Looking Back at Writers on the Beach 2015

Last weekend I had the opportunity to attend and present at the first annual Writers at the Beach retreat on scenic Marrowstone Island. This event, planned and presented by historical advisers Nancy and Gordon Frye, was incredibly fun and informative, and I’m already looking forward to next year’s retreat. Here are a few of the highlights from this year’s program.

After a relaxing evening of grilled salmon and pleasant conversation, we officially started the event on Saturday morning with a lecture on the history of firearms, including several demonstrations with a variety of reproductions and antique originals. I especially enjoyed it when Gordon allowed some of us to fire one of his flintlock muskets and find out just how much smoke is produced with a single shot. (hint: it’s a lot!) Other presentations included keynote speaker Libbie Hawker giving great advice on independent publishing, Nathan Barnett demonstrating several fencing styles, Nancy Frye discussing fashion trends from the Renaissance to the modern day, and a practicum on saddles throughout history. I also gave my own presentation, focusing on how writers can make their research as effective as possible.

One of my favorite activities was getting my picture taken using the same type of wet plate process that was common in the mid-nineteenth century. Jason Bledsoe, our photographer, demonstrated the laborious process to us before getting us all into a pseudo old-timey position and politely forcing us to keep still as he prepared the plate, adjusted the focus (by moving around the camera on its tripod), and finally taking the picture itself. It was an exercise in patience as we all held our breath for eight seconds, followed by an entire day’s waiting for the treated glass plate to fully develop into a beautiful black and white picture. I was especially happy with the way my eyes turned out, since I had been told that pale blue eyes like mine have a tendency to not show up, resulting in piercing white orbs where someone’s irises should be. And I thought “redeye” was creepy!

The final highlight of the event came for me on Sunday, when I had an opportunity to learn how to row a small Norse boat using two oars. The sun was shining brightly as we launched our beautiful wooden vessel out into the gentle waves of Discovery Bay with one experienced sailor and one tenderfoot (me) both pulling at the oars while our single passenger focused on enjoying the view. While I often struggled to pull with strong, steady strokes, I thoroughly enjoyed cruising between the seals and sailboats that shared the sparkling waters with us.

I’m so very grateful to Nancy and Gordon for organizing this event and inviting me to be a part of it. If you’re in the Pacific Northwest and are interested in meeting some of the outstanding people who were at Writers On The Beach, come to Port Townsend for the Brass Screw Confederacy, a steampunk festival happening at the end of May. I hope to see you all there!