Retreat! What I learned while on a writing retreat in Whistler, BC

Our Condo at Whistler had a lovely view

I had an opportunity to head into the gorgeous mountains of western Canada in late October with three friends and fellow Canadian writers: Zoe York, Elle Rush, and Sadie Haller. We hugged, laughed, and wrote our way through the days, and before we knew it, it was time to say goodbye already.

I learned a few things while I was gone, and I thought I’d share some of them with you.

Top Ten things I learned while on a writing retreat in 

Whistler, BC

10) I’m not the only writer who runs on caffeine, but one cannot write without muse fuel of many other kinds. (we hit Costco on our way out of town.)

This is what muse fuel looks like - note all the various types of caffeine present

9) Whistler Fashion Tip: No matter how cold it gets, you can still wear a mini dress and heels at night, so long as you wear a toque, too. (observed numerous times while walking to and from the main village for dinner.)

8) Whistler is full of Canadian beauty, Australian employees, and bears. 

7) People from Ontario and Winnipeg can't tell the difference between fog and clouds. When you point out the difference, they'll create the hashtag #mountainsarehigh and post about it on Facebook

Yep, mountains are high. And that's not fog, Zoe...

6) Romance writers cry. Over the course of our stay, every single one of us ended up tearing up over one of our scenes.

5) It takes 3 writers to make one pitcher of blood orange cosmos. (and one to take a picture.)

Mixology is a group activity

4) Sharing a condo with people from other time zones makes for early mornings for the west coasters, and very late nights for those from farther east. (but it was totally worth it.)

3) Writers will travel long distances to sit together at a table in total silence, listening to music on noise-canceling headphones, and write "all the words."

And apparently, we all write on mac airs....

2) You can open a wine bottle with a knife if there’s no corkscrew handy

1) The clerk will be very confused if you go to sign in at the front desk and have to ask your friends “So, what the hell are your real names?”

It was an amazing, wonderful, and very productive week. I can't wait to do it again. 

Bonus picture:  I snapped this one on the ferry to Vancouver. What a view!  

#RomanceWriterResearch.

And one of the actual view