Hello friends. First of all, my apologies if there is a higher than normal amount of typos in this post. I'm having some carpal tunnel issues and am using dictation software these days to write. I'm still getting the hang of it.
This week's question comes from my favourite romance writer from British Columbia, Canada – Brenda Margriet. she is asking us the following question:
Describe your perfect writing space/retreat. Do you need hustle and bustle or peace and quiet? Coffee shop or secluded cabin?
There was a time when I had a very specific answer to this question. However, like all things in my life, that changed once I started writing full-time. First of all, there is a difference for me at least in a writing space versus a writing retreat. Today I will talk about retreats.
Ahhh, the glorious writing retreat. I've had experiences with formal retreats, complete with mentors and readings. And I've also witnessed the benefits of a small writing retreat surrounded by your closest writing friends. For both of these I want the same thing.
- No Wi-Fi. I can't stress this one enough. If I'm taking time away from my family to write, then I cannot be distracted with easy access to Facebook, Google, and YouTube.
- An outdoor space where I can walk or sit and think. If the weather is good, I also like to write outside.
- A body of water is always inspirational, but I don't care if it's an ocean, a pond, or a river.
- an added bonus for me is a like minded group of writers who find writing sprints beneficial. what is a writing Sprint, you may ask? It's when we set a fixed amount of time to concentrate only on our writing, and when were done, celebrate as a group how many words we have managed to write. I love a series of 25 minute sprints with five minute breaks, challenging ourselves to really get in the zone. This is something specific to retreats. I find sprint's are not as useful in my day to day writing.
- I also like to be warm when I write. So a wood stove if it's a winter retreat (or a retreat anytime of the year in Newfoundland) is always a bonus.
I think that sums it up. Once upon a time I would be sharing pictures of scenic retreats. Perhaps a whimsical cabin or swanky hotel outside the city. But now I think more practically. Having been on several retreats that have been hugely successful, it's helped to refine my wish list.
Now on to the rest of the hop. I'm really curious to see what Carrie Elks will have to say. She is in England, a place that I would love to go retreat to.