Jokers to the left of me, clowns to the right of me: reality’s call

Since I attended a writers’ retreat last month—see “The power of networking…”—a mirror image of me moves throughout each day disconnected from reality. The crux of the matter is that my mind and heart still reside in the space I created 1,527 miles away. Yet my body continues to travel on autopilot through the motions of everyday life. Like the old song lyrics go: I’m stuck in the middle… Because if I evaluate my circumstances from the outside in, I observe a 50+ woman striving to serve as a productive member of society, love her family and friends, care for her health and make a difference in her small corner of the world. But the reality is that—even so—from the inside out, I’m stuck on pause as I contemplate my next move and attempt to answer reality’s call: Is this as good as it gets? It’s in this crossroads, I’m certain, where it’ll all begin to make sense.

Are you stuck in the crossroads?

Image courtesy of tiverylucky at FreeDigitalPhotos.net.

The power of networking: why a writers’ retreat pays off

Calling all writers and storytellers: published, non-published, pantsers or plotters and more: If you’re passionate about all things literary, and you’ve always wondered if you should attend a writers’ retreat… go. While they each tout their own merits, it’s not the XYZ annual writer’s conference or your weekly writer’s workshops or critiques I’m extolling here. Writers’ retreats are a different creature. Not only do you immerse yourself into the entire writing experience—aka you write—but, at least in my situation, I was privy to the do’s, don’ts and the how to’s of the craft presented in fresh ways. And, because retreats often limit the number of participants, you get to know your tribe intimately and practice the power of networking. Maybe it’s because I’m still riding the high from my own writers’ retreat (see “How a life-changing adventure works”). Or maybe it’s because I want to share this newfound insight with my fellow peeps. Either way, what have you got to lose?

What’s your networking “go to?”