It has been a long time since I’ve written new words.
Back in the winter, I was revising my previous manuscript to get it in shape for submission. Then there was the great pneumonia infection of 2025 (0 out of 5 stars, do not recommend). Then we merged straight into spring senior activities, graduation, college prep, and college drop off. In the middle of all that, I had some agent drama and ended up switching agents. This fall, I’ve been adjusting to my older son being gone while still navigating the younger one’s jam-packed schedule, several speaking engagements, and doing background work on a new story idea.
My annual writer’s retreat scheduled for the end of October was a light at the end of this very dark calendar tunnel. I desperately wanted to be writing during the retreat, but as the days in October quickly flew by, I was nervous I wouldn’t actually be ready.
Then, in the midst of my prep work slog (the constant exploration of what ifs and how abouts and would this be interstings), I had a breakthrough premise moment just days before departure that linked these pesky characters with a purpose.
Whew!
I arrived at the beach a little anxious—it has been a long time since I sat at the keyboard and willed my fingers to just fly. What if I couldn’t remember how or that the idea wouldn’t hold up? What if all I did was stare at the ocean and get no closer to writing? What if I suck at this after all?
Armed with my notes and the encouragement of the two writers I went on retreat with, I sat down and started typing.
I wrote approximately 4,100 words the first day, 2,500 the second, 4,700 the third, and 3,500 the last.
Cue the angels singing! 👼👼👼
It felt amazing!!
Are these words that will make it into the eventual draft? Maybe not. But they were words that allowed me to shape scenes again, write my way into character voice, and figure out all I still didn’t know about my characters.
Most importantly, these words gave me my mojo back. They reminded me I can do this. That I LOVE this. That writing is fun and challenging and fulfilling and the work of my heart.
I did so much journaling in addition to new words that if I counted all the words I scrawled in my journal, I would probably be shocked by how much writing I actually did last week.
All this to say, it felt f*ing fantastic!
What made the difference writing on retreat from writing at home?
Dedicated time away. I block my retreat week free of client work. No coaching, no volunteer tasks, time away from my day-to-day family tasks. The freedom to only focus on my writing means I can immerse myself in the story and think of nothing else. It’s a writing magic reset for me.
This type of experience is hard to come by when I’m at my desk and balancing afternoon pick-ups, a dentist appointment, and a list of to dos.
I know not everyone can afford the cost or time of a week long retreat, but here is how we did it on the relative cheap:
- Picking Dates
- We look at off-season dates to ensure we get the best rates possible. Late September/October seem to be the sweet spots for us where the rates have gone down but the weather still allows beach walks and the occasional outdoor writing session.
- Disclaimer – in the past, we typically did three days and realized that wasn’t enough. The last two years, we’ve opted for four full days and that has made all the difference for all of us.
- Picking a Spot
- Again, with experience, we know what works for us: beachfront, views, common spaces conducive to writing.
- Beyond that, we make it work.
- We have one person in our group who does a little research and sends us a list of her top three or four finds that are available during our dates and we vote.
- We then simply split the cost of the rental three (or four, when we have our full complement of writers) ways.
- Meals
- We each bring our own supplies for our own breakfasts, lunches, and snacks.
- We usually go out to dinner together, though this year, a lovely husband donated a deliciously prepared meal for our arrival night which may become a new tradition. We saved on the cost of a meal out and it was lovely to just get in, unpack, and not worry about leaving again after the long drive.
That’s it. This year, my share of the cost for the full week of lodging and meals was around $550.
The beauty is that you can make a retreat out of whatever you want and have. Here are a few things to keep in mind, beyond budget:
- Find a couple of writing friends who you think you’d work well with
- Who works early in the morning vs. late at night? Can you accommodate those parameters so the early birds aren’t waking up the night owls and vice versa?
- What are your goals for the retreat? While we love catching up and chatting, we are there to work. If you have someone looking at this as part vacation, that might not vibe with the rest of you. If you’re all looking at it as part vacation, then great. Just make sure you are all on the same page…or at least in the same chapter.
- I know many folks imagine a quiet cabin in the woods as the perfect retreat, and I do love that image, but I find having others in the weeds of their own stories makes for some interesting conversations over dinner. Helping them work through their story issues always breaks something open in my own project. Plus, we have all adapted parts of our processes from each other for the better, and those are things you can’t see when you aren’t working in close proximity. The communal purpose is a primary reason I attend this retreat each year.
- Prepare before you go
- Understand what you would like to accomplish and try to be realistic with your goal. This year, we all had different goals: one was revising the character arc for one POV character, another was going through a list of revision tasks after a read through with the only goal of making progress on the list (she crossed off every last item!), and I wanted to get my characters in action on the page with new words so dedicated one day to each POV character I had in mind (luckily I have four characters and we had four days!).
- Do the leg work. Each of us came prepared. I had done some deep level preparation work before arriving so I would be ready to hit the page running. None of us simply showed up with our manuscript waiting for some magic to tell us what we should be working on. We all prepared so we’d be able to maximize our time the most effectively.
- Think through what materials you’ll need. I made sure to pack my journal, a craft book that’s been helpful to me as I prepared, and an inspirational book on writing to boost my spirits after any rough writing sessions.
- Pivot
- You may have planned and set a goal and then arrived and your manuscript or characters had other ideas. Be prepared but be flexible! There is something special about being in a new location and eliminating distractions that might shake something loose that you need to pursue. Be sure it’s not a shiny object distraction, but be open to what your subconscious offers up when you have time to focus on nothing but your writing.
- Take note of your process. When I draft, I typically write forward and that’s the extent of it. This year, I noticed I was doing a lot of reflection to go deeper into these characters earlier than I usually do. I adjusted to add this reflection time to the end of my afternoon sessions and I am so glad I did. It’s given me a road map of things to explore in my story now that I’m home.
- Honor Yourself
- Recognize your needs. Want to skip the group walk on the beach for some solo thinking? Do it. Want to ask a friend to help you with a thorny section? Speak up (and be sure to be flexible with when they are willing to offer their time). Make sure you’re getting rest and working in positions that support your body.
- I am big on journaling during these retreats and recommend a little of the same for you. It could just be an entry on day one and one just before you leave to see what’s changed in your story, in your process, in you, or to simply make a list of things you want to do with the story when you get back. Either way, take some time to honor the retreat for your future writer working away from this distraction free zone.
Now, maybe you can’t get away for a week. Consider how you can create some magic closer to home.
- Designate your own or a writer friend’s home as the retreat spot. Bring snacks and have a day of writing a friend with a nice lunch in the middle to break up your writing sessions.
- Can you get away for a hotel stay in town for one night? I know many writers who swear by this technique.
- Family away for the weekend? Try an at home retreat and ignore the laundry and typical weekend errands to take advantage of the quiet.
- Designate one Saturday or Sunday a month as retreat day and ask your family to respect your space and time. Maybe work at a library that day or sequester yourself in your room while your partner takes care of the house or errands.
Whatever you do, as we enter into this busy holiday season, I challenge you to find ways to prioritize your writing time. Even if that means only using cracks of your available time in the next two months, brainstorming how you’ll prioritize making that time in 2026.
Have more questions about our writer’s retreat? Ask in the comments! I am happy to answer anything from logistics to how I prepared for the week.
Have a retreat coming up and want to be prepared? I can walk you through my Start Your Novel with Confidence package which nails down all the key elements of your story so you can write forward with confidence. Great for writers starting a new project, writers stuck in the middle, or writers about to embark on revising who want to ensure their story foundation is solid. Quick and easy and under $100.