Events: Rainforest Writers Village 2012, Session One
These are some of the planned main events for the 2012 Retreat, held Feb 29-March 4. Repeated daily events are not listed each day, such as Night Owl and Early Bird sessions, Community Writing times, and so on.
Please understand that the resort staff has to come in and clean a bit before their regular business hours. It would be helpful around 1 or 2 pm each day that you clean up your area, and think about moving out for a while so they can sweep or vacuum. Perhaps you might even volunteer to wipe down tables! Although I've listed a "Closed for Cleaning" time, it may be that it won't be so much "closed" as it is a designated "clean up your area and get out of the way of wait staff" time!
Remember: during the designated Community Writing times in the lounge, there should be no loud talking or sustained merriment. If you think you’ll be having an extended conversation with someone, please take it outside, or into the restaurant area. Attendees are trying to concentrate and write.
Wednesday, February 29
7:00 pm -- Retreat Opens
For those anxious writers who can’t wait to get to the retreat (and I don’t blame you!), the retreat “officially” opens now. Some of you will probably arrive earlier than this, but I can’t (doing two retreats back to back means working on Wednesday), and I can’t guarantee the writing space will be available before this (but it probably will).
8:00 pm -- Registration Opens
Or maybe a little later than this, depending on the time I get there after work. Dinner is on your own, any time you like, but we’ll most likely have a few munchies in Cabin #6. Participants can start picking up their badges and retreat information at this time. Check out the “word count tally board” and get ready for your chance to win door prizes!
9:00 pm -- Guest Meet & Greet
We are the resort’s guests during this two hour mixer. All very informal. A lot of folks are simply in there writing anyway. At 9:00 the lounge closes to local patrons, so we’ll have the place to ourselves if you’d like to come mingle with other writers. (Non-writing spouses or guests are welcome. Please wear your badges so we can all get to know you!) This is also the official "Start" time for keeping track of your writing word counts. There will be a white board in Cabin #6.
10:00 pm -- Night Owl Writers
The restaurant and lounge will be closed, but those of you who like to burn the midnight oil and write in a community setting, you’ll be able to hang out here and write as long as you’d like. Badges required until the Night Owl staff (me!) is sure he knows you. (This repeats Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights.)
Thursday, March 1
6:00 am -- Early Bird Writers: Salmon House Restaurant
It’s the early morning equivalent of the Night Owls! Get your coffee (available right in the restaurant) and come on in and write. Badges required until the Early Bird staff (Bob!) is sure he knows you. (This repeats Friday, Saturday and Sunday mornings.)
8:00 am -- Community Writing: Salmon House Restaurant
Starting today, the restaurant/lounge is the place for those writers who want to have other writers around them when they write. Some of the time or all of the time. Writers can be in the restaurant area to write if they wish, but must leave about 1:00 so the restaurant staff can prepare for their normal business start time. The Lounge, however, can still be used as writing space after the staff preparation time. (Repeats Friday, Saturday and Sunday.)
8:00 am -- Yoga for Writers: Salmon House Restaurant
There will be three morning sessions during the retreat, hosted by the amazing Louise Marley. No one needs to know any yoga to participate. She'll talk people through some stretches that are beneficial for writers, and use the sessions to show the benefits of exercise to people who use their brains for a living. (Repeats Friday and Saturday morning at 8:00 am.)
9:30 am -- Guest Breakfast Office/Registration Opens: Cabin 6
For those writers coming in today, pick up your badges and retreat information just about any time. The restaurant is closed to local traffic, but the Rainforest Writers Village wants to treat you to a good first meal of the day each day of the retreat, complimentary. Today, we’ll throw some pancakes on the grill in Cabin 6. Come in anytime between 9:30 and 11.
11:00 am -- Discussion: “THE JOY OF SHORT STORY WRITING” Rainforest Restaurant
Presented by Brenda Cooper & James Van Pelt. Some writers love to write short, and find that their ideas best match this format. Brenda and Jim talk about how they approach writing short fiction differently from novels, how they find story ideas that fit the structure, and how some of their favorite examples can inspire you to improve your own stories. They might even have time to each read a piece of super-short fiction of their own.
12:00 pm -- Lunch: On Your Own, or come in to Cabin #6
This lunch is on your own, but we'll have some light munchies in the retreat office for those of you who just need to nibble a little bit. Although the resort restaurant is closed during this time, there's the store across the street, and other restaurants within driving distance.
3:00 pm -- Discussion: “USING ALL THE SENSES (There are More Than 5)” Cabin #6
Presented by David Levine. One of the most basic pieces of writing advice is to engage all of the reader's senses. An easy writing mistake is to use only sight and hearing. But why stop with touch, taste, and smell? People interact with the world in more ways than that... let's explore them in our fiction as well.
5:00 pm -- Yoga for Writers: Rainforest Lounge
Louise Marley provides a quick 15 minute hand, arm and shoulder session. Not everyone is up early for the morning session, but after all day at the computer, this is a great way to distress those muscles! This might need to be done in Cabin 6 or elsewhere, as the local population will be arriving at the restaurant and lounge by this time. (Repeats Friday and Saturday evenings)
6:00 pm -- Group Dinner in the Salmon House Restaurant
All participants who want to meet and eat in the restaurant for a big group dinner, come along! Purely optional, but it's kind of fun to have a big group of us in one spot chowing down. We do this on a particular night and time and let the restaurant staff know ahead of time so as not to unduly stress them out!
The resort is in its winter season, and because of that, the restaurant is not open all day. The restaurant is open from 4pm – 9pm daily for dinner. It will, however, be open to retreat participants for various events throughout the weekend. (Also, I pay the resort to open up the restaurant three mornings to put on breakfast just for retreat participants.) Guests are encouraged to seek alternative venues for meals. A few of the cabins have small kitchens, so perhaps you’ll buddy up with someone and share some meals that way! We made the decision to leave dinner to you because, frankly, we wanted to give you the chance to support our sponsors, the Rainforest Resort Village. Meals in their restaurant are reasonable and quite tasty! Other restaurants are in the area, however, including the Roosevelt Room at the Lake Quinault Lodge, one mile away.
Friday, March 2
8:00 am -- Yoga for Writers: Salmon House Restaurant
9:00 am -- Guest Continental Breakfast: Salmon House Restaurant
The restaurant will open up just for us and provide a nice continental offering of coffee, juice, donuts, pastries, and fruit, and maybe some oatmeal! We'll feed you breakfast. On us. It'll be yummy.
11:00 am -- Discussion: “AGENT SECRETS: HOW TO GET AN AGENT AND DO YOU NEED ONE?” Rainforest Restaurant
Discussion by Laurie McLean. Traditional publishing imploding...eBooks dramatically on the rise...self-publishing...social media...PODs...WTF? There’s no doubt that publishing is undergoing its most fundamental change for the past 400 years. But what does that mean for you and your writing career? Literary Agent Laurie McLean, here at RWV to work on her own writing, will offer unique insight and perhaps a road map to help you through the chaos.
1:00 pm -- Nordeen & Boulton Lunch!
Two of RWV’s most devoted attendees, Julie Nordeen and Art Boulton, will be hosting a tasty lunch. She’s making some fine soups, as well as sides. He’s making some to-die-for grilled cheese sandwiches. Yum! It's complimentary and guaranteed to be a fun time.
3:00 pm -- Discussion: "THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING": Cabin #6
Presented by Lyn Flewelling. The characters in your stories must truly be people that readers can connect with. Lynn will talk about how to do this, and how to use real life to create "homo fictus."
5:00 pm -- Yoga for Writers (fifteen minute hand, arm & shoulder stretches)
6:00 pm -- Dinner on your own
The Salmon House restaurant is open for business. (It actually opens at 4 pm, and you can grab dinner anytime you like between 4-9 pm.)
8:00 pm -- Cocktail Hour and Book Signing: Rainforest Lounge
The nearby town of Aberdeen's welcome sign as you drive into town says "Come as You Are," a reference to the late Kurt Cobain, who lived there. We just want you to enjoy the company at this mixer. Use your complimentary drink ticket to purchase a beverage of your choice. (Non-writing spouses or guests are welcome.) The amazing Art Boulton will set up the University Bookstore table to sell books written by retreat participants and Northwest publishers. You’ll also find some writing reference books for sale. Bring some green, support the independent bookseller, and your guest presenters!
10:00 pm -- Group Readings: Salmon House Restaurant
The lounge and restaurant closes to all but retreat members. Here's your chance to share with other attendees and guests the material you've written so far during the retreat, or share other work in progress. Badges required.
Saturday, March 3
8:00 am -- Yoga for Writers: Salmon House Restaurant
9:00 am -- Group Breakfast: The Salmon House (Complimentary)
11:00 am -- Discussion: “WRITING AN URBAN FANTASY SERIES: TRIALS & TRIBULATIONS” Salmon House Restaurant
Presented by John Pitts. Learn one author's joys and fears about writing in one of the most saturated genres on the planet today. Hear tales of success and dread. John will share his experiences and take questions from the audience.
12:00 pm -- Lunch: On Your Own, or come in to Cabin #6
3:00 pm -- Discussion: “OUTLINING A NOVEL” Cabin #6
Presented by Jay Lake. Jay talks about his approach to outlining novels. He'll discuss the outline as a sales tool and as a writing tool. He'll also talk about different styles of outline, using examples from his own publishing history.
5:00 pm -- Yoga for Writers (fifteen minute hand, arm & shoulder stretches)
6:00 pm -- Dinner on your own
8:00 pm -- Writers in the Bar: Rainforest Lounge
For an hour, the Rainforest Lounge will gladly let us mingle and will serve us until closing time. (Non-writing spouses or guests are welcome.) Maybe the University Bookstore table will be open again…
9:00 pm -- Cabin Party: Cabin #6
The last few years it has become a tradition for those who want a break from writing to come and hang out in Cabin #6 with some light (and not-so-light) libations. There will be some beverages in there of course, but BYOB is more likely for the not-so-light drinks. After-hours celebrating in the lounge is not permitted (the resort likes to keep its standing good with the liquor control board), and with Night Owl writers still wanting to concentrate and write in there, Cabin #6 was designated as the place to go.
Sunday, March 4
9:00 am -- Breakfast: The Salmon House Restaurant.
The most important meal of the day, right? Come on in and chow on us.
11:00 am -- Farewell Fling & Awards: Rainforest Lounge
We say goodbye and show our appreciation to our attendees and honored presenters. Awards for the biggest word counts will be given, as will some neat door prizes. Look for some other surprises.
2:00 pm -- Retreat Closes.
Drive home safely!!
