If you're like me you have a number of virtual friends, people you've interacted with in various capacities for years. Sometimes you even have to remind yourself that you've never actually met them in person. And when you do that, for a moment you find that hard to believe. You have so much in common, you've known them for so long, how can it be you've never met them? 

On that note, I want to introduce you to my virtual friend and colleague Margo Dill and to welcome her to my blog. 

BIO: Margo L. Dill is a freelance writer, editor, and teacher, living in St. Louis, Missouri. With a background in elementary education and remedial reading, Margo uses her knowledge to create fun and meaningful books for kids and teens. She is currently the author of two picture books, Listen, Lucy! Listen: A Red Ribbon Week Adventure and Maggie Mae: Detective Extraordinaire: The Case of the Missing Cookies; one middle-grade novel, Finding My Place (historical fiction); and Caught Between Two Curses, a young adult paranormal romance. She is the managing editor for WOW! Women On Writing and also has her own business, Editor 911, where she helps writers through one-on-one instruction, workshops, and presentations. She lives in St. Louis, Missouri, with her family.

You do Need a Writing Retreat

by Margo Dill

You need a writing retreat. Yes, you do. I didn't know this year when my writing group planned a retreat at the lake, if I would be able to attend. Sometimes, things like this seem overwhelming as a single parent, and I often question, "Is it worth the planning and trouble before I even get there?"

Yes. A thousand times yes.

So why?

I went with four women writers who are a complete and total inspiration to me because all of them are actively working on their novels. And let me tell you, these novels are good! I read the first 40 to 70 pages of all of them this past weekend, and I felt like I was reading published books. My group can write, and that inspires me to get back in the seat and create something they can read!

So that's one reason why it is worth it--I am feeling the stirrings of getting back to fiction.

The second thing is that it gave me time to myself to work on that new blog and catch up on some editing. When I'm at home, I want to write, and my daughter is great--she really is. But I also want to spend time with her and she is only 5 years old, so. . .I am distracted and don't get a lot done. At the retreat, we had meals planned out. We all had goals to accomplish, and we all respected each other's time. I mean, it was perfect. And I am almost done with my blog!

One thing we do every year that I think is super important is create a vision board. If you haven't done one of these before, just GOOGLE vision board, and you will come up with all sorts of blog posts on how to make these and why they are important. There's even a vision board app if you would prefer to do this the electronic way. My vision board is currently hanging by my desk, and it is full of what I want my life to look like during the 2016-2017 school year. It's not just writing--although that is part of it. It is also love, parenting, self-esteem, friends and family, hobbies, travel, self-conduct and more. Of course, it also has my word of the year on it-ORGANIZATION.

Anyway, if you have the chance to go on a retreat, go. Make the effort, organize your family, take a day off of work--and go. You will not regret it. If you don't know of any retreats, you can create your own. You don't need to know anyone with a lake-house--you can have a retreat in a hotel or at someone's house if her family can clear out for a couple days.

You love your friends and your family. But there is NOTHING like spending quality time with other writers to get you inspired and working toward your goals.

Here's to retreating! Cheers!

Follow Margo Dill here: https://www.margoldill.com for more information

Join her on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/MargoDill.author.editor/.