Tips for Your Summer Writers Retreat
Writers retreats can last for a day or a month or a week or a weekend. In terms of setup or structure, they can range from a self-paid escape to a hotel or AirBnB, to a bursary-supported residency (with other writers) at a designated creative retreat.
Whatever price point or setup you choose, and based on my 20+ years of running away to write, here are six tips to select and enjoy your creative time away.
6 Tips for Going on Writers Retreat
Alone or with writer friends? If you're collaborating on a project, then a few days away with writer friends together works. But make sure to establish work time and socializing time and to stick to your mutual agreement. If you do go in a small group, respect the other retreat residents (outside of your group). Unless you've reserved every single room at the facility, it's not your group's exclusive space.
Writing materials: Pack what you will need (laptop, charger, thumb drive, printed manuscript with hand-edits, audio interviews, books, research notes). But leave yourself open to new possibilities, new sides of yourself. Bring a few paper notebooks and pens. Once you settle into this slower, complete-immersion space and pace, you may want to mix it up and try new writing tools and approaches.
Food: Unless the place includes a meal plan, pack some easy-cook or easily defrosted or ready-to-eat meals. Yes, it's fun to join in communal writer dinners. But you're really here to work, not perfect new recipes or waste time driving around looking for local restaurants. A must have: One ready-to-eat meal for that arrival day or night when you'll probably be travel weary and just getting unpacked.
Be open to new experiences, new people, a new way of being and writing: Especially if this is your first retreat, and especially if you're used to writing on the fly or snagging time in between parental or other family duties, the solitude may take some adjustment time. Be ready for that. Allow yourself at least one day to settle in. Resist the urge to call home and check in. Ditto for social media and email. And if you must check in at home, assign yourself one check-in time each day.
Set a goal and have a plan: Yes, I know I said you have to leave yourself open and go with the flow. But with all this unfettered, unpunctuated time stretching ahead, make sure you don't just waste these precious hours or days. Set yourself some goals. Have a loose plan for what you will accomplish by retreat's end.
Working, not NETworking: If you work a second, non-writing day job (and which of us doesn't?), expect a retreat to be very different from a professional conference. For one thing, it's unstructured, non-instructional time, without breakout sessions or round tables or focus groups. And for another, it's all about respecting your own and your fellow writers' space and solitude and silence. Although you may have fascinating or fun chats, the primary focus is on working, not NETworking.