Taking Writing to the Mountains: Rocky Mountain Writing Retreat 2015

View from my balcony writing space at Baker Creek Lodge
 at the 2015 Rocky Mountain Writing Retreat

This morning while making tea in the kitchen (sometimes I drink tea instead of coffee ;)) I had a vision flash through my mind of standing in the kitchen, warm, with tea steeping, while snow was gently falling outside, adding to the thick blanket already on the yard and trees. Incongruent, I know, we just welcomed September and it is a perfect late-summer day out there.

So on this day of the first flash of winter to come, let me share how I kicked off summer. In early June I attended the Rocky Mountain Writers' Retreat. I had three days of writing in a beautiful lodge, in the Canadian Rockies, in Banff National Park, minutes away from Lake Louise with thirty other writers and one of my critique partners as my roommate. I had attended one other writing retreat a few years ago and knew the potential for serious headway on my manuscript. I also knew the power and magic that happens when you gather with one of your tribes. It feels good. There is the sense of friendship and belonging and hanging out with other people on their own version of this same crazy writing experience/journey that I am on.

The view a few steps from my
writing retreat door was this view.

Feeling the flow of Baker Creek
in between writing sessions.

I stayed holed-up in my room (or the balcony) writing, coming out only at meal time and at the evening social events. Well, that and gabbing with my roommate when we need a writing break. :) Okay, and when I needed to go for a quick explore. I was in the Rockies along the gorgeous Baker Creek, after all.

I had hours of uninterrupted writing time in a natural setting. I loved it! Happy kick-off to summer!

Do you attend writing retreats? Where do you like to go? What are your favourite ones? Do you set aside a weekend with a couple of writer friends or do you go on more formally organized ones?

True Story Telling Event "Close Calls"

On Saturday a friend of mine hosted a True Story Telling event in Calgary, Canada, inspired by the True Story podcasts. The theme was Close Calls.

What an incredible night!

There is a joy to being present and listening to people tell their stories, live and in-person. Strangers can become friends, and friends or acquaintances learn a new layer to the other. Saturday night was real. In some cases raw, others hilarious, in all fascinating.

Listening to the stories, there was little time for nerves anticipating my turn at the microphone. And I haven't laughed so hard in a long time. We all have our own stories to tell. In selecting which one to tell on Saturday, memories that have long been dormant resurfaced. In listening to others tell their "close call" story, even more came whispering in. It was a great night hearing everyone's tales.

There is an art and beauty to storytelling that feeds the soul.  I love hearing and reading stories; around a campfire, or at an art studio like Saturday, or curled up with a book. Stories can nourish us, connect us, and remind us we are not alone in this human experience.

That is one of the reasons I love writing, I get to share stories with others.

Many thanks to all who inspired, participated, attended and organized! It was an awesome night!

Happy Listening, Happy Reading, Happy Writing,
Sarah