Writing while Retreating
“Diary Writing” – a Creative Commons image taken by Fredrik Rubensson – http://bit.ly/1HVr89U
I’m going on a writing retreat at the end of this week. In fact, I’m hosting a writing retreat. Hmmm … should I be more panicked than I am?
Nah … probably not … right?
The thing is, every single person I’ve told about this weekend has asked me “what is a writing retreat?”
Good question!
Well, there are a wide range of answers, but here are some of the things you might experience at a writing retreat:
1) Workshops / Presentations – There might be themes or topics discussed that could, in theory, help with the shape and progress of your writing. Maybe the person organizing the retreat presents these – maybe they get somebody in to do so.
2) Feedback – There could be one-on-one coaching with more senior writers. Or there could be feedback within the group.
3) Discussion – Maybe a little less formal than feedback – the group could discuss stumbling blocks, a-ha moments, difficulties, etc.
4) Related Activities – Because of my horse connection, someone recently pointed me to a writing retreat centred around Equine Therapy. There could be retreats held at a spa, or yoga centre …
5) Writing time! I certainly hope so …
Writing retreats can be overnight, for a weekend, for a week, for a month – really any amount of time.
They can be something you do all alone, or with others.
They can cost LOTS and LOTS of money (to pay for all the above coaching / presenting, as well as meals, accommodations, etc.) or they can be dirt cheap.
So, what’s mine? Informal and dirt cheap – my favourite kind of weekend!
It started as something I threw out to my friend Lynn and she then corralled her writing group in, and – miracle of miracles – we were all free on the same weekend (when does that happen?) so we’re going on a writing retreat.
We’re going to Wolfe Island – which is great for me because I’ll be focusing on Book Three of the Island Trilogy. It’s also great because we’re staying for free. We’re bringing all our own food. In the end we’ll pay for gas, and we’ll each pitch in twenty bucks to get the place cleaned after we go, and that’s it.
It’s also simple – my only plans are to run and write (And eat. And sleep.) I don’t know what we’ll talk about in the evening – maybe what we worked on all day, or maybe not that at all – maybe we’ll discuss how it would be useful to have an extra hour in every day, or whether Kate Middleton is likely to have a boy or a girl, or the federal budget (probably not the budget … but you never know!).
My point is, it’s all about the writing. Sitting down and doing it.
So, you see, it’s not that hard to organize your own writing retreat. Just pick the time and find a place (it could even be going to your local library for the day – somewhere you won’t be disturbed or distracted) and write!
Have you gone on a writing retreat? Was is formal or informal? How did it work out for you?
