we should add? (We need ‘em!)
--Robin
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5 comments:
Ah hem. You really think you're going to get any writing done? I mean, c'mon, Santa Barbara.
O.k., taking time out for only those activities listed in #2, that should give you a grand total of 1 hour and 27 minutes of hard-core writing! Can't wait to see the results. Have fun and work hard.
Lamy
Can you write on your blog while you're there? That would count as writing, wouldn't it? Your readers want to experience the weekend with you! Have fun, but I'm pretty sure I don't need to say that. :)
It sounds like no one trusts our seriousness. But we're serious about this.
Seriously!
And of course we'll blog while we're there, Lisa. We put blogging in the category of "Well, that goes without saying."
- Jay
I am so jealous! Writing for three straight days with no interruptions but maybe a snore or two and the light clink of barware! (no, Eve, that means a glass you drink alcohol from, not a new metallic outfit to go out in!) AND in Santa Barbara! Sigh. I'll try not to check the register in every hotel here to find out where you'll be so I can crash.
Seriously, it sounds devine and I shall send productive writerly waves toward town...
~Thalia
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