Escape: Go on a Writer's Retreat
I came up with this idea during our recent trip to Europe. I'd been in a bit of a creative downward spiral. Sometimes I'd come up with half-baked ideas only to never actually get them fully fleshed out, other times I wouldn't be able to think of a single thing to write. It was frustrating and discouraging, writer's block at its finest. But I kept finding myself feeling uninspired. Then I saw stuff like this, and the creative factory was back in business.
C'mon, who wouldn't be inspired?
The idea of escaping for a weekend by myself has always been something I want to do. Then I read about the concept of the writer's retreat - basically, you go away (far-ish away) to somewhere you think will inspire you. It doesn't have to be remote (but for many introverted writers like myself, it probably would be), but it has to be somewhere where you are clear of distractions and can just write. We're talking 8 hours of writing each day on the retreat. It doesn't matter what you write, but it should be something you have been wanting to get done. Be it that short story idea you've had bouncing around in your head, the novel you began and never finished, or just prepping a manuscript to send over to an agent or publisher, from what I have read, a writer's retreat can really help you get what you need to do done so you can move on to the next thing.
Once you've actually written some things, you go and explore wherever you are and marvel at something new. You keep a journal (or a blog...) of your writer's adventure. You make notes about the people you met and what you experienced. You eat at a local restaurant or drink at a local bar and just watch and make up stories about the people you see there. And then, after a few days, you come back not only refreshed, but with some pretty amazing work and ideas on paper.
Oh, and don't worry, I plan to write about our European adventure in the coming weeks - more pictures to follow!
I came up with this idea during our recent trip to Europe. I'd been in a bit of a creative downward spiral. Sometimes I'd come up with half-baked ideas only to never actually get them fully fleshed out, other times I wouldn't be able to think of a single thing to write. It was frustrating and discouraging, writer's block at its finest. But I kept finding myself feeling uninspired. Then I saw stuff like this, and the creative factory was back in business.
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| Tower Bridge, London, England |
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| A street leading to the Duomo in Florence, Italy |
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| Bridge over the Arno River in Florence, Italy |
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| The Colosseum, Rome, Italy |
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| The Castillo, Rome, Italy |
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| Notre Dame, Paris, France. |
The idea of escaping for a weekend by myself has always been something I want to do. Then I read about the concept of the writer's retreat - basically, you go away (far-ish away) to somewhere you think will inspire you. It doesn't have to be remote (but for many introverted writers like myself, it probably would be), but it has to be somewhere where you are clear of distractions and can just write. We're talking 8 hours of writing each day on the retreat. It doesn't matter what you write, but it should be something you have been wanting to get done. Be it that short story idea you've had bouncing around in your head, the novel you began and never finished, or just prepping a manuscript to send over to an agent or publisher, from what I have read, a writer's retreat can really help you get what you need to do done so you can move on to the next thing.
Once you've actually written some things, you go and explore wherever you are and marvel at something new. You keep a journal (or a blog...) of your writer's adventure. You make notes about the people you met and what you experienced. You eat at a local restaurant or drink at a local bar and just watch and make up stories about the people you see there. And then, after a few days, you come back not only refreshed, but with some pretty amazing work and ideas on paper.
Oh, and don't worry, I plan to write about our European adventure in the coming weeks - more pictures to follow!
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