Events: Rainforest Writers Village 2012, Session Two
These are some of the planned main events for the 2012 Retreat, held March 7-11. 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, March 7
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 8
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.)
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 MYSTERY OF OUTLINES” Rainforest Restaurant
Presented by Mary Robinette Kowal. If you’re anything like me, the whole outline/synopsis thing scares the bejeezus out of you. Luckily, we have Mary here to help demystify the process. She’ll share her approach to outlining novels, and we’ll all become just a little more calm about the whole thing.
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: “ANTHOLOGIES AND ALL THAT” Cabin #6
Presented by Jennifer Brozek. How do you pitch anthologies to small and large press? This talk includes explanations on how to pitch your anthology to a publishing house. Also, on how to get into invitation-only anthologies you've heard about. What's the etiquette? Finally, what is it about the stories that get into anthologies? Why do some stories succeed where others fail even though they are all well written? Come hear about the philosophy behind the creation of an anthology as well as how to get your foot in the door.
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 9
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: “NEW PARADIGMS IN PUBLISHING” Rainforest Restaurant
Panel by Mark Teppo, Jak Koke, & Tod McCoy. With the growing popularity of ebooks and the ease of POD, there are more opportunities for business-savvy writers than ever before. Our discussion will cover details of digital publishing and include information about the non-writer roles involved in publishing a book.
1:00 pm -- The Kowal Lunch!
Guest presenter Mary Robinette Kowal, will be hosting a tasty lunch. She’s making ... well, right now it’s a secret. Well, not a secret, just it hasn’t been determined yet. Stay tuned! Yum! It's complimentary and guaranteed to be a fun time.
3:00 pm -- Discussion: "PLOT VS. STORY": Cabin #6
Presented by Susan Matthews. There's your story; and there's the plot. They may or may not be the same thing. How do you tell? What happens to your finished work when your plot doesn't support your story, or your story doesn't support your plot? Susan discusses what it means to distinguish between those two critical elements in a work; how to decide which one of them is driving the other; what the distinction tells you about why you're writing this one; and what you need to do when your story is northbound to Blaine while your plot has taken off for Mount Rainier.
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 and Duane Wilkins 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 10
9:00 am -- Group Breakfast: The Salmon House (Complimentary)
11:00 am -- Discussion: “FINANCE FOR WRITERS” Salmon House Restaurant
Presented by Karawynn Long. How do you manage your money to help build a sustainable writing career? Karawynn will discuss financial strategies for freelancers (part- or full-time) as well as give helpful tips and advice for individual circumstances.
12:00 pm -- Lunch: On Your Own, or come in to Cabin #6
3:00 pm -- Discussion: “READ ALOUD 201” Cabin #6
Presented by Mary Robinette Kowal. If you caught Mary’s session on reading aloud last year, get ready for more great tips! Reading Aloud 101 is not a prerequisite for this discussion. She will review all the things that make for great public readings.
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
For those who want a break from writing, 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 liquor control board holds sway here), and with Night Owl writers still wanting to concentrate and write in there, Cabin #6 was designated as the place to go.
Sunday, March 11
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!!
