love the confirmation on the necessary but deviant outline and the specifics regarding your discipline. i often teach when i think i shouldn't for fear of not using my time wisely and feeling sore about the lost lucre. obviously not an uncommon. love Refuse to be Done as well. and the research books as a talisman of sorts. comforting.
Great tips! A thing I’ve done for a short writing retreat is rent a room at a lakeside church camp during the week. It’s not very expensive. The one I go to has their summers booked with youth camps, and various weekend retreats the rest of the year. Their weekdays are wide-open, though.
I love all this—I will say, that as a huge procrastinator, I’m a fan of writing where others are in proximity (have been on two retreats at the Highlights Foundation, (now Boyd’s Mills), where meals are provided - big plus AND I can write in my cabin or in places when I can see others working. I find that helps me feel like I’m not the only one in the world digging in to what can feel like very isolating work
This is great, Stephanie! It’s so good to know what will work best for you. I find writing in view of others very challenging! But I can totally see how you and other can thrive on it.
Great post and love Refuse to Be Done, too! I'm interested in the Greece retreat. I'm working on a story collection rather than a novel and will have full drafts of the remaining stories ready for revision this spring and summer. Would the revision focus translate well to a collection, or is it structured more around novel or memoir work?
Thank you, Shawn! I think the revision work will translate well to a collection too. Everything is adaptable! (And if I know you or others have collections to work on, I’ll tailor some of the approach to stories!)
Loved this! One thing to add - if there are other artists or writers at the residency, spend time building relationships with them. In my experience, those relationships carry far beyond the residency and become part of your artistic identity. And, spending time talking about writing with other writers is one of the surest ways I know to get excited about getting back to the draft.
Refuse to be Done is a masterpiece and THE book you need if you're a discovery writer. Just gifted a copy to a friend who has a story she needs to tell. It's an amazing craft book that I recommend to all!
love the confirmation on the necessary but deviant outline and the specifics regarding your discipline. i often teach when i think i shouldn't for fear of not using my time wisely and feeling sore about the lost lucre. obviously not an uncommon. love Refuse to be Done as well. and the research books as a talisman of sorts. comforting.
So helpful and encouraging- thank you for sharing 🤗
This is so encouraging and human-scale. Thank you.
Such a helpful guide to read as I apply fo residencies. Thank you, Matt!
Great tips! A thing I’ve done for a short writing retreat is rent a room at a lakeside church camp during the week. It’s not very expensive. The one I go to has their summers booked with youth camps, and various weekend retreats the rest of the year. Their weekdays are wide-open, though.
That’s a great idea! Thank you!
I love all this—I will say, that as a huge procrastinator, I’m a fan of writing where others are in proximity (have been on two retreats at the Highlights Foundation, (now Boyd’s Mills), where meals are provided - big plus AND I can write in my cabin or in places when I can see others working. I find that helps me feel like I’m not the only one in the world digging in to what can feel like very isolating work
This is great, Stephanie! It’s so good to know what will work best for you. I find writing in view of others very challenging! But I can totally see how you and other can thrive on it.
Great post and love Refuse to Be Done, too! I'm interested in the Greece retreat. I'm working on a story collection rather than a novel and will have full drafts of the remaining stories ready for revision this spring and summer. Would the revision focus translate well to a collection, or is it structured more around novel or memoir work?
Thank you, Shawn! I think the revision work will translate well to a collection too. Everything is adaptable! (And if I know you or others have collections to work on, I’ll tailor some of the approach to stories!)
Loved this! One thing to add - if there are other artists or writers at the residency, spend time building relationships with them. In my experience, those relationships carry far beyond the residency and become part of your artistic identity. And, spending time talking about writing with other writers is one of the surest ways I know to get excited about getting back to the draft.
Absolutely agreed! Can you tell me last two have been solo? I loved talking to everyone at VSC though!
This was incredibly helpful. Thanks! Off to a 3-week residency, with a plan. 🫡
Yes! Good luck!!
Refuse to be Done is a masterpiece and THE book you need if you're a discovery writer. Just gifted a copy to a friend who has a story she needs to tell. It's an amazing craft book that I recommend to all!
Thank you, Noreen! I'm so glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for spreading the word!
Thank you!!!
You’re welcome!
This is such great advice! Thank you so much for sharing!