Back from Ox-Bow, One Novel Heavier

I’m back after a two-week writing residency at Ox-Bow! And I’m happy to say that I have a rough draft to my new novel as a result.

Affiliated with the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Ox-Bow is located along the shores of Lake Michigan and offers 115 acres of inspirational space: pristine natural forests, dunes, a lagoon, and historic buildings.

This was my second time as a writer-in-residence at Ox-Bow. I was there in 2010, working on the novel currently with my literary agent: Womb.

This time, I plunged into a new novel and actually completed a full rough draft. Setting the Family Free is 319 pages and about 83,000 words in its current state. Half if it may end up on the cutting room floor when revision time comes, but for now the novel draft will simmer on the back burner for a few months.

Ox-Bow reminded me of how productive (and yet relaxed) you can be when you’re given an opportunity to focus only on your art, without worrying about other obligations. I get more fiction down on paper during a two week writing residency than I’d normally write in half a year of stolen hours and days at a time.

Ox-Bow’s residency program is all about immersion, commitment, freedom, and focus. Founded in 1910, Ox-Bow is celebrating 102 years as a haven for artists, writers, and thinkers.

Learn more about Ox-Bow by visiting their online campus.

www.ox-bow.org

For more about my most recent novel in progress … just keep tuning in here!