I’ve been writing for over 30 years, and I just returned from my first writing retreat. As a teenager, I wrote concert reviews and travel logs after I returned home, and then I’d print them out and share it with the friends I went with – Rolling Stones, Dave Matthews Band, and Widespread Panic were all part of my early writing journey.
While in college, I wrote daily for school (Journalism) or for myself (journaling). I continued my journaling as a young adult, then returned to heavy writing during graduate school (Theology).
I’ve also spent my entire professional career writing. First in the marketing department of a publishing company, and for the last 16 years as the brand voice for our marketing agency.
But after all these years of writing, I’ve only had one writing retreat, and it was last week.
I wish I had discovered this practice years ago.
Why Did I Schedule a Writing Retreat?
For over a year, I’ve stopped and started my current project. I’ve had multiple ideas for how to use it and the structure it should take, but I couldn’t get any real traction on it. I would get distracted by easier projects or I would start doubting the validity of the idea being worth the time invested.
My motivation changed when I took a chapter of it and used it as a blog. Seeing a very small portion of the project cleaned up and orderly got me excited to invest the proper amount of time into finishing the larger piece.
But, before I did anything, I had to admit I was working on a book. I had to tell myself and others that I was working on a book. Admitting that was scary and felt a bit arrogant, but as soon as I took that word out of my head and put it into the world, I became motivated to accomplish it.
Prior to the book I’m now working on, my longest piece was my master’s thesis on Howard Thurman, which I wrote primarily in the university library over large chunks of mornings and afternoons. That was before we had kids, and I was only working part-time; my main priority was to complete my thesis and graduate. We were busy, but not the same kind of busy we are today with twelve, fourteen, and sixteen-year-old sons.
As the fall season started, I got excited about getting away for a few days alone to focus completely on my writing and I started looking for a retreat spot. Preparing to leave also motivated me – I didn’t want to spend the money and time away from my family and return empty handed.
Advice for Scheduling a Solo Writing Retreat
So, I started researching how to have an effective writing retreat. I found lots of great advice on what to pack, how to build a schedule, and where to go. The more I read, the more excited I became, and I have combined the advice into 5 main areas:
- Hold a pre-planning session
- Focus on the Location
- Make a Packing List
- Create a Daily Schedule
- Build in Active Breaks
Hold a Pre-Planning Session
The week before I left, I went to a local coffee shop and spent two hours planning the retreat. This is where I came across most of the writing retreat advice. As I learned how to prepare, I started planning out what I would eat, what I should pack, what my writing goals would be, and how I would structure each day. I also reviewed the current progress on my book.
Focus on the Location
I wanted to use nearly all of my time away for writing, which meant I didn’t want to travel further than a couple hours. I also wanted to keep the budget reasonable, especially since we usually take a family trip around this same time to the Blue Ridge mountains. I’ve spent several silent weekends at the Monastery of the Holy Spirit over the years, so that’s where I looked first. They offer small, dormitory-style rooms for $100/night and the price includes 3 meals a day, which would make the meal planning much easier. They also have beautiful walking trails. Unfortunately, they were full due to a group retreat. This turned out to be a blessing because I found a great new retreat spot.
In my first job out of college, I worked at a publishing company, and we published a book about a communal farm in Americus, Georgia. Koinonia Farm popped into my head and I started researching it; the farm still exists, and they offer private retreats, extended work stays, and 20+ people live full-time on the communal farm. I booked a small cottage on the 1,400-acre farm and it was the perfect escape, just under two hours from my home. I was surrounded by hay fields and pecan orchards for the weekend, which proved to be the perfect setting.
Make A Packing List
I was staying in a cottage with a full kitchen, so I planned my meals, snacks, and drinks and brought everything with me. I didn’t want to waste time driving to town for food or spend time planning my meals while I was there, so I prepared for each day before leaving. I also didn’t want to eat fast food and other junk that would slow my productivity. I brought pre-made meals, which also saved time – a couple leftover meals from the house and a Home Chef meal – and some PB&Js, eggs, grits, fruit, granola, and snacks. I only drank water, coffee, and hot tea.
Create A Daily Schedule
Before going, I created a daily schedule and tried my best to follow it, while also offering myself grace if I veered. Here’s my actual schedule pulled from my journal during the stay:
Friday
- 7:00-9:00AM: drop my son at school and drive to my writing retreat
- 9:00AM: check-in to cottage
- 9:00-10:30AM: write
- 10:30-1:30PM: farm tour and communal lunch
- 1:30-4:00PM: write
- 4:00-5:30PM: 4.5-mile walk
- 5:30-9:30PM: write with working dinner
- 9:45PM: bed
Saturday
- 6:30-7:00AM: wake, shower, breakfast
- 7:00-11:00AM: write
- 11:00-noon: 3-mile run, shower, lunch
- 12:00-3:30PM: write
- 3:30-5:45PM: 3.5-mile walk, dinner
- 5:45-7:15PM: write
- 7:15-9:15PM: watch the first half of the UGA vs. TN football game
- 9:30PM: bed
Sunday
- 6:00AM: wake, breakfast, pack
- 6:30-9:30AM: write
- 9:30-10:00AM: finish packing, travel home
Build In Active Breaks
I knew if I was going to be seated for long periods of time, I would need to walk several times throughout the day. I love exercising outside and I wanted a writing retreat location with nature trails. I took 3 outdoor breaks to either run or walk. For my run, I did just that – ran. For my walks, I brought my phone and used Evernote to take notes about the structure of the book, items that needed to be worked on, and ideas for additional sections. It proved to be incredibly productive. By being away from the PC, my mind was able to wonder a bit in a new environment and some of the questions I had about the book started to get answered. Staying on a beautiful property made the breaks a true reward.
What I Learned During My 3-Day, Solo Writing Retreat
Based on my first experience with a writing retreat, I will go again. It proved to be a great way to jump start a stalled project. It also increased my ability to focus. My attention span has shortened over the years, and it was rewarding to sit and focus on one project for 4+ hours at a time – I can still do it! Side note: if you want some tips on locking in on projects and avoiding distractions, grab a copy of Deep Work by Cal Newport.
Now that I’ve had a week to reflect on the trip, I have a few takeaways:
Avoid distractions at all cost. I was away from all distractions for 3 days. I had a community lunch and a property tour, but otherwise I was alone. I had conversations for 2 hours on Friday and spent the rest of the trip in silence. On Saturday morning, some of the people on the farm were going into town for Hymns & Coffee and I was invited. I enjoyed talking to everyone at lunch, especially Jim, and I thought about going, but I knew it would reduce my writing time by 2-3 hours, so I declined. I stayed focused on what I was there to do – write.
Pressure is essential. I felt pressure to produce something. I had to pay for the cottage, make arrangements for family to pick up the boys from school, and I left my family for several days. If I didn’t return with something, I’d feel pretty selfish. I had a healthy amount of pressure.
Reduce the need for decisions. I took my desktop PC instead of my laptop. The larger screen was easier to write on, it kept me more focused and stuck to one spot, and it removed a decision. Do I write in the bed, on the porch, under a tree? Nope. I only write at this table. The meal planning also reduced several decisions for me.
Reward yourself, but in small amounts. I watched the UGA/TN game on Saturday night as a reward, but I turned it off at halftime (9PM), so I could get enough sleep to wake at 6am on Sunday to write. I knew if I watched the whole game, I would not be productive at 6:00AM. Watching this game for 2 hours served as my only media consumption for the 3 days.
Lean on others for advice. I searched online for guides, and I also asked for advice from my LinkedIn community, and several people shared tips.
Stay in the flow. I have come back energized by this project and I know if I don’t continue scheduling blocks of time to work on it, I’ll lose that focus. I am in a flow state, and I have committed to investing 5-10 hours per week on the project. During Thanksgiving week, I’m investing 20 hours.
What Did I Produce?
In total, I wrote at a desk for 20 hours and spent another 3 hours walking and organizing my thoughts. I produced 12,600 words that I’m proud of, created a solid table of contents and overall structure, and built a list of items requiring additional research.
For me, my first solo writing retreat was a success. I’m not sure what other writers expect from a writing retreat, but I was grateful and felt like I used the time wisely.
I’m excited to go back … to write, to enjoy lunch, and to walk through the 1,400-acre pecan orchard and hay fields.
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