I am sorry if you’ve visited me in hopes of another snippet of Only Scandal Will Do but I have gone writing this weekend at a wonderful writer’s retreat called The Porches. I’ll be back with more Scandal next week, but for now, take a look at this marvelous place I found to simply write.

Porches in Summer

The Porches is located in Central Virginia, about an hour south of Charlottesville. I heard about it from a chapter mate who visited it last summer and was very envious when she told me she was going.

I put a three day weekend at The Porches on my Christmas List last year, and low and behold if my daughters didn’t go in together and get me a three day weekend here. I drove up yesterday after my classes and since we have Monday as a holiday, it worked out perfectly.

This is what I missed last weekend!

It’s way off the beaten track, charming, not rustic. You fix all your own meals with food you bring yourself and clean up after yourself, but that’s it. Other than that, you are free to write to your heart’s content and I have done just that. Quiet time is from early morning until 5:30pm (and I have never been on a retreat this quiet! A train comes by occasionally, otherwise, silent as the tomb). The proprietor makes

everyone welcome, then fades into the background and leaves you to your own devices.

The front porch

And it’s working! Since I got here about 9 pm last night, I’ve written approximately 6,000

Not my room, but very like it

words or two chapters, so I’m thrilled! By the time I leave Monday morning, I hope to be almost halfway through the book I’m writing. I need to have it done by February 1st, so I do have my work cut out for me.

So have a wonderful weekend and week (I know I will!), and I’ll see you back next Sunday for Weekend Writing Warriors.

Jenna