I’m just finishing 10 days in lovely Chattanooga at a writers’ retreat. The Codex Writers met for a short workshop, with Ellen Datlow as our guest. We critiqued stories, and then we had a whole week dedicated to writing, brainstorming, walking in the woods, and getting poison ivy.

Just kidding about the poison ivy. But it was a close call.

We stayed at the house of Mary Robinette Kowal’s family, and they were the best hosts one can hope for. They have a guest house made of logs, and that’s where I stayed. Her dad plays the musical saw and we heard him perform the Star Trek theme. That was pretty amazing.

During the 7 days of retreat (after the workshop), I wrote 3 novel chapters (long ones), wrote 2 flash fiction pieces, revised 2 novel chapters, and brainstormed one story I hope to write when I get back.

This has been a wonderful experience and I’m so glad I came here. I’m heading home in a few hours, and while I’ll be glad to see Shannon again, I’ll miss the experience of the writing retreat.