Experiences with writing retreats?

I went to one earlier this year that was put on by an epub. We had speakers, structured time to write and prompts along with fun. Being around all of those different types of authors was educational and it was also a very good way to do a little networking. I had a small thread about it, while I was there, if you're interested. (It may not have much to do with what you are considering, so I didn't add a link.)

Paper notebook and some pens, and you can go anywhere. I don't have the budget for that sort of thing, but I am sure someone will. The best "retreat" sort of experience I have attended was a summer writer's workshop at a local college. At the end of it, we all had a pick nick. It was unplanned, and in the backyard of one of the students. Lawrence Block was there and talked a lot about his various books and heroes, as well as a wonderful array of other published writers. (I was Katheryn Watterston's student for the record). We all sat on the grass and ate, drank and were merry. Block was fun and we communicated for many years. I always say, apply to a local college and take their summer writing course, if you have that chance. Often the summer course will mean a "real writer" rather than a teacher will teach. I learned quite a lot from Watterston. She taught at Princeton, and the opportunity for such a good teacher in my little hamlet was rare.

I'm a big fan of going to the local library, where I haven't been able to figure out how to access the internet there on my laptop. I don't intend to find out! It lets me write without distraction. But yeah, sometimes I'll just go there in the morning, go back home for lunch, then go back there up until dinner. And then sometimes back again.
I've had "writing parties" with friends before, but we usually just end up chatting most the time... >_> So not too productive, but it is fun.

From what I've seen, retreats are waaaay too expensive for my budget. I did get into a one-week workshop-type program last summer, but it was on a scholarship. These days, I send out applications only to retreats that are fully funded/subsidized. There's lots of them out there, if you keep looking. And, like others have said, you can make a retreat anywhere....all you need is your notebook or laptop, and a quiet place away from typical distractions.

I went to a SCBWI writing retreat back in April and I absolutely loved it. Good food, peaceful surroundings, and lots of time to write. I also had a 15-minute critique session with an editor at Scholastic, which was very helpful.

I'd love to go again next year but I recently moved out-of-state. Ah well...

You never retreat. You just advance in a different direction.

The only kind of retreat I've enjoyed was one where I was given an isolated cabin in which to write, and the noon meal was delivered to my door.

Then I discovered I could rent a room at a decent motel or hotel for about the same money, or even quite a bit less, at the right time of year. I also discovered I could rent a pretty good apartment for even less money, or borrow a cabin way out in the woods for free.

A writing retreat is a great refresher, and can be much needed at times. I suggest attending a writing conference if you've never been to one. No matter where you are in your career, you will get valuable information and contacts at one. There isn't quite a feeling like spending a whole week or a weekend with like minded people (writers who are just as eccentric as you and UNDERSTAND why you wake up in the middle of the night and HAVE to write a brilliant idea onto paper immediately and who understand why you write when you cannot express yourself as well verbally). If you have the money, try it!

The two I attended were in Pennsylvania (one in Philly and one in Montrose, PA). When I was living in Virginia, I was considering attending a conference in Wild Acres, NC. I don't know of any conferences closer to VA, but I'm sure if you hook up with a local writing group they'd tell you (they might even run an annual conference of their own).

I write non-fiction so some parts of the work are better accomplished "un-retreated," while others work extremely well when isolated from interruption and (especially) with limited phone and internet access.

I've never tried a "retreat" with a bunch of other writers. It seems to me that it wouldn't be a retreat at all. There would be more social interaction than usual for me.

I find that major editing tasks work best in a retreat situation. For example, my first book, I needed to revise and cut up to about 25%. I printed out the entire ms double-sided and put in a 3-ring binder. I also took a copy on my computer, of course. I flew from the east coast to the west coast and spent the entire travel day just reading the ms from start to finish and making notes on for sections that could be deleted, could be restructured to shorten, or were redundant.

I had booked three nights at an inexpensive hotel I like near the beach in Pacific Grove--with no phone, TV or internet access in the rooms. I woke up on Eastern Time every day (3 am Pacific Time), and worked through revisions for two or three chapters, then would take a shower and go to breakfast. I'd spend morning on the beach or messing around, and then come back after lunch and review and tighten up my revisions. I managed to work through the whole 90,000 word ms in 4 days.

I find that being removed from the interruptions of family life, part time day job, shopping, dishes, laundry, fixing food, answering the phone, etc., etc. etc., really helps to stay focused. Waking up when it's still dark and there's absolutely nothing to do also helps me get to work right away.

I've also been stuck in hotels over weekends when the roads were closed because of snow. If I have all the materials I need to move forward with the ms., then that's not a bad setup either.

ETA: I had to be on the west coast for a conference where I was a teaching workshops, so I just went out early. My airfare was paid by the conference--I didn't just go to California to write.

A group of us just formed a nonprofit organization that will put on a writing retreat next summer on the Washington coast called Cascade Writers (we'll have a website up soon at www.CascadeWriters.com) -- it will have two award winning authors and an editor from Tor. We'll have Milford style workshopping and plenty of free time just to write. It's an excellent opportunity to pick the brains of industry professionals in an intimate setting -- we're limiting it to 25 writers. We did a practice run this summer and it was amazing -- a sort of combination of workshop and retreat.

K1P1 said:

I've never tried a "retreat" with a bunch of other writers. It seems to me that it wouldn't be a retreat at all. There would be more social interaction than usual for me.

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Good retreats forbid writers from getting together until after the day's writing is over. Supper is usually communal, and there's time for talking after supper, but the day itself is for writing, and you aren't allowed to bother other writers. Throughout the day, you have a place to be, a place to write, and you're expected to be there writing.