Blued

So, it turns out it wasn't all a big hoax, and that there really is an island in Ohio, which is where I just spent the last week, at the Blue Heaven writers workshop. And a very terrific week it was, spent with ten other writers, a smart, companionable bunch who gave me very good feedback on my Norse novel and shared their insights on writing and publishing and kept me laughing.

The group was a nice mix of people I'd never met before, people I'd run across at this or that con before, and people whom I've considered good friends for some time. To a person, everyone was fun and smart and there to learn and contribute.

Kelley's Island was green and lush and populated by congenial lushes. The lakeshore offered blue herons and nests of endangered snakes (and we never poked them with sticks, no, because that would have been wrong [see Chance's pic of snake rescue operations]). I already know I'm going to miss hanging out at the Village Pump (free wifi, cheesy 80's music), but I probably won't miss the brewpub or their three varieties of Gherkinbrau. The planned martial arts demo went about as well as one could expect (captured again by Shutterbug Chance).

Marvin kept us comfy and well fed in the big old house, and I even managed to get over my fear of the evil homonculi in the scary doll room.

And if all that wasn't good enough, there was Sela, the sweet, snake-harrowing pit bull/German shepherd mix who just wanted to splash in the lake and play fetch with big rocks. Every workshop should have an eccentric doggie.

And as an additional bonus, I got to briefly see Maureen McHugh when she swung by Mary's house to drop off a batch of chili. Cuz when you live near Cleveland, Maureen McHugh stopping by to drop of chili is just the sort of thing that happens.

And now I'm home, and it's good to be home, and I'm looking forward to getting back to my novel, but I miss the island and the workshop folks, and I don't see why everyone has to live scattered across the country. I think it's stupid.