Planning a Writing Retreat
My work is rooted in the everyday and common. Someone once described my writing life as “beset by distraction.” My desk and routine are anchors in the storm. And yet…
writing retreats away from home have become essential.
Years ago I found DIY Writing Retreats: A Guide to Getting Away by Alicia de los Reyes. From the beginning I loved how simple her plans are. Reading about Alicia’s retreats made me feel like I could venture out. Here was a mama1 who was doing what I wanted to do. Here was a mama making space for her writing.
On my retreats, I usually stay close to home: one night in neighborhood Air B&B. But even these minimalist retreats are fruitful. Here are a few ideas as you plan your own retreats.
Have a Plan
Plan something to do—but not too much. The idea is to find the sweet spot between pushing too hard on the one hand and feeling like the time was wasted on the other. I usually use retreats for revision and planning work. With the little bit of distance, I can see my way through messy drafts.
Plan something to nourish your writing. I bring an essay I’ve been wanting to read, a couple of podcasts, a class assignment. I like to have lots options and very few obligations.
Make planning an actual part of the retreat. The anticipation is delicious. It’s also a great way to move a few things forward while also experiencing rest. Having a date on the calendar gives me something to aim for.
Make Travel a Part
I think of the travel as a sort of pilgrimage. Even when I’m just walking the same few blocks I always walk, I take a different route or listen to a podcast while I travel. This helps to set the time apart as special and begins to spark my creativity.
Involve Your Senses
Take a bath.
Sleep. I often take a nap first thing!
Bring a candle.
Take a walk. Find something that you can bring home and have at your writing table to remind you of the time away.
Incorporate Treats
Get takeout food that you love.
Bring plenty of special drinks. I always have coffee with lots of cream, wine, kombucha, soda water. I want choices!
And of course chocolate.
And snacks.
Go Easy on Your Return
Maybe have a frozen dinner ready for the night of your return.
Plan for a little extra quiet. Can the kids go to bed just a little early?
Take notes. Charlotte Donlon from Spiritual Direction for Writers suggests spending a few minutes taking notes each time you finish writing. What went well? Do you have any questions? What’s one thing you want to learn or do today/next week/next month. Taking notes after a retreat helps to clarify the best parts and can inform the retreats you take in the future.
Listen to this from Alicia’s guide:
You might think that you need a grant or a Kickstarter fund to go on a writing retreat. You might think you need oodles of time, long stretches of blank space on the calendar. You might think you need a secluded cabin in the woods, far, far away from cell towers and wifi.
You do not.
What’s your experience with writing retreats? Have you found them beneficial to your wider writing practice?
And this is the sign you’ve been waiting for! Plan a retreat for yourself this year.
Here are a few excellent essays by Alicia de los Reyes!
A Freelancer's Guide to Interviewing: Part 1 and Part 2
A Revival of Shoe Manufacturing in New England
And the podcast where I originally found her work!
These are great tips! I haven’t done a writing retreat in a while, but when I do, I like to schedule non-writing activities - like short hikes - to give myself some different inputs. I once rented an Airbnb near Big Bend in August. It was of course 100+ during the day, so I’d get out for an early morning hike then hide in the shade the rest of the day and write.
I've never done a writing retreat. (I have been on other retreats.) We'll see if someday I can make a writing retreat happen. It sounds lovely! Thanks for the resources you share in here.