Writing Retreats



Is there a particular place you like to go to write? It could be a room in your home or somewhere outside.  Perhaps it is in the area you live.  Maybe it’s a distance away, like a vacation destination.

Are there times when you just can’t write for whatever reason? Maybe life was busy (Mine was this month and that’s why this blog post is so short!) and you haven’t had the time or inclination to sit down and write.

I have a special place, it’s a vacation destination, where I can relax and feel inspired.  I can sit by the water or in a park or in an historic inn. I can go for a walk on a trail or through the business district or around residential neighborhoods.

I just returned from a place that I like to visit. I packed my laptop and a tote bag. I filled the bag with some photos I cut out of magazines, a few issues of The Writer magazine, a book that I am reading, and three notebooks. 

I have some other ideas for the next time I do this. I’m going to include some chocolate, perhaps one of my favorite brands of root beer or sparkling grape juice. While on vacation, I purchased a basket that I can use as a travel desk. It’s actually a carrier for casseroles, but I think it would hold writing materials too.

Here is something you can use for inspiration when thinking about a writing retreat. I recently found this website and it’s fun to dream! Check it out! http://www.thecreativewritersworkshop.com/.

Debbie A. Byrne has a B.S. in Mass Communication with a minor in History. She is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) and is currently working on her first children’s book.

9 comments:

Karen Cioffi said...

Debbie, going on a writing retreat sounds wonderful. I know some writing coaches have destination workshops in places like Italy.

Just getting away, with NO distractions, must be inspirational and productive.

One of these days . . .

Margaret Fieland said...

Debbie, I'd love to go on a writing retreat -- but even getting away for a few hours to a quiet, peaceful spot with my laptop, some books, and a notebook would be great as well.

widdershins said...

Mansions, and castles and villas, oh my!

I think if I ever ended up in any of the workshops mentioned in that link I'd be too busy exploring to write a word. I'd probably have to arrange to arrive a week ... month ... or two early so I could actually pay attention to the workshop!

Heidiwriter said...

A mini-retreat sometimes does just the trick--going somewhere out of your norm, sitting by the water or out in the woods or just a coffee shop.

Magdalena Ball said...

Good link Debbie. I'm afraid I have to be able to write anywhere and anyhow, without the luxury of a nice place (sometimes my writing is snatched in tiny bites between running around), but I'd love to do a retreat one day and do nothing to write.

Mary Jo Guglielmo said...

Definitely chocolate! I find writing retreats not only help my writing but nourish my soul.

Anne Duguid Knol said...

l once did a retreat for a week in Northern Cyprus with U.K.Authors, all of whom scribbled away industriously in clusters of activity. Loved the people,the history and the countryside but sadly wrote very little indeed. Too busy looking around.

Shirley Corder said...

Debbie, this is a great idea. I always bemoan the fact that writers' conferences are mainly out of reach for those of us in S.Africa. But maybe I could find a centre and organise a retreat for half a dozen of us. That would be fun. And chocolate? Definitely.

Debbie A Byrne said...

Thanks for the comments! I recommend trying something local and low-cost to start. Incorporating your writing with a planned family vacation or vacation with your significant other might work, even if you only find time to write one day of the trip. I have to do things this way for now. It would be fun to attend a retreat or workshop in Ireland, but that is going to have to wait!

What a Picture Book Editor Looks For

 A couple of years ago, I attended a two-hour writing workshop through SCBWI: Hook, Line, and Sinker: What Catches the Editor’s Eye with Sch...