The Secret to a Productive Writing Retreat

[lkmadigan]

PAY FOR IT.

Crazy, I know.

Self-indulgent, yes.

But I can assure you that if you spend money to go sit alone in a room with a bed and a desk, you will become very focused on your manuscript. You do NOT want to pay good money just to sleep in or watch TV. At least I don’t

Comments

[dampscribbler]

Wow, Lisa, that sounds like a fantastic weekend! Congratulations on knowing what to do and doing it! Looks like a nice hotel room, too. I once read that Maya Angelou did that, and it struck me as unimaginably self-indulgent and wonderful. Now I can imagine doing it, if I were at the right place in a project that needed it. :-)

Have you heard of the Writer's Dojo? Inexpensive space in NoPo to write, during the days at least. It's not private, but it's serious. http://writersdojo.org/benefits

[lkmadigan]

Hi Kristi - yes, I've heard of that place. Maybe one day ....

[lisayee]

I'm writing this in a hotel room right now. Albeit, I'm out of town for school visits, still I get sooooo much done on the road!

[lkmadigan]

I've wondered how you can be so prolific with all your school visits! Now I know: you are able to write on the road. I've heard lots of authors say they can't manage it.

[laurasmagicday]

Good for you! Way to make it work, like Tim Gunn says:)

[kellyrfineman]

You are so right about the retreat thing. Only you don't actually have to pay for it in cash. You can pay for it in, say, guilt. My lovely Aunt Martha and Uncle Jim have been kind enough to offer me the use of their condo in NH for writing retreats for the past few years - to the point where they rather expect me to turn up with angeladegroot and writerjenn. And because I have friends there working, I'd feel guilty if I weren't also working. And because my aunt & uncle are all patrons-of-the-arts about it and wanting to know how my writing is going, etc., I'd feel guilty if I didn't get things done. And so even though I pay zero dollars in rental, I still pay for it in a sense of obligation - and that is the real price, I think, that matters.

Also? Isn't that duet version amazing? It brings my collection of versions to three - Jeff Buckley, kd lang (*swoon*) and the new JT/Matt whatever version. I've never heard that song as a duet before, and it's effing brilliant. So glad you like it too!