Redbud Cottage, Grafton, IL
If you long for a writing retreat or a conference, but can’t get away for that long or afford the registration fees, there are other ways to go on a writing retreat.
The four of us Paddle Creek Writers try and go on a retreat once or twice a year. We plan to go away for a weekend and get as much writing done as we can. We look forward to these events and love planning for them which includes coming up with our writing goals for the weekend on retreat.
overlooking Mississippi and Illinois Rivers
We pick a destination an hour or two away (you don’t want to spend more time driving than writing) and find a hotel or cottage to share and then make the reservations several months in advance. One deal breaker in deciding on a place is whether Wi-Fi is available for checking emails, research and blogging.
Closer to the retreat date we have a planning meeting to decide who is bringing what food, (depending on size of refrigerator available or restaurant choices near the destination). Then we divvy up other items we might need to bring such as a hair dryer, a cooler, the must-have Monopoly Deal card game, chocolate, etc.
We decide on the time of departure, a loose writing schedule and when we will come back home. We split the accommodation costs and chip in for gas. We laugh a lot, write a lot, and enjoy each other’s company. It seems that nobody understands writers like writers and we get along very well.
Next time, I’ll write about simple ways to go on retreat.
Michelle
Paddle Creek Writers 