Wednesday, January 10, 2018

Writer's Retreats

I had a chance to chat with some writers last night, and one of the topics was writer's retreats. One of the writers takes turns with other writers in her region to host a retreat every three months. Another writer talked about renting homes, in particular, Rudyard Kipling's home. It has ten bedrooms and rents for $700/night, which isn't bad if you split the cost among ten people.

I haven't done a writer's retreat yet; it can be difficult enough just taking a couple of hours to hang out in a coffee shop or the library. But I wouldn't mind the chance to go somewhere scenic for a few days and perhaps stay at a bed and breakfast.

Have you ever been on a writer's retreat? Did you go by yourself or with other writers? Was it productive? Feel free to share your experiences in the comments.

5 comments:

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

I've never been to one. If the location was too scenic, I'd be off checking it out rather than writing anyway.

Maria Zannini said...

I've been to a writer's workshop which is something like a retreat--except without the scenery. I think I'd be like Alex and not want to write. :)

The workshop was a game changer for me though. It immediately took my writing to the next level and gave me many aha moments.

PT Dilloway said...

Most are too expensive for me but I usually do at least a little writing on vacation. It's fun to check out the coffee shop and Panera Bread scene in different places.

Sandra Ulbrich Almazan said...

Alex and Maria, I generally don't get to write for extended periods of time anyway, so it would be nice to get out and walk between writing sessions.

Pat, I find that I can be more productive when I'm somewhere else; I guess I have to focus on writing to justify the time to myself. It's hard finding time I can go somewhere by myself, though.

Crystal Collier said...

I went on an independent writers retreat. It was a cruise, and I actually did get some good writing done. It was nice not having to worry about food or cleaning, and having the occasionally entertainment to balance things was helpful too.

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