Rachelle Delaney

Last night I was discussing handwriting with some coworkers. Specifically, we were talking about how some schools no longer teach cursive writing. This got some people quite riled up — people who think that writing in cursive is a valuable skill. Personally, I LOVED learning cursive. I remember how exciting it was to be finished Grade 2, knowing that in Grade 3 you’d learn to handwrite. THEN you’d be really grown up.

Which isn’t to say I think we need to know cursive writing. Mostly, I think it’s interesting to see human skills evolve, and sometimes disappear.

I do think, however, that writing by hand (whether in cursive or print) can be very helpful for writers. A wonderful fiction instructor once told my class that the best way to find a character’s voice is to write in it by hand. And I’m not sure why this works, but it does — at least for me. Whenever I’m having a hard time nailing a voice, I’ll put the laptop aside and start scribbling monologues. For some reason, it helps. I recommend it.

It also gives me the excuse to buy fabulous notebooks. And wouldn’t life be awful without those?

Sometimes, a writer just has to retreat.

I’d been going full-out, working full-time and writing three different books, since April. So it wasn’t surprising that December arrived bearing gifts of major burn out. Fortunately, a few writer friends came to the rescue.

This past weekend, the lovely Bren and I headed down to Seattle to visit our equally lovely friend Chelsea, for a weekend of writing, reading, and exploring that great city. In the mornings we’d spread out around the house and work on our various projects. In the afternoon we’d book shop, read, and explore Capitol Hill and its gorgeous old houses. Oh, and there was also a significant amount of wine, cheese, and chocolate consumed. To fuel the creative process, of course.

I can’t recommend the mini writers retreat enough, especially when it combines writing and exploring. And here on the coast, there are so many options: Whistler, Victoria, the Gulf Islands, the Sunshine Coast… I’m already scheming about the next.

Here’s a shot of our weekend “office.” Is it any wonder we didn’t want to leave?