What a perfect way to recover from this verrry long winter--a long weekend at a hotel with a group of writers. Although called a writers' retreat, it's also a mini-conference, since there will be workshops (I'll be presenting two, on conflicts and on heroes and heroines), and an editor will be present to discuss her publisher and listen to pitches.

But the retreat aspect really appeals to me. We'll be a small group, informal, and we'll be talking, breathing, eating, drinking, and living writing.

Whenever I return home from a gathering of writers, I'm inspired and energized, ready to make serious progress on my current manuscript. By the end of this weekend escape will, I expect to be hoarse (from talking too much), weary (from not sleeping enough), and pumped full of creative adrenaline.