Writing Retreat
Monday, August 29, 2011 
This week marks the beginning of my unofficial 14-day writing retreat challenge in south Florida! Here are five tips from other writers, and my personal goals for this creative time...
Five Writing Tips from Other Writers:
1) Disable the Internet (at least for a specified amount of time each day)
2) Eat lots of chocolate
3) Minimize distractions (usually in reference to television, Internet, social time, combing through email).
4) Work in a clean, uncluttered space.
5) Set goals and don't freak out if you fall short.
My Five Writing Retreat Goals:
1) At least four hours of concentrated, uninterrupted creative writing time per day (in addition to my normal work obligations).
2) Work on new WIP, writing at least 50,000 words in the 14 days (I've never written that much in my life. I try and fail at NaNoWriMo every year. BUT I WANT TO DO THIS! Um, 3,500 words a day is doable, right? Right???).
3) Walk/run at least three miles per day. Or supplement with something else active.
3) Work in at least three unique environments (i.e. library, yacht club lobby, coffee shop, park, university).
4) Take two inspiration days to fuel my creativity (I have a few ideas that I'm excited about)
5) Continue jotting down random notes, images, pictures in my moleskin (never know when these things might come in handy! Even Judy Blume fears the blank screen).
So, there they are! This will be my first personal writing retreat, and I'm not sure when I'll ever have this opportunity again. I'm concerned that a few of my goals may be out of reach, but I'm just going to keep working towards them and see what happens! I'm hoping this will help me. I didn't put reading up on the list because I already strive to read one new book a week, so I'll just keep going with that.
I look forward to this creative journey and will check-in on the blog with how things are going. You can read about my past completed challenges here!
Interested in creating your own writing retreat? Check out this great Writer's Digest article and get some inspiration from writers by reading my past blog posts on SCBWI conferences/events. Thanks so much for the retreat advice on Twitter! My writing friends inspire me on a daily basis. Air hug.
Have you ever created your own writing retreat, or attended an organized one? Would love to hear about your personal experience!
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Reader Comments (6)
sooooo jealous. good for you for making this happen!
oh good luck! those are hard goals. i've never done a writing retreat but it sounds like fun.
I think it is so important to take time to nourish your creative self. Good for you for making it happen! It sounds like you have great goals. My only advice is to not let your goals get in the way of serendipity. Often during travel/retreats, unexpected ideas or opportunities present themselves, and its good to have enough time built in that you can take advantage of them when they do. Good luck!!
Those goals are AWESOME! And smart. Incorporating exercise and creative time into a writing retreat will keep you fueled.
Here's to 50K by the time we see you back in NYC :)
I hope you have a fun and productive retreat! I would love to do something like this. :)