This past weekend I had the opportunity to do one of my very favorite things, and no, I wasn’t sipping slushy drinks on a Caribbean beach. Instead, I was huddled in a cabin in the middle of a snowstorm with fellow wordbitch, Trish Loye. (One day we’ll kidnap wordbitch, Leanne Shirtliffe too.)
And no, we didn’t have slushy drinks, although there was plenty of snow outside, we had our laptops. I was fortunate enough to live out every writers dream and escape for a writing retreat. (insert squee of joy here).
Whenever I escape for one of these weekends, I inevitably will have a conversation with a non-writer friend that goes something like this:
Friend: “What do you do all weekend?”
Me: “We write.”
Friend: “ALL weekend? No, really, what do you do?”
Me: “We sit on opposite ends of the table with our laptops, plugged into our headphones, and …write.”
Friend: “Do you go out? Hike? Shop?”
Me: “No. We write. Oh, we occasionally talk about writing.”
Friend: (rolls eyes) “Gee, sounds fun.”
The view we get (when there isn't a blizzard)
The thing is- it is!
For 48 hours we have the opportunity to write without interruption, discuss plot problems, title woos, query questions and character pit falls. All with copious amounts of tea (and sometimes wine). It’s bliss.
I know I’m lucky: to have a place in the mountains, a writing friend who’s willing to join me and most of all, a husband who supports me. I know not everyone gets that opportunity, so I’m curious…
Have you ever created a retreat for writing? In town or even in your own house? What’s the ideal writing space look like for you?
Leanne Shirtliffe
Elena Aitken
Trish Loye Elliott
I love this idea for creating music too, although I have never done it to create (only to rehearse). I think it would be wicked for a band to get away for a couple days and just create. Thanks for the idea!
thanks for the comment.
It’s true, getting away from everything is perfect for the creative process. It would be awesome for a band to go hole up somewhere to create.
I so look forward to our mini-writing retreats. I’d highly recommend to everyone to try to get away, even if it’s just for a day at someone’s house. As a writer I get a huge amount done but the best is I come back feeling like my soul is refreshed.
Thanks so much Elena!
Thank you, Trish! It’s always amazing to escape for those weekends. And equally amazing to have someone to drink copious amounts of tea with (sometimes wine). Simply, Amazing.
Notice the amazing use of the word….
An amazing reply, Elena. Too bad we can’t outline it with a red velvet rope.
I realize we’ve only met on Twitter, but I live in Calgary, and my god I would love to have a cabin available for a writers retreat. ^_^ The only thing that would make that even better would be a fireplace for while writing and a hot tub for relaxing at the end of the day.
Man, I am going to have to buy myself a cabin, apparently! Gorgeous view!
Also, I get the same comments every monday when I tell people I wrote during the weekend.
“Why?” or “Well, so long as you enjoyed yourself…” are the usual responses.
I think it’s very hard for ‘non-writer’ friends to get it. that’s why I cherish my ‘bitches’ so much.
Thanks for the comment.
And the great thing about living so close to the mountains is that there is no end to the beautiful places to run away to. I have many times considered camping in the kananaskis in a tent just to get away. If only I had a way to charge the lap top…
I so love this post (and SO need one of these retreats). We, Restless Writers are planning one of these in the near future….can we come to the cabin too, haha!
You should absolutely plan a retreat. And of course…we’re still waiting for the Restless writers – Wordbitches crossover episode…
I have a hard time letting go of my parenting duties to take that time, though I know it would be valuable. My ideal writing space would be a quiet place on the water with plenty of coffee. I would love to also have a writing buddy to take along, but I am afraid I would talk more than write.
Oh, Brooke.
Mom guilt is HUGE! I struggle with it too. Fortunately, my hubby is so good about encouraging me to go, so it really helps make it easier and even the kids understand that mommy needs her ‘writing time’. It makes for a much happier mommy.
I hope you find a way to create even a mini retreat for yourself.
And yes…there’s something about the water that helps the words flow.
thanks for the comment.
Oh I SOOOO want to do that. It had never occured to me to coordinate a writer’s retreat. But unfortunately, I don’t have any writer friends nearby to kidnap.
I’m going to have to start brainstorming ways to get something like that going here in California.
Or show up and crash your next retreat…ha!
Thanks for the idea – and thanks to Leanne for sending me your way.
thanks for the comment
Who needs writer friends nearby? Just kidnap someone randomly…of course, that could make for a very interesting weekend. Could give you some great fuel for writing though.
I highly recommend the writing retreat…I think I want another one…maybe in California…
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Lately I’ve been dreaming of ways to make a writing retreat happen. Not sure when, where, or with whom yet (details, details), but I hope it happens!
Glad to hear you had such a great weekend.
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