Hello, dear writer,

I’m getting SO excited to spend quality time writing with you next weekend, January 3rd and 4th.

Oh, how we are going to play! (In the junkyard of our real lives, that is. If you’re in a blanket fort in your PJs surrounded by half-empty Cheerio boxes, great.)

Please get ready to: 

• Daydream wildly 

• Think deeply

• Write joyfully

If you’re anything like me, new things make me sweat, so here are some gentle things to know:

1. What will we do? 

• We will write! Right smack-dab in the middle of our real lives, we'll write. Together. 

• We'll talk about common writing problems and what you can make sure is in your toolbox to deal with those as they come up, in your real, everyday, messy life. 

• We’ll talk about planning your weeks/months/year to best suit you, with zero productivity shaming.

• We won’t be sharing work, don’t worry. There’s no time for that, and new work is too early to share, anyway. This will be a safe, introvert-friendly place to be.

• Most of all, you’ll have time to work on your current project. You’ll be physically alone where you write, but you’ll be writing with friends. (It’s amazing.)

2. What Are You Going to Work On?

NOW is the time to figure this out.

The lovely thing about having all this writing time together is that you will get so much done!

And it’ll be easier (and more fun) if you have a clear(ish) concept of what you’ll work on while we’re together.

Pick one:

🔲 I’m ready! I’m in the middle of a project and I know what I’m going to be working on.

Fabulous. Bring it. That’s all you’ll need.

🔲 I’m confused! I’m in the middle of a project but it’s been a long time and I don’t know how to get back into it.

Also fabulous. Feel free to do a quick refresher glance over your work, but only to find a sticking point. Don’t bring something polished to work on. Bring questions, a character you don’t understand, a scene you’re having trouble writing, a thorny plot problem that’s difficult to untangle. Sitting together to write while we work in parallel will help free those sticky places.

🔲 I’m TOTALLY lost! I’m not currently writing anything, and I can’t even decide what I might WANT to write about!

Also fabulous! And I’ve got some definite suggestions.

If you fall into this category, please:

1. Set a timer for 15 minutes.

2. List anything you could bring to work on: projects, fragments, questions, notes.

3. Look at the list. Ask which one feels most alive or most tender? Which would you regret not bringing?

4. Circle one. If two are really close, choose the more vulnerable/scary.

5. Now, scribble for a few minutes without stopping to think, starting with:
   The reason this is asking for my attention is…
   (If stuck: What I don’t yet understand is… / What feels tender is…)

6. Now, finish this sentence:
   I’m going to bring this to the Junkyard because ________.

You’re not choosing this whole project for the rest of your life—it’s just what will sit with you in the room while we’re together. You can’t get this wrong.

3. What should I have on hand? 

• Your project/ideas. Like I said above, it's okay if your project doesn't exist yet. It's also okay if it does and is a huge mess. That's normal! 

• Your favorite beverages, a lot of them. Tea, coffee, wine, juice, smoothies, whatever makes you happy! 

• Delicious snacks. I recommend a good mix of them, sweet and savory! If possible, have a food plan for your 60-minute meal break each day. Brains use a lot of calories doing this kind of work! (Seriously.) 

• As little interruption as possible — no, wait. I'm just kidding. 😂 This is a retreat about writing in your everyday life. It's fabulous if you can clear the retreat hours as much as you can. Make a sign to put on your bedroom door to keep people out. Tell everyone you're in a Very Important Weekend Conference. You will be very busy (doing the work of your heart). But also, it's okay if you have to come in late or leave early or go offscreen to clean up spills. That's life. We write around life. 

• This won’t be recorded, as it’ll be a lot of sitting around quietly together, so do attend as much as you can, in order to get the nuggets/tips we talk about together.

WHEN AND WHERE:

Saturday, Jan 3, 8am - 2pm PT
Sunday, Jan 4, 8am - 2pm PT

Please note, these are in USA Pacific (Los Angeles) times. I use this time zone converter to figure out time zone stuff, and I prefer to put in a city rather than figuring out if a country is currently in daylight savings or not. 

Join the Zoom HERE. It'll be the same both days! 

Again, you can’t get any of this wrong. I promise. And this will be so fun.

I can't wait to write with you. 

Rachael