DIY writer’s retreat

How I did it, and some stuff that may work for you.

Photo by Hadis Malekie on Unsplash

First, some key conditions:

• My anchor gigs (adjunct teaching and a monthly column in a national magazine) are both friendly to my creative needs.
• My family is supportive of my creative needs.
• My financial situation allows me to do things like booking a hotel/lodging and taking off for six days.
• I’ve been working on this book for six years on and off. It needs revision.
• I have a supportive network of writer friends with whom I regularly trade resources.

Okay. Now, the nitty-gritty.

When travel restrictions started loosening up, I started thinking about taking some time out to work on my book. I love this particular work and its basic backbone, but it had taken some funky turns over the time I’ve been with it. The latest was a shift into young adult work, and I’d amassed enough new notes and ideas, so I wanted to really dedicate some time to it.

Here’s what I looked for:

• Capacity to make my own meals
• Walking distance to things like coffeeshops, a village, a grocery store
• Woods