Imagine for a moment that idyllic writers’ retreat: A breeze coming from the olive trees in the Tuscany hills while you swap stories with fellow writers. It’s a dream coming true, right? Except for the price tag, which makes you fall off your chair. Or you realise it’s smack-bang in your busiest week at work. Suddenly, the story you’ve been meaning to write remains just a dream, and you’re still stuck wondering where to get started writing a novel.
But planning a writers retreat is easier than you think. It can cost as much or as little as you like, happen anywhere that inspires you, and fit around your schedule. Yup, I’m talking about a DIY. Let me take a deep dive with you into how you can easily plan and prepare your own.
Step 1: Set your intention first
There are two things I do to prepare for all my writing retreats. First, I always check out the vibe of the place before I book anything. And the second one is setting a goal or intention before the start. This is different for every person. My best friend, who’s an author too, often sets word counts for herself, which has paid off well for her, as she recently published her tenth novel. While this works for her, goals with numbers freak me out, so I prefer working with frameworks. Depending on how much time I have, this could be writing the rough outline for a new novel, finishing up a draft, or editing (part of) a manuscript. The most important thing is to take a moment beforehand to think about what you’d like to achieve, so that you’ll feel good about your progress once you head back home.
Step 2: Find your perfect location for your DIY writers retreat
The first question you ask yourself is: what do I need on a DIY writers retreat? Am I the type of person who wants quiet or commotion? In what kind of environment do I thrive? Once you’ve established your writing setting and location, you can search for accommodation that suits your needs. The writer who thrives in New York City is happy with a simple hotel room because they go out every day. The introverted writer might want a quiet cabin in nature, away from the masses.
But honestly, it can also be as simple as your own study room. I used to love my Christmas breaks for writing big chunks of my novels. It can be a challenge not to overbook my social calendar, but I’ve spent many years in a row feeling refreshed after immersing myself in my story world for 2 weeks. No matter if you book a writer’s cabin or build a fort of sheets in your own living room, it’s about finding the place where you feel at your best.
Step 3: Create a comfortable writing set-up
Once you found your perfect location, it’s time to look at your writing set-up. What makes a great writing space for you? For me, it used to be my aesthetically jungle-themed study in Arnhem (including jungle wallpaper and a water bottle). I always struggled to write in cafes or other people’s homes, and it almost held me back from becoming a nomadic writer. Truth is, you’ll only learn by doing. There are enough people who don’t mind writing wherever they can find. Others might struggle more to find their rhythm and flow in writing. I belong to the latter group, that’s why I recreate a personal writing space wherever I go.
My laptop, which carries my stories, is what I now call home. Still, wherever I stay, I decorate a small corner of the space (a desk or a dining table) with the same items I brought from my old home in Arnhem. It puts me at ease and helps me return to my story more quickly. For everything I bring to make a writing space feel like mine, head over to 5 must-have writing tools for your writing retreat.
Step 4: Structure the days of your DIY writers retreat
Here’s what I do at the start of all writing retreats: I don’t write! Yes, I know how ridiculous that must sound. But here’s the thing. Rushing into your writing straight away can ultimately lead to a delay. You crave a snack but realise you have no food, yet you don’t want to go out when you have finally found your writing flow. Or maybe the walls of your hotel are coming at you, and you want to take your laptop out to write somewhere else, but you keep wandering around to find the perfect spot. Maybe you even drain the small cup of inspiration too quickly, and you feel uninspired.
This is why I usually take a moment to get comfortable in my new space. To acclimatise, make it feel like my own and go out to explore the environment. Just try it. You might run into a cute little café you’ll remember later during the week, you can stock up on some food, or you might suddenly come up with a brilliant new idea during a beach stroll. By doing this, you give yourself the time and space to unwind from whatever you left behind. It can be highly effective to first detach from a hectic life and slowly ease into another mindset. By taking a step back first, I find that afterwards I’m always much faster getting up to speed with my words and make progress writing my novels during a retreat.
Step 5: Add atmosphere for the finishing touch
Apart from location and setting, atmosphere is the thing you don’t want to underestimate when you write a novel. For writers who find it hard to write outside their own space, like I used to do, think of what makes you feel at home. I really love cooking my own meals and listening to my favourite playlist. So much for being an adventurer; I’m also an introvert, and I need my routines to allow me to retreat into my space, where my creativity flows. My priority is always to recreate a sense of home with the items I’m carrying with me.
Step 6: Start writing
Finally! Now there’s the actual writing. What can you do to get in the mood? Here are a few extra things I like to do to enter your writing zone in any new place, at any given moment, in a matter of minutes.
- First things first: I always put my phone as far away from me as I possibly can. It’s too much of a distraction if you try to focus on writing.
- My favourite piece of clothing and a cup of tea. Seriously, it helps me to find my flow in writing.
- Noise-cancelling headphones or AirPods for focused writing in case of unexpected noisy neighbours, fellow travellers, or a yapping dog.
Start planning your DIY writers retreat
Whether you book a trip to Bali or build a fort from bedsheets in your own living room, the point is: give yourself space to write without the fuss. You don’t need to plunder your bank account. All you need is you, your laptop, and time.
For everything you need to know about writing retreats, also read Your complete guide to writing retreats.