The Perils of Writing

Some days, I feel alone like this Turkish donkey, with a long road ahead and an unsure destination.

Writing every day can be elusive, and that is what it will take to get the three novels published in 2024 and 2025 that are almost ready to go and the other half-dozen in acceptable shape for the next few years. Is it worth it? Yes, the actual writing is worth it. It is part of me, almost like breathing. But like most authors I know, and others that I follow on social media and Substack, marketing, and publishing bring more stress than necessary.

But as Russell Nohelty said this week, “Anything worth doing is hard.” Even so, I needed a break and a reminder of why I was here.

So this week, I took a trip to Boston (yes, there’s a post on Boston coming next week) for a weekend workshop conducted by Career Authors, namely Hank Phillippi Ryan, Jessica Strawser, Paula Munier, Brian Andrews, and Dana Isaacson. The 2024 Career Authors Retreat was something I needed as a kick in the butt to keep me going, especially after the past few months. As I’ve discussed in another post, there are conferences galore, but many offer little that seems explicitly directed toward me.

This weekend retreat offers one-on-one interaction with published, award-winning authors, an agent, and an editor. That interaction was very helpful, and as they say, I'm ready to get back on the horse.

If you’re looking for a writer’s retreat to teach you something, this is the one. Held at the Endicott House in Dedham, Massachusetts, I’ve been twice.

And you’ll have this guy to keep you company.

If you are a writer toiling away on a novel and need a working vacation, keep an eye out next year in the spring. It is worth your time.