Writing Angel Prayer by Eileen Spinelli

This has been a dark week for all of us, not just for the people in the United States, but all over the world. I received an unexpected email from a writer/illustrator friend, who said she had read my blog and wondered how I was doing. I told her I thought I was depressed being stuck in the house and watching the news constantly update the death toll. My friend told me to turn off the TV and take a walk, but she also said to keep blogging because it helped so many people. I said I should clean my office, since I knew getting that job done would make me happy, but as soon as I started, I found this poem from Eileen Spinelli. I shut off the TV, put in my ear buds, turned on my “walking fast” playlist, and spent an hour with the sun on my skins, breathing in the spring air, and waving to my neighbors. I thought of all of you and wondered if anyone else could use a boost, so on that walk I decided to share this blessing from the Writing Angel, hoping to inspire you to make the most of this time. It may help keep your spirits up.

Thanks to Dow Phumiruk MD for sharing her angel for this poem. Dow was featured on Illustrattor Saturday.
www.artbydow.com

And thank you Cathleen for brightening my day.

Please read my question at the bottom and let me know what you think. Thank you!

If you read my blog regularly, you know I have plans to run and full manuscript writers retreat in the fall in Princeton. I like doing it, since it has helped so many writers move their careers forward and get published, but maybe there is a better way to do it this year. I could redesign the retreat and do everything virtually. The critiques could be done with the agents, editors over the phone or via Skype. I could set up the critique groups long before sending in the manuscript to the agent/editors. Each group could decide between themselves how they wanted this to work. I would give ideas on the options and then the group could talk it over via email and decide. I could look it over and point out any pitfalls. Also, a writer who didn’t want to do the group critiques could opt out. Reading each others manuscript is a lot of work, but the value you get from the other members reading your work and hearing their ideas is more than worth it. If there were groups of four, that would mean you would only have to read three manuscripts. The group could decide to read one each month or spread them out to give you enough time to re-write before submitting to the professionals. Since it would be vitual, the cost would be lower and the travel costs would be zero.

What do you think? Would you be interested in doing something like this? I would love your feedback.

Talk tomorrow,

Kathy