Retreat To Go Forward
By Jael McHenry | November 7, 2011 |
I recently returned from an incredible writers’ retreat — a few wonderful days in the wilderness — and came home with a fully edited copy of my work-in-progress. The book had been staring me in the face for months, yet I was making little progress week to week. But away from my usual distractions, even with the shiny new distraction of conversation with other women’s fiction writers about the writing and publishing issues we all share, I was able to focus on making progress on the manuscript in a way I hadn’t for ages and ages. I left home with a draft I had lost touch with and came home with a draft I feel great about. Phew.
(But I didn’t ignore my fellow retreaters, I promise. I did indulge in quite a few of those conversations about professional matters, as well as sillier things, and also managed to squeeze in at least one nap.)
Many writers argue the importance of routine, but I find that sometimes an escape from our routine is the only way to make progress. This is what writers’ retreats are for. Writers’ workshops focus on the sharing and critique of work, and writers’ conferences are great ways to make friends and/or connections, but retreats help you get away from it all.
So which kind of retreat is for you?
The big, official kind? There are highly organized, yearly writers’ retreats out there. (Maybe those of you who’ve attended some could speak up in the comments.) They’re like writers’ colonies with much more limited durations, with certain times of day specifically marked out for solitary work and other times set for socializing and literary group activities. You have to pay to attend, but you definitely get the chance to interact with other writers, and you get some time to be alone with the page as well, to focus completely on what you’re doing.
The more informal kind? Maybe you belong to a local critique group that wants to organize their own retreat, or an online writers’ group that wants to gather in person for a change of pace. Maybe you luck out and get invited by another writer who wants to gather a group of people who all write in the same genre. Maybe you decide to reunite with writers you know from a workshop or writing program you’ve attended. Whatever the method of organizing, make sure the expectations are clear — where are you staying? Who pays for what? — and that while you don’t have to share exactly the same goals for the weekend (network? chat? relax? produce 10,000 words?) that your goals at least overlap.
The kind where it’s just you and the page? Depending on what kind of creative rut you’re in, the best option for you may be a retreat of one. Some writers take a weekend at a hotel near their hometown and hunker down with the manuscript. Some travel farther, to a strange city, so they’re completely isolated. Some take the opposite approach and stay home, but empty the house of other distractions and responsibilities — spouse, kids, pets, etc. This way you don’t get the interaction value of gathering with other writers, but you may make more progress if you’ve got nothing to do but work.
Only you know what’s best for you, but I really do love the option of retreating with other writers. Maybe you make visible progress on your writing and maybe you don’t, but taking a break from your usual routine is a great way to shake up your thinking. You might get a new idea, make a connection with another writer who agrees to trade pages for critique, or just get away long enough to feel like you’ve got the energy to write again. Sometimes getting away gives you the focus you need when you get back.
(Image via flickr’s subarcticmike)
Jael McHenry is the debut author of The Kitchen Daughter (Simon & Schuster/Gallery Books, April 12, 2011). Her work has appeared in publications such as the North American Review, Indiana Review, and the Graduate Review at American University, where she earned her MFA in Creative Writing. You can read more about Jael and her book at jaelmchenry.com or follow her on Twitter at @jaelmchenry.
Thank you for articulating what I’ve had a hard time explaining–that a shift in routine and environment stirs up the creative routine and allows new ideas and other avenues to productivity to emerge. Seeds are planted for new ideas, conversations extend beyond 140 characters, and changes in air are revitalizing. Whether alone or in a group, formal or informal, a writer’s retreat is gift.
Great post!
I found writers conferences more beneficial in the early stages of my career. While I haven’t actually been on a writers retreat, I would definitely lean toward a small, informal one.
But the absolute best thing is getting away by yourself somewhere. I just came back from a long weekend in a nearby town, had a wonderful room that had everything I needed–bed, recliner, desk, wi-fi, fridge, microwave, nice dark drapes to block out the outside world. You could literally disappear inside that room and have absolutely no reason to come out again until check out time. It was heaven. Though in truth, I didn’t use it for a writing weekend but simply to rest from my hectic life. But I would go back there in a heartbeat for a writing weekend.
The only thing I have found is that sometimes, if I plan a writing weekend in advance, my muse doesn’t cooperate, which is a total bummer.
BK’s response captures my concern. The idea of a retreat sounds awesome, but historically whenever I’ve made a big deal out of clearing some space on my calendar to write, the muse takes off for parts unknown, and I’m left twiddling my thumbs, bereft of creative ideas. :(
Jael – you said you returned with an *edited* manuscript. Maybe that’s the ticket for me – to have something substantial to work on, rather than simply free time and an empty page.
Can you share more about the process of how your manuscript got edited? I.e., was it because you had time to do it, or it went through some editorial process with fellow members, etc.? And which kind was the retreat you just attended, of the categories you list above?
Yep, it made a big difference for me that I was working on editing an existing MS instead of fresh writing. For fresh writing, I’m much better off being by myself. I’d had enough time with the MS to know what I wanted to do with it — some tweaks to a particular character, sections of weak dialogue I needed to strengthen — and I was working on a printed-out copy… which was also great because it kept me off the internet.
So for me it was a matter of having the time and being in a quiet place free of my usual distractions to focus on the work. I also had a lot of great discussions with my fellow retreaters (it was an informal small group organized by one of the writers) that will be helpful in a lot of ways, but I didn’t ask for critique or input on this specific work. I could have, and I might next time I do this sort of thing, but in this case, no.
I definitely prefer the small, informal kind. I think just spending time with other writers, especially ones I generally only “see” online, helps me feel a sense of camaraderie as well as get inspired. It helps rev my energy. Thanks so much for this article… I’ve been a bit stuck on my draft, and this reminds me that perhaps I need to connect and get myself out of my rut!
The idea of a retreat is really appealing. I’ve talked with several friends about going to someone’s cabin for a weekend writing escape. We haven’t pulled it off – probably for fear we wouldn’t get much done.
If it does happen, I’d be one who’d have more success working on something already established, rather than creating from scratch.
Is that photo from your retreat site?
Actually, we were in a much rainier place! Which probably helped my productivity, frankly.
I love the idea of the “me and the page” retreat in the wilderness– but I imagine it takes a lot of willpower to not just wander about, daydreaming, and looking at the sights. When with writers who have similar goals, you’re definitely more accountable for the work you produce.
Jael,
Congratulations on completing your novel. Sometimes a change in scenerey or a new routine is just what a writer needs to break out of the doldrums. I’ve never had the resources to attend a big writers’ conference, but I find my critique group is always enormously helpful and supportive and there’s something to be said for “locking the door” and just writing for five or six hours. Thanks for sharing your great insights.
Any writing retreat is a good one, especially when you are trying to fit writing around child rearing! I have made so many wonderful long term connections with other writers at writing retreat/workshops. I learned though, that “retreat” does not mean peaceful relaxing vacation, etc. They are two very separate things. Retreats can be hugely productive, and hugely draining!
BTW…just heard wonderful words about your book from one of my most persnickety editor friends. Can’t wait to read it. My daughter has Asperger’s.
Very good points, Michelle! Hope you enjoy The Kitchen Daughter.
So true! I just took a little weekend getaway myself — just me and the page — and while I didn’t magically finish my book (as I’d hoped) I learned a lot and came back feeling really refreshed and ready to tackle the work in a way that I hadn’t felt in a long time. Plan to blog about it soon, but in the meantime, I’ll just add my endorsement here: sometimes a retreat is the only way to victory.
You are so right about having a retreat, Jael. When we come back, we feel refreshed, and like we’ve accomplished something that couldn’t have been accomplished in the same way and with the same energy at home. I love retreats in small groups, especially with other like-minded individuals. So glad you were able to maximize your retreat time. Congrats on the great progress with your WIP!
My in-person critique group does a retreat every year — we rent a cabin for a week and split the costs. We make sure to pick a cabin that has plenty of space to spread out both inside and outside on the property but that does NOT have Internet.
There’s always some swimming, canoeing, and/or marshmallow roasting, but we’re there to work. Here’s where peer pressure is good — seeing all our fellow writers hunched over their laptops is hugely motivating. We usually eat meals together, write (or edit, or outline) in the morning and afternoon, and hang out in the evening.
Besides the motivation lent by fellow writers, the best thing about a retreat is that there’s no distractions — no Internet, no TV, next to no house chores, no possibility of running errands or seeing friends (or even getting phone calls, if there’s no cell coverage!). It’s fabulous. Plus, I love lakefront cabins, so it really is a vacation at the same time.
Congrats on making a substantial dent in your novel Jael. I am conducting a “do it yourself” retreat next week, and taking the whole week of Thanksgiving off to write. I will buy all of my favorite foods and take plenty of time for rest and daydreaming. I did this last year as well, and it was fantastic.