Retreating

A decade ago, I fell in love with the idea of retreating from the world in the company of other seekers of the creative muse and a life free from outside tethers. Maybe that’s called running away to some, but for me, it feels like I’m walking towards who I was meant to be. In those moments in time, my spirit lifts, and if I start putting words on paper, I am connecting with a creative force, with God. The words flow, and it’s almost as good as being in love.

Words

Words. They guide us through our days, a constant barrage of reminders and self talk and hopefully positive stuff and they worry us through sleepless nights. They are the beginning of love affairs, one-liners and life confessions that connect us with other people. They tell the stories of Dickens and the plays of Shakespeare. They make us laugh and cry as we read a novel by a master like John Irving, whose love of words brings us big books even in today’s world of pared-down rhetoric. They connect us with others through letters and e-mails and social media, and they convince us to buy things we wouldn’t otherwise buy. They are in our prayers.

Join Us For A Day of Writing!

Skyline Writers is happy to announce its 28th Annual Writer's Conference at Hines Hill Conference Center in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. Join us on August 27 from 9AM until 4:30PM for a day of inspiration and writing immersion. A continental breakfast and famous Skyline potluck lunch will be provided. Also, Gray & Company and other local author books will be available for sale and perusing.

Maria Purnhagen's topic "But When I Was in High School, We Didn't Have Cell Phones (or How to write for Teens if You're Not One)," a YA topic that will focus on writing style and voice and being someone you aren't. In Kelly Boyer Sagert's talk "Taming the Tiger: Turning Creativity into Ca$h," writers will learn how to make money from their writing, which Kelly obviously does. With all the social networking and internet publishing going on, we all need to know how to use it to promote our writing, and Lisa Roecker will do just that in her session entitled "Social Networking 101: How to Network, Market and Succeed in Publishing Online." Finally, a little TLC: Joy E. Held will become our therapist with "Your Brain on Yoga: How Exercise and Nutrition Make You a Better Writer."

If you still want some time with fellow writers, join us for a little down time at the Winking Lizard in Peninsula afterwards. To register and for more information on the costs and agenda for the day, go to www.skylinewriters.com, or e-mail skylineconf@aol.com. If you are spending money on only ONE conference this year, this is the one.