Donna Maree Hanson, Author, Phd in Creative Writing

Just putting the final touches on the packing. Most important stuff is copying the latest files to my memory stick so that I have the correct version of things. Mind you I am starting a new file and a new project. But I have some short fiction to tweak and I need to bring that with me.

The thing that has been forgotten on two retreats (not by me) is the laptop power cords. It’s happened twice so far on two different retreats. Last year I brought the wrong version of the manuscript but luckily my daughter could find the correct one and email it. So drama over.

We were meant to leave at 11.00am but we have late arrivals. Haha. But as we can’t check in till this afternoon and as it is only 2.5 hours away it is no great drama. We don’t normally get serious work done on the first day, with settling in etc.

I always pack way too many books to read on retreat. Usually I write too much to mentally engage with fiction and we socialise too much to find the time. It’s just fall into bed and roll out the next morning to write.

I love writers retreats with these great friends of mine. It’s cool they like the same thing. Writing. And I guess it isn’t everyone’s cup of tea either, holidaying and writing etc.

Cheers for now.

As a writer, an aspiring author, I have gone through up and downs in life and in my writing. Rejections, set backs, personal stuff all impact on how productive I have been as well as on the quality of my work. Trying to do things too fast, wanting to be pubished now, can affect objectivity of ones writing and often lead to embarrassing early submission of work not yet ready.

When I first started to write it was like a disease. I couldn’t stop. Ideas consumed me. Yet I could barely write a grammatically correct sentence. So I wrote and studied and revised, trying to catch up with the rest of the world. Then I did other things all writing related. Ran a convention or two, helped other writers, edited, published and beta read for published authors. And now after a big dry spell I feel all productive again. In December 2009 I wrote and submitted three short stories. That is almost like my old days. Well except now I am a much better writer than I was back then. Some of the rawness has sloughed off. My ideas I hope are more complex, more original and maybe better finessed. We will see. So far one has been accepted for publication. I am hoping for more productivity in 2010 and maybe some more short story subs and sending the novels out again, but improved versions. I want to kick them up a level. I know I can do it.
I will start the year off with a bang. Off on a two week writing retreat in Berry NSW with fellow retreatees, Matthew Farrer, Trudi Canavan, Russell Kirkpatrik, Kylie Seluka, Cat Sparks and Nicole R Murphy. You can hear about all our antics on fantasywritersonretreat.wordpress.com

Beware there is usually a lot of sillyness, drunkeness and teasing going on. Yet we do usually achieve our goals. Mine is 60,000 words on the novel and maybe some other stuff too. I am so excited. It is not often you can hang with people who get the need for writing, the addition to our pcs and the lack of interest in housework.