The Poconos Retreat

So here I sit in, tucked into my little lodge at the Sterling Inn in the Poconos, surrounded by writers, illustrators, editors, and a host of other creative people. There has been a great sense of camaraderie and collaboration, unlike any I've experienced at past conferences, and it has really been inspiring. Paul Acampora and Nancy Mercado have shown us how nurturing a writer/editor relationship can be. Although it may not be the typical situation, it's nice to see that it is possible. They are both so funny and interesting and have such a strong sense of who they are, which comes across in their books.

Lisa Wheeler and Ponder Goembel showed us how an illustrator might imagine a story differently in her head than the writer did, but together they create magic. What has been nice about this year's retreat is the sense of inspiration and affirmation that good communication and continued growth are really the hallmark of a good relationship, no matter what you are doing. And many of us have met as strangers, but embraced each other's work and shared a little bit of ourselves with people who understand how creative minds work.

Nothing clever or inspiring from me, today. Just reflecting on a nice weekend surrounded by clever, artistic people who love to tell stories.