Short and sweet from the Rocky Mountains

"In every walk with nature, one receives far more than he seeks." –John Muir

Hi friends,

I’m writing to you from Grand Lake, Colorado, where I’m teaching/facilitating for the third time here at Shadowcliff Mountain Lodge with my friend, the amazing writer and teacher, Nancy Stohlman. I already feel the sixteen of us gathered here have bonded in this beautiful place.

I spoke last month about the importance of finding your people as a writer and artist, and writing retreats are certainly one way to do it. Immersed as I am with the work I’m doing here (though it doesn’t really feel like work), I’m going to make this month’s newsletter short and sweet and will be fully back in September.

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Here’s a prompt for you to try in the meantime:

Write a short scene that is basically a conversation with veiled undertones. Demonstrate the concept of the “quiet part loud.” Let whatever emotion is driving the scene simmer and percolate beneath the surface. Exploit the tension there. Find the quietly resonant ending.

Incorporate the following:

• a character who is experiencing some physical problem or ailment

• a broken window

• “I wonder if…”

• an unexpected phone call.

Try for 300 words or fewer.

Here is story of my own which (I think) does this: “Today When I Asked You About a Couple We Knew in Canberra.”

See you in September, my friends!

Kathy