Aftermath: Novel Revision Retreat

Using the word aftermath in the title of this post is not the best word choice, but it's the best I can come up with after an exhausting weekend of learning revision techniques.

The retreat was phenomenal. The people at the retreat were terrific. The location was beautiful. The facilities were excellent (the chairs in our work room were fabulous - I could actually touch the floor!). The food was delicious - I didn't even eat that much on cruises!

On to the retreat, though. As I said, we were assigned to groups of four. We sat with them and discussed each other's manuscripts all weekend. My group's work was wonderful, promising and encouraging. Each of them had work that was distinctly different from mine and from the other people in our group. I can't wait to read the published versions of their works, and I do believe that all of them have the potential to be published.

Throughout the retreat, I learned ways to add depth and improve my novel. I have lots to do, but I'm ready to get to work.

Thanks, Darcy and Houston SCBWI, for a wonderful retreat!

Novel Revision Retreat

In a couple of weeks I'll be attending a novel revision retreat led by author Darcy Pattison and sponsored by Houston SCBWI. I don't really know what to expect from the retreat.

We had to read two books ahead of time and submit a completed novel. From those submitted novels, we were assigned to groups of four participants, and we got copies of each others' manuscripts to read.

I've read the assigned texts and the manuscripts – one was a contemporary middle grade and the other two were middle-grade fantasy. Mine was an historical novel for young adults.

I enjoyed the manuscripts. I'm looking forward to meeting the writers.

Hope I learn lots at the retreat. I really want to improve my writing. And then I hit the road for conferences in February and March.

Vacation: Bruges

For the final part of our trip, we departed England in a ferry and headed across the North Sea to Belgium. Ever since we saw the movie In Bruges, Mom and I have wanted to visit the "fairy tale city," and this was our chance.

We weren't disappointed.

We took a canal ride and the captain gave the tour in English (for Mom and me) and French (for everyone else on the boat). He switched back and forth with ease, making jokes in both languages. His ease with languages was amazing and also made me jealous. I wish I could do that.

In addition to the Belgians having a sickening ease with multiple languages, we even saw Madonna and Child, a Michelangelo sculpture, in the Church of Our Lady.

Breathtaking! Even better than the replica of the Pieta we saw in Sainte Anne de Beaupre, Quebec.

I climbed all 366 steps to top of the Belfort and got to hear the bells pealing. It was glorious.

I got to see a vial of Christ's blood in the Basilica of the Holy Blood.

And, of course, we ate lots and lots of delicious chocolate.

Even when we left, we were ready to go back. Bruges was amazing! Everyone should visit.

We took the train through the Chunnel back to London for our flight home.

Vacation: The Lake District

On a cold, drizzly, windy day we drove over narrow, twisty, hilly roads to the Lake District. We stopped briefly at Lake Ullswater

before moving on down the road past miles of stone walls. They were built up the sides of hills.

I have no idea how much effort that took, but I can't imagine being the poor soul who had to haul the stones up there and build a fence.

Then we took the world's narrowest two-lane road

to Ambleside where we road a boat across Lake Windermere, caught a water taxi and then a bus to Hill Top Farm.

Hill Top Farm was Beatrix Potter's home. Pictures weren't allowed inside, but we could caught a glimpse of Peter Rabbit in the garden.

It was a cold, dreary day, and we were glad to return to our bed and breakfast.

Hadrian's Wall

We left Scotland and headed south into England to see Hadrian's Wall. Construction on the wall began in 122. Upon its completion, the wall was almost 80 miles long and stretched across northern England.

It was so cold and so windy.

But seeing the wall and parts of structures that are still standing after almost 2 millennia was worth the poor weather.

Mom loves Roman history, and this part of the trip was a highlight for her. Look at her smile!

Vacation: Traveling South

As we left Edinburgh, we went to Rosslyn Chapel.

Construction on the chapel was begun in 1456. Both the outside and inside are covered in ornate carvings.




And there were also various gargoyles and faces carved into the stone.


Everywhere we looked there was some other ornate carving to see. Unfortunately, photos aren't allowed inside the chapel.

Some of the carvings depict items that weren't known in Scotland at the time they were carved - such as corn - leading many stories to develop around the chapel. There are also theories that Rosslyn Chapel is connected to the Knights Templar and the Freemasons.

After the chapel we drove and drove to Jedburgh to see Jedburgh Abbey. The ruined abbey sits on a bluff right in the middle of town, looming over the residents like a fallen guardian.

It is beautiful.


Jedburgh Abbey was established in the 1100s. All that remains now is a shadow of what it once was. But what a shadow!

While we were at the abbey, we asked the helpful salesperson in the gift shop if there was a McDonald's in town. We were desperate for a burger. There wasn't one in Jedburgh, but he told us there was one in a nearby town. Off we went for the best McDonald's hamburger I have ever eaten!

The next day we left Scotland

and drove into England.

Vacation: HMY Britannia

After the Go Ape Adventure, Inchmahome Priory and Doune Castle, we returned to Edinburgh. Our final stop in Edinburgh was Her Majesty's Yacht Britannia.

The Britannia was built in 1953 and retired in 1997.

The boat was luxurious without seeming ostentatious.

In addition to carrying the royal family, it included marines and sailors - some of whom had to store 21 different uniforms (plus band instruments!) in a tiny space.

Even the engine room was pristine!

Since there was a tea room on board, Mom and I couldn't pass up the opportunity to dine onboard a royal yacht. We had Edinburgh tea

and a slice of chocolate cake.

We expected the cake to be dry, but it was phenomenally good. Quite delicious!