It’s been a while since I’ve posted to this blog — and a while since I really wrote anything in earnest. My last novel, The Starlet Letter, was completed over two years ago. Why? Life. Or change. Or just bad planning. Take your pick.
I applied for the Atticus Hotel Writer’s Residency at the suggestion of a friend who had come across it in her exploration of all things wine-related. This gorgeous hotel is in located in the heart of McMinnville, which in turn is located in the heart of Oregon Pinot Noir country. A gorgeous hotel in a charming town in a magnificent setting of rolling hills and vineyards. I applied on the last day I could, and considered it a whim. I mean, there are so many good writers out there, right? I drafted my cover letter, then put together the required writing resume, realizing that there was actually quite a bit to put in there. The four novels, and a number of awards, and some published articles, some speaking events. Somehow, I felt slightly less like a schmuck. But still, I sent the application off and quite literally forgot about it — until, low and behold, I was accepted a few months later to a four day residency. Wonders never cease.
The Atticus Hotel partners with Linfield University’s Creative Writing Department to create this opportunity — a chance to honor writers and the hotel’s mission to support the diverse, creative scene here in McMinnville, which attracts artists of all stripes. The hotel is equal parts luxury and local, with a healthy dose of quirkiness thrown in, and is both extravagant and deeply personal. The perfect place for a writer, like little old me, to find her footing again.
What have I worked on? I spent an entire day and a half immersed in pages of source material buried in Scrivner, which is where I do my novel research and plotting. I revisited the extraordinary world of Old Rus that I created and set aside, only to find myself discovering it newly. This year, I am dusting off my virtual pen to write Pushkin’s Ring, Book Three in the Old Rus series. It’s going to be a fun one, opening in 1812 in St. Petersburg on the eve of Napoleon’s invasion, and then following 13-year-old Pushkin to — you guessed it — Old Rus, where he has the adventure that will one day become his first real literary success. the epic poem Ruslan and Lyudmila. I’ve realized that the series is likely to comprise five books, rather than the originally envisioned four. After all, I have to wrap up that whole thing with Koschei, don’t I? You didn’t really think he would stay dead.
I also did some business-y stuff, took a bath every day (with bath salts), ate a delicious, complimentary meal at Cypress, the hotel’s Mediterranean inspired restaurant, meditated daily, and took long walks, exploring the historic neighborhoods that fan out around the old downtown. It’s been disconcerting, spending so much time alone, but I’m grateful to have been granted to opportunity to be unsettled, in a good way, all while being pampered, honored, and in some sense partnered with. I’d like to think that whatever creative work comes out of this weekend will have acquired the flavor of this place, a unique terroir of creativity, community, excellence, and genuine care.
And, hey — if you are planning a trip to the wine country yourself, I highly recommend this special hotel. Happy travels!
In case you missed it above, click HERE to find out more about the residency, and HERE to book your next stay at the Atticus!
