Do you sometimes find that time to write is in short supply?

Since I live in the country with only dogs and cats to keep me company, you’d think all I need to do to find solitary writing time (away from my day job) is go home and not talk to anyone for a week. That doesn’t work for me. The pets need tending, the house begs for attention, and the town I live near beckons me every day.

So, I love retreats. I spend vacation time away from the everyday demands, in the company of others who have the same interest that I do, and new friendships often last well after the session itself. And there are so many to choose from, with varied formats.

Doe Branch Ink Writers’ Retreat

Some retreats are more like workshops. They are guided by experienced writers, who may start you with a series of exercises designed to get your creative juices flowing, or offer critique and/or brainstorming sessions.  Others don’t use formal exercises at all, but have mentors on hand to discuss techniques and offer assistance where needed.

Several let attendees create their own agenda, but they are required to participate in critique and discussion, and share from their own experiences. More are true retreats, where you can mingle with other writers or seek solitude to work undisturbed.

Here are a few I am familiar with.  Each deserves a whole blog of its own, but I’ve given you links for more information -

Eureka Springs, AR

Lucidity Poetry Retreat, in Eureka Springs, AR, is always my first one of the year. For three nights and two days in April, Lucidity keeps you focused on poetry – critique sessions and speakers in the morning, free time in the afternoon, and another gathering after dinner.  Attendees  submit poems for critique in advance, as well as poems for competition, and awards are given out the final evening.   http://fortbendpoets.wix.com/lucidityozarkpoetryretreat

The barn at HPMEC

The Hemingway-Pfeiffer Museum and Education Center, in Piggott, AR, was the home of Earnest Hemingway and his second wife, Pauline Pfeiffer, and is now owned by Arkansas State University.  HPMEC hosts three retreats during the year – a short session in March, a week-long session in June, and another week in late October-early November.  Mentors have included professors and  authors, and writers are free to attend fairly structured sessions or take advantage of the location to break off into small discussion groups, or have alone-time to write in the barn where Hemingway worked. http://hemingway.astate.edu/

trails at Doe Branch Ink, North Carolina

A couple years ago, I was able to attend a week-long session at Doe Branch Ink, nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains above Asheville, NC.  We were  seven strangers -  five attending writers and two guest authors (well, THEY knew each other!) - isolated in a well-appointed cabin with nothing to do but write, talk about writing, and take an occasional mountain hike complete with deer and lush wild Philodendron.  http://www.doebranchink.org/

A friend of mine won admission to the Highlights Foundation Workshop at Chautauqua, NY several years ago -  http://www.highlightsfoundation.org/ and several others regularly attend The Writers Colony at Dairy Hollow in Eureka Springs, AR -  http://writerscolony.org/ 

These are just a small sampling of what is available. Use your search engine to find one that appeals to you, either by content or location.  You could create your own simply by renting a cabin in the middle of nowhere – just you and your laptop.  Every experience is different, so experiment.  Whatever you choose, being able to concentrate for a week or even a long weekend on your writing passion alone is, well, a REal TREAT.

What would be your ideal writing getaway? Got a favorite place?  Tell us about it in the comments!

Doe Branch again!