I'm creating my own mini writing retreat at home

I was listening to one of my favourite podcasts by Gabriela Pereira called DIY MFA and she discussed how important going on a writing retreat can be for a writer.

All I kept thinking was “I wish!”. And then I poured myself a glass of wine and started cleaning up my kids toys.

I would absolutely love to go on a writing retreat. I even have ideas of where I would go and the perfect plan mapped out in my mind. In my mind, it would also be pouring down with rain for most of the time while I’m writing. Ideally, it would briefly stop raining for me to take a walk outside and get some fresh air and then, as soon as I get back inside it would start bucketing down again. A girl can dream can’t she?

This wonderful daydream and the fact that our electricity is out so I’m surrounded by pretty fairy lights and a few candles too got me thinking. Just because I can’t slip away from my kids at the moment, because Hayden is still so small, doesn’t mean I can’t try to create a wonderful space for myself to write.

So, my idea is to create my perfect writing space every night when my kids are in bed. And it’s simple. My calm place consists of wine (of course), and a cup of tea (duh!), fairy lights, a fan blowing on me (it’s really hot at the moment), and some lovely chilled background music.

Also, some other handy tips for creating my writing retreat will be to commit to myself. I will do this by setting alarms on my phone in 20 minute sprint intervals so that I focus and don’t get up to do something else before my 20 minutes are up.

I will also set myself goals, small goals to get me motivated and to keep me focused. A goal like ‘write 100 words before my tea get’s cold’ is a good one.

This is sure to get me in the writing mood.


Comments

2 responses to “I'm creating my own mini writing retreat at home”

  1. Love this! We can all do this in our own homes. Have you heard of the 10 Minute Novelist? I love her process on writing, even if for only 10 mins per day. I have a brand new baby (one week old today), so feel like I’m likely going to need an at-home retreat by necessity also.

    Best of luck.

    1. I have yes and it’s so good to know. It’s a lovely concept I just think it would take me years if I only wrote 10 minutes a day especially trying to tie my story together. But, I do think that those “10 minutes” are possibly just a start and will turn into more most days. So it’s a good concept and way better than no writing.

      Congratulations mommy! It can be so overwhelming sometimes but once you’ve rested enough try to write when baby sleeps. They sleep so much more in the beginning. Later on they get busier and things can get tricky.

      It is so important though to create mini writing retreats for ourselves. We take ourselves and our writing for granted especially after having kids.

      Good luck! I’d love to hear how you’re coming along!

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