How To Plan The Best Writer’s Retreat?
Photography by Lili Kovac
Location, Location, Location
Finding a suitable location is an essential part for planning your ultimate writer’s retreat. Are you someone who concentrates best when surrounded by people, or do you need peace and quiet to really immerse yourself in the writing task at hand? Think about places that you can image yourself writing for a few days or a week (or however long you want your retreat to be).
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How long?
Make the retreat long enough so that you can allow yourself a day at least to get used to your new surroundings and let the place bring inspiration. You also might need a day to really get into your writing routine and start working efficiently. Don’t make this trip drag out too long either! If it’s too long, you might not be as effective with your time, and might be off to a slow start, or you might get distracted by whatever things your retreat location has to offer. Something like 4 to 7 days is the sweet spot in my opinion.
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Writing amenities
In your research to the perfect writer’s retreat for you, make sure you think about some practicalities. Is there a desk in your hotel room or cabin etc. where you would be comfortable writing at? If you need internet access for research purposes for example, make sure that this is available to you, and you won’t have to pay per hour. Otherwise, costs will add up quickly. You also don’t want to have unnecessary stress about having to get all of your internet related work done within a certain timeframe).
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Inspiration
Make sure the place you choose for your retreat brings you inspiration that serves the stories you are working on. It doesn’t mean you have to stay in a palace if your story is taking place in one, but make sure that the location you pick brings you a sense of inspiration. Perhaps a certain type of landscape brings you inspiration. You might also be working on character descriptions and want to be able to observe many people to get ideas etc. Whatever it is that you are specifically working on might help you find the best location for your retreat.
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Writing goals
Set writing goals in advance! Make these goals realistic. Also make sure that these goals will set you up on a good track to keep writing and working on your story when the retreat is over. Examples of writing goals are finishing plotting your story, finishing Act 1 of your novel, editing the first draft of your novel etc. Make sure you have a plan in place before getting to your retreat so that you won’t waste any time thinking about what you’d like to get done. When you arrive, you want to be able to jump right in, and know already what you would like to accomplish. You also might want to set yourself daily goals, so that you can stay on track. Of course, this might not work for everyone, you can find your own flow in your writing schedule.
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Daily routine
Figure this out before you arrive at your retreat! Make a schedule for yourself that will serve your writing goals you have set yourself for the retreat. If you write your best lines in the morning, make sure you schedule longer writing blocks in the morning. If you write best after some exercise or meditation, make sure you set a time you want to do this and plan your writing blocks accordingly. Don’t forget to schedule in breaks and moments to eat! You don’t want to go too hard and forget to replenish yourself. Most people deliver better work when they hydrate well, eat small amounts regularly, take plenty of breaks, and get exercise in between work.
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Bring a friend?
Will you go solo on your writer’s retreat, or join fellow writers, or bring your partner for example? This about this beforehand and how all the different available options will serve you and your writing goals. If you decide to bring a friend or your partner, or perhaps your entire family, will you have enough time left to write? Will this be distracting, or will this add to the inspiration you are looking for? Be honest about this, so that you can make the best decision. If you decide to go on a retreat with fellow writers, benefits could include motivation to meet your daily goals, and the opportunity to share ideas and feedback. But perhaps, also this will lead to distraction, and unnecessary comparison between yourself and your fellow writer’s progress. Decide what suits you best and go with that.
Photography by Alexis Brown
