Sometime back in the fall of 2021, I think, I applied for a residency at Wildacres Retreat, near Little Switzerland in North Carolina. When the time came for the announcements of who’d been awarded weeklong residencies, I received a very nice rejection email, in which I was asked if I wanted to be place on a waiting list. I replied sure, why not. Within 2-3 days, I received another message offering me three different weeks to choose from, the first and third of which were during my spring and fall semesters. The middle was July 4-10, and I took it.
Leesa packed a wonderful care bundle for me, and I set off on my adventure at around 1:30 or so on Monday the 4th. A couple of hours later, after a stop at the Ingles in Spruce Pine for some additional groceries, including beer, I checked in at Wildacres and was assigned Laurel Cabin.
Here’s my edited log entry that I wrote on Sunday morning before checkout:
It’s a Sunday morning of soft light and soft rain, the 10th of July, a couple of hours before time to check out and return to the real world—my version of it, at least. this time at Wildacres was my first such residency, and I’m already looking forward to my next, whenever and wherever that might be—hopefully soon, hopefully here. I came here to try to complete the first draft of my second novel, and I did it! During this wonderful week of quiet and solitude, I wrote 15-20K words and came to a satisfying conclusion on my last afternoon here (Saturday the 9th).
In addition to all the writing, I walked as much as I could and napped when I felt like it. I took a couple of midday trips—to Marion on Wednesday (I think) and to Spruce Pine on Saturday. They were good breaks, all of them—the midday trips, the napping, the journeys up the mountain for a bit of suppertime socialization, and the walking.
On my first morning there, Tuesday the 5th, I got up and wrote early (750-ish words) and then took a break for a hike (on the Loop Trail). As I walked along a fairly open area of one trail, I heard a noise behind me and turned to see a black bear come up onto the pathway. It stopped and looked at me. I looked at it. We looked at each other for another moment or two and then I turned to continue on my way, and it turned and went the way I’d come. Later in the week, that scene made it into my draft!
Thanks to Wendy and all—including fellow writer Han—for the gift of this week (July 4-10)!
P.S. The first draft of the novel has working title “Streets of Nashville”
Laurel Cabin Log Book
Check out the Wildacres Residency Program