Official writing retreats can be expensive, so I created my own.
A friend moved when our daughters were 11, and we gathered every summer to stay connected. When the girls grew older and the friendship waned, we kept ourselves going with annual “Moms’ Sleepovers.” But last summer passed without our schedules matching.
So Sue and I had our sleepover in November, but not just for the weekend. I arrived Thursday night and we gabbed until late. She went to work early Friday morning, and I spent the entire day writing.
I revised a short story, wrote a character sketch, brainstormed plot points for my novel, and read and took notes on research material for an article. The house was quiet, the fridge was mine, and I didn’t have to answer the phone if it rang.
When Sue arrived home, we picked up our reunion for the rest of the weekend. But I had already accomplished a week’s worth of writing, plus had time to relax with a book and no responsibilities. It worked so well that we decided to do it every 3-4 months.
If you’re having trouble finding time to write, try making your own retreat. You’ll find some get-away ideas at my Create a Writer’s Retreat article. If you don’t have the money or blocks of time for those, I’ll be posting an article soon about writer’s retreats at home.
