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In Susan Szafir’s recent interview with writer Shana Burg, she asked, “where do you do your best writing?” Like me, Burg said she works most often at a noisy coffee shop (though a new puppy and a comfortable chair may have her changing her tune!).
This reminded me that one of my goals for the summer is to locate a suitable place for, and schedule, a fall weekend writer’s retreat. Having spent many, many hours writing my memoir in coffee shops from Oslo, Norway, to San Francisco, California, I decided I just can’t face it anymore: the piecemeal editing, the risk of over-caffeinating, the risk of under-caffeinating, the unexpected social element (which can be great or not-so-great), the ease with which I can throw in the towel and go shopping instead, or the moment when, no matter how much I’m cookin’, I have to leave. No, I’ve decided: I need to take myself on a mini-retreat and finish the damn book. I’m not going to apply for a residency, though that would be amazing (and if that’s your bag, check out this great resource). Instead, I’m looking closer to home. After some deliberation, here’s what I’ve decided I want in a writer’s retreat:
A low price tag
Distance within driving of home
Solitude
Solitude
More solitude
(But not too much solitude–a cabin in the deep dark woods will not work; I’m writing a book about fear and anxiety, after all, and I’d like to minimize both as I work!)
A desk, an outlet, and a place to put my books
A beautiful, rural setting with a place to walk or hike in the afternoons–I am picturing a retreat by the sea, but the mountains might do in a pinch
A comfortable bed
No pressure to socialize, but the opportunity to chat if boredom sets in
Availability of caffeine (but not too much!)
A husband willing to stay home with my three-year-old while I go
Since the last on the list is firmly in place, the rest is up to me. As I live on the California coast, I am most likely looking at a September weekend in Monterey or Big Sur. All summer, the thought of this glorious retreat–wherever it might be–is sustaining me through the fallow writing periods.
Dear readers: What do you look for in a writer’s retreat? Have you ever taken one?
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I am a big fan of writing retreats–although I’ve never managed to pull off one that was long enough to finish a book! I try to get away at least once a year, alone or with other writers, to a quiet beautiful spot. A place with nice walks and not much else to do is my ideal. It never fails to renew my energy! Good luck finding a place.
This is great to hear. Thanks! And yes, finishing a book may be ambitious–if it hadn’t been in the works 5+ years already…
Sounds divine. These days my writing retreats involve my husband taking the kids to the zoo for an afternoon! I’m starting small. Good luck on finishing the book!
Thanks, Tara!
You hit all the key markers for an excellent retreat– the only additional one I would need is some sort of automatic timer to block any access I might have to the Internet over, say, one hour a day. My, but how the time flies once I get going online! Especially when left to my own devices…
Also I love the title of your post! For some reason, when I read it, I hear the Monty Python crew yelling Retreat! (Or was that Run Away!) Anyway, great post!
Good point about the Internet…
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