This September I returned for the second time to beautiful Elbow Lake Lodge in Cook, MN to gather with other writers for an incredible retreat called LoonSong. Created by Debby Dahl Edwardson, this retreat was nourishing for both the mind and spirit. The faculty this year included Elizabeth Partridge, who wowed us with all kinds of information on writing nonfiction; Varian Johnson, who gave us fantastic ideas on plotting; Marion Dane Bauer, who supplied us with all kinds of insight on writing picture books; Holly West, editor at Feiwel & Friends and Swoon Reads, who taught us about character development and why “fangirling” is a very good thing; Brent Taylor, agent at Triada US (and my agent!) who discussed perseverance in publishing and how to cultivate it; Mari Talkin, who led a fantastic novel critique group; and Maura Stokes, who made sure we all knew where we were going and ran the tech spotlessly. I was lucky enough to speak a couple of times myself: first joining Varian on a diversity panel, moderated by Debby; and then a presentation with Brent on the author-agent relationship. I saw a few old friends (including fellow PitchWars 2017 friends-I-hadn’t-met-in-real-life Emily Taylor and Elizabeth Runnoe!), and made so many new ones. We learned, discussed, read, ate, and laughed together. We even went out on a boat and gathered around a bonfire! I can’t wait to return.
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