This was the fifth or sixth writers retreat I've given at the UCLA Conference Center in Lake Arrowhead, and each time I learn something new. This time I learned that ten is the perfect number for a retreat. And also (again and again) that writers can make sudden, amazing leaps in their work - it happened a lot last weekend. But it only happens after plugging along in your writing, working when you're not inspired, keeping your butt in the chair even when you hate what you're writing and wonder who on earth would want to read this stuff. Ten wonderful stories in the works - and I hold them all in my heart.

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