Writer’s Retreats
Fifteen years ago, I decided that writing was my thing and, ever since then, I’ve taken myself away. Away to a library; a café, Oxford University, Tuscany, Massachusetts, London, and Colorado. Away from the responsibilities of home and family, away from other work, to invest in my writing.
In 2017, I spent the year writing around the world and completed a novel. I could have achieved this at home, but the friends I made, the experiences I had, and the time spent focusing on my craft, were like the jam and cream on top of a fresh-baked scone.
Next week, I’m going on my sixth retreat in Tuscany. I’m also attending the Omega Writers Conference in October and, next year, I’m helping to facilitate a retreat to France with the Inspire Collective.
Why?
A quiet space to write; sessions with fellow authors, one-on-one sessions with a tutor, professional and spiritual support, evening reading sessions sharing your work in a beautiful location, beautiful food, and friends to share all this with? Why not?
You could create your own retreat in your own home by inviting friends to quarterly retreats. Or organise weekly or monthly Shut Up And Write sessions in a cafe.
Retreating to write doesn’t have to be a huge expense, so why would you need invest money in airfares, hotels and so on and go to Sydney or France or Italy or some other exotic location?
I can give you a few reasons–the food, the ambience, the history, but more than that, a world perspective for your writing. Getting out of your bubble and expanding your horizons will inform your writing–no matter what you write.
Going on a retreat also gives you focused deep creative time and space. Jim Collins, author of Good to Great aims to log 1000 hours of deep creative time every year!
You don’t just get deep creative time unless you take yourself out of your everyday life, or if you have a perfect home situation where you can close the door and not be disturbed for hours.
Retreats give you time to write and that is the biggest reason writers attend writing retreats. Life is hectic and most days it’s convenient to push your writing off until tomorrow. And tomorrow. And again, tomorrow…
Some writers would rather hide in a cabin alone in the woods and write all day. I count myself among them most days, as that’s the best way I know how to write–without interruption.
However, if you’ve ever spent time with other writers, you quickly discover just how empowering and inspiring it can be to meet with like-minded people in this solitary endeavour.
In Mark 6:31, Jesus seeing that ‘so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, ‘Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest. So they went away by themselves to a solitary place.’
All sorts of retreats are valid. Solo retreats, small retreats, or conferences take us away and give us deep creative time and space for reflection and work.
Oh I agree, setting time aside to be creative is such a rewarding time. I’m blessed to have a family shack in the central highlands of Tasmania and I find that creativity just flows and flows.
I’d have to say my dream retreat would have to be going to somewhere stunningly beautiful, like a cabin overlooking water and/or mountains and sitting in front of a fire while it snows is always fun. I’d love to visit Ireland and Canada which I’m sure would both offer amazing places to sit and write. Praying that your next retreat is truly amazing. Thanks for sharing xx
A cabin in Tasmania sounds like a dream! There’s something about cabins! Thanks for sharing. 😊
Funny you should ask that, Elaine. We have our Toowoomba Omega Writers Retreat in just over two weeks’ time (7-9 June). This is the fifth year we’ve run it, so we must love it (or are crazy). There’s still time to register, if anyone is interested. http://www.omegawriters.org/toowoomba-retreat-2019/
It must be fabulous to go to an exotic location though. Top item on my bucket list is to spend 6 months on Prince Edward Island sometime–writing, running workshops etc. Have been there twice, but never long enough. There’s something about a beautiful setting that can really inspire you.
Team Toowoomba has already booked flights for the Sydney conference. Will look forward to seeing you there 🙂
Enjoy your retreat! One day I’ll make it back to Queensland!
Prince Edward Island is somewhere I’d love to return to. What a dreamy place! If you ever organise anything, I’ll do what I can to be there! xxx😀
That gives me incentive, Elaine 🙂 Will start saving 🙂
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I love going on writing retreats and creative day retreats. Such a huge part of my writing practise.
Love it Elaine. So excited to follow your stories.
Thanks, Amanda. One day I’ll get to another of your writing retreats! Xx
Thank you for sharing Elaine. I don’t have plans for a major retreat this year, as it’s difficult to get away. My husband and I repurchased our caravan/annex down on the South coast of NSW, which is a perfect place for writing in solitude (if I can go by myself). So I’ll be aiming to do this at least once before Christmas comes around again. In the meantime, I’ll need to be content with my local library. Enjoy your retreat in Tuscany. I’d love to do that one time 😀📚💞
Hi Josephine, a caravan on the coast sounds like the perfect hidey-hole for a writing retreat. In the meantime, libraries are fantastic!
Tuscany is a dream location and I’m blessed to be able to do it.
I’m very blessed to have the caravan, but Tuscany is on my bucket list 😀 God bless 🌹💞
God bless you, Josephine and I hope you get to Tuscany one day. 😊
I’m going to two writing conferences this year – Romance Writers of NZ, and Omega Writers (looking forward to seeing you there!). But I don’t have any retreats planned (our local RWNZ group is having their annual retreat the same weekend as Omega, so that’s a no).
I do have the luxury of time alone at home, but that tends to be spent working – editing, housework, admin, blogging responsibilities. I often find I have to go to a cafe to get the actual writing done. There’s something about a vibrant cafe that brings out the words in me 🙂
See you at Omega!
The problem for me at home is that vacuuming and laundry are ever-present distractions. Cafes are great workplaces and I find I’m quite productive in them as well.
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Yes! Writing retreats are fantastic. Our current home is too small to run a retreat but one day we will build south of Adelaide 😊. I’m interested in what retreat you are going to in Tuscany, Elaine. I went to one there in 2005. It was mainly for newbie writers and was held in a quaint but not touristy town. I had so much fun. We had group time in the morning then in the afternoon we could write and /or explore. Then a glass of presseco at sunset. One day I’d like to do a similar retreat. ..
Prosecco… posted this comment twice accidentally and couldn’t undo it. Spelled it wrong both times!
My dream is to have a retreat house I can invite writers to stay in. One day!
The retreat I go to is The Art of Writing. https://www.the-art-of-writing.com
In the past, it was held in the mountains on a remote farm in Casentino. Last year, it moved into Florence.
Prosecco is definitely a part of the evening ritual! 😀
Yes! Writing retreats are fantastic. Our current home is too small to run a retreat but one day we will build south of Adelaide 😊. I’m interested in what retreat you are going to in Tuscany, Elaine. I went to one there in 2005. It was mainly for newbie writers and was held in a quaint but not touristy town. I had so much fun. We had group time in the morning then in the afternoon we could write and /or explore. Then a glass of presecco at sunset. One day I’d like to do a similar retreat. ..
Hi Elaine,
Thanks for this. It has reminded me why I need to get away to write. You started me on retreats and they have been the greatest gift. Getting away is the only time I achieve any writing at all. I used to have private retreats on weekends in my caravan but had to stop. Would like to be able to do that again soon. I am going to a local retreat in June and am also planning on the France retreat next year with the IC. France feels very extravagant but I am very excited and hopeful. I also love going to a friend’s house when I can 😉. My progress has been slow but without these times of getting out of my regular life, it would have been non existent!
Hi Jeanette, you and I are very similar! If you want to get away to my place in July, let me know! Email when you get time, once you settle back into the real world after your big trip! Yay to coming to France next year! xxx