Tracey, Pat, MK and I always give the closing deal at our retreat. Fell into this some years ago when we agreed to, then with each of us doing our little thing without talking to the other, managed to mesh this really funny talk that looked like we'd worked on it together for weeks. LOL.

So now we're stuck.

This year we decided on In The Beginning, and drafted good old Ruthiebabe when MK had her family emergency. Ruth talked about how she started writing--giving herself an hour a day for a birthday (the exact birthday is a deep, dark secret) without telling her dh or her five kids. She'd haul out a typewriter every day after doing six million loads of laundry, then put it away before anyone got home. She got caught, confessed, and so forth.

Pat talked about her first writers conference. Not knowing anyone, sitting in the bar, getting juiced up to meet and speak to a certain writer of some note. ME!! lol. Her odd roommate and other experiences.

I talked about how I started--the blizzard, and all that. Touched on my first sale, my first conference, my first royalty check and so on.

You really have to be there to slid into the mood, but we were a hit, once more.

Pressure's already on for next year.

Nora

ADWOFF > NEWSLETTERS > PHOTO ALBUMS > TTP SPRING RETREAT > 1998 > Nora, again