Today’s article is written by regular contributor Christi Craig.
Every once in a while, I read about a weekend retreat or a month-long writing residency, and I dream.
If only I had a month to squirrel away on just writing. If only I had money to pay for just two days to slip away and write.
Lament long enough to a good friend and fellow writer with a creative and determined spirit, and you discover that dreams are not impossible; they just need to be tweaked a bit to become reality.
My friend Victoria and I are both working on novels, and we both have young children at home. Getting away isn’t easy for either of us. So, when she sent me an email and suggested we plan our own weekend writing retreat—one that was low in cost and rich in hours—I said, Yes!
I can’t speak for Victoria, but I can share my experience in the plans and how I made it work for me and my novel.
Time.
In my life, weekends fill up way in advance, I’m talking six months to a year in advance. So, if I want to secure time away for writing, I have to X-out those days in red on the calendar—his, hers, theirs—as soon as possible. Make sure that everyone knows, come rain, shine, or baby’s got a cold, I will not be on the home premises for those few days.
Partnering with another writer for a weekend like this sealed my commitment to the date, as well. Neither of us were about to let the other peter out on the plans, especially because we were in the same boat when it came to finding time for intensive writing. click to continue reading >>
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