The Last Supper (of Salmon and Storytelling)

Today was our last day of writing.
This morning, we really focused on revising—learning some strategies and digging into our drafts. I’ve pretty much revised one chapter, just a little polishing left to do. One down – 82 to go! (I’m nor so good about cutting out unnecessary words!)

At 11:30, we all piled into the van for our daily field trip. Scott went with my writing pal Ann to her ancestor’s hometown, Ballina, while the rest of us headed to Sligo town. We’d hoped to see the 800-year-old pat of bog butter, but the museum was under renovation—so no butter. Instead, we visited the Yeats Society, housed in an old bank, where our guide Joanna even showed us the safe. After a little shopping, we returned to Hooked for lunch.

Then came the big climb: the Caves of Keash. Yes, I did it. From the car park up to the caves is about 25–30 flights of stairs’ worth of climbing. I only had to stop a couple of times—and the view was worth every step.

Back at Temple House, I polished up my scene to make it “salon-ready” (oooo, ain’t we fancy). Our last dinner was salmon with a delicious orange cake, and then the writers—naturally—retreated to the Morning Room for our final sharing. It was such fun to hear everyone’s work.

I read a scene set about two-thirds through my story: Catherine Seeley, just released from jail in Brookfield, Missouri, boards a train to Kansas City to meet her daughter Ida. They’re followed by police, accused of shoplifting, and though they give fake names, suspicion grows that they’re Catherine and Ida. The police eventually track them to a house, discover stolen goods, and haul them to jail. The scene ends with Ida finally snapping—telling her mother she’s had it after standing by her for thirty years. Ida is released (no evidence she stole anything), but Catherine remains behind bars. In case you’re wondering—yes, this really happened. It was in the newspapers!

Tomorrow morning, we leave Sligo and head east to Dublin. Only a few hours left with my “tribe.” Luckily, I’ll still see them every week on Zoom!

I have a lot more to share about this powerhouse week, but that will come in time. Stay tuned!