Everyday Canvas

Writing Retreats

Prompt: If you go anywhere for a writing retreat, where would it be and why? What project would you work on there? Do you think you would finish this project?

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Ahha! Here’s a list from The Writer’s Retreat network.

Bostic, North Carolina, USA
Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, USA
Craftsbury, Vermont, USA
Heron's Reach, Dingle, IRELAND
Hopkinton, Rhode Island, USA
Klamath Falls, Oregon, USA
Murphy, North Carolina, USA
Ojochal, COSTA RICA
Punta Sur, NICARAGUA
Santiago, Lake Atitlán, GUATEMALA
Schull, Co Cork, IRELAND
Sharpsburg, Georgia, USA
Tamworth, Ontario, CANADA
Ventimiglia, ITALY

All of the above are fantastic, but none of them would work for me. I need absolute quiet and nothing interesting to attract my attention. If I went to any writing retreat, I would so get wrapped up in watching other writers (because I am a people watcher) and all the surroundings that I would only be taking notes and writing nothing except in my personal journal. So my best bet for a retreat is to go to a place alone and rent a room and stay in it until any assignment I give myself is finished. For this purpose, a hotel room is better. A Bed and Breakfast would be the end of my writing because I’d end up relating to every other guest and the friendly personnel, plus watching them.

Having said that, a retreat can help some writers through the give-and-take of information, tools and business of the craft, getting in touch with the other writers, and possibly attending classes if the retreat holds any, as some do. If I ever ended up in such a retreat, I would probably do a re-write of anything in my port, as I consider anything I have as first draft, no matter how many times I've edited it.