So, tomorrow I will be gallivanting off to L.A. for a week for the Lambda Literary Foundation’s Emerging Writers Retreat. Said retreat is a very cool affair that will involve hanging out with 40 awesome writers of various genres and getting to learn from awesome workshop faculty — like, in the case of my workshop, the fabulous writer Katherine V. Forrest.

I’m really excited to spend some quality time focused on craft. I’ve read many a writing how-to book but never taken an actual creative writing class (I was always too intimidated to register for them in college, which was incredibly stupid of me — any aspiring writers who have not yet gone to college, please don’t make the same mistake I did!). So, I’m psyched to really delve into this stuff in a serious way for an extended period of time, instead of the usual routine writers do when they get together, which is to obsess and obsess and obsess over the ins and outs of the publishing industry. (Which isn’t to say that isn’t fun too. ;) )

Plus, this retreat will be the official kickoff for the writing of my next project, Shiny New Idea, since I sent my Neverending 1950s WIP off to Awesome Agent yesterday for his thoughts, which means it is mercifully out of my hands for a while. My Shiny New Idea is currently still feeling very shiny, even though I’ve got about 50 pages of it first-drafted now, so I’m taking that as a good sign and looking forward to making it better (and hopefully longer!) over the next week.

Also, since this retreat is for LGBT writers (apparently the popular nickname for it is “gay writers’ camp,” hee), I am expecting to have lots of great conversations about various LGBT-related stuffs. (I know, I know, that will be so new and different for me! ;) )

Also, since I am finally done with the Neverending 1950s WIP (for now), I hope to be a better blogger after I get back into town and things settle down. (As if I was ever such a good blogger, ha.)

Have a great week all!