Giving Thanks

After reading Erin Dionne’s post on retreating, and realizing I have a kid-free weekend, I am going on a self-imposed retreat this Saturday. It’s time to change my environment for a few hours to write and revise. If I stay at home, I’ll end up watching television and complaining about all the things I didn’t do. Maybe I can rope in a few friends to retreat with me.

As always, Erin is well-prepared for a productive afternoon. She uses a project notebook to write new chapters--great idea, and not just for fiction. I’ve wanted to start my third manuscript for a while, which involves a good amount of research. A more detailed approach with a specific project notebook is the way to go.

Thanks E!

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Big shout-out to Kelli for posting about Poetry Action Plans. She’s absolutely right. As Kelli says, "For me it's living simply and deliberately. It's remembering to pay attention to the details around me."

If you want to know where you’re going, bring a road map. A Poetry Action Plan will help keep you on course. And if you get off-track, you can pick up where you left off.

Thanks K!

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A little birdie suggested I look into Bread Loaf for my summer writing retreat. Hmmm …

Thanks J!

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If you think my to-do list is long, my list of Mass Poetry Festival planning to-do's is three times that. Takes a heckuva lot of coordination to make the whole effort look seamless. I’m happy to report the enthusiasm around the festival has been tremendous. Nice to know that all of this planning with pay off big in May.

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Had a little mini-victory yesterday that I can’t share here, but it served as validation that I’m on the right path.


Thank you, fates!

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I hope last night's big lottery winner is a poet!