Writer's Retreat

A few weeks ago it was my writing groups Retreat. We booked in at our regular apartment block in Caloundra on Friday. Friday evening we were presented with our "Envelopes." Treasure is another word for them. Mine was filled with photo's cut from magazines and pasted onto cardboard by the wonderful, Danielle Birch. Saturday, we were given a story starter, with a twist, by the amazing Fiona Greene. My mind was reeling the whole weekend. But, I have come to the conclusion that my current book is the first of a series centered around, the Sentinel Agency, (tentative name) Just before lunch we did a GMC workshop. GMC does my head in. I'm going to find myself other initials for it. Between the writing times, we laughed, we ate, we walked, we plotted, and we brainstormed. A great weekend, working with women I respect as writers and love as friends. Danielle Birch. Fiona Greene, EE Montgomery and Calliope Carr. Without you beside me, this path to publication would not have been as exciting or half as much fun.

From the weekend I have partially developed, two new characters, Ava and Mason, plus a brand new Agency, that I have written heaps of notes on.  Until that weekend, I never considered that Mitch from my WIP, was part of an Agency, but it fits the story. All of this from two Magic Envelopes. I enjoy story starters, how something as simple as a photo, can get you creative juices zinging.  I love the way the creative process just rolls on from a photo, a sentence, an object, a subject.

In my novel, Never Surrender, due for release later in the year, Maggie and Quinn my central characters, came from a dream I had after visiting a very interesting, and completely out of my comfort zone, night club.  It started with a single sentence and the whole book built around it. And, even after the rewrites, the sentence still starts the story.

Hell’s frozen over. Meet me tonight. 9. De’lisle’s.

As I commented earlier, GMC (goal, motivation, conflict) does my head in. I stopped writing for a few weeks when it was pointed out to me that there was no conflict. I couldn’t figure out why not? So when it became apparent that I was focusing so much on getting GMC right that It was interfering with the creative process, I thought, I’m not going to call it GMC, So if anyone has any ideas for the renaming of GMC I’d be very interested to hear them. Till next time. May the writing fairy, tap dance on your computer keys.

View from the Balcony of Belle Central

One day we're going to swim from Caloundra across to Stradbroke Island. One day