How to Create a Writing Retreat in Your Summer House
Writing retreats are an efficient and productive way of getting much done quickly, from clearing away blocks or making significant headway with projects to brainstorming new ones and uncovering ideas for potential new endeavors.
If your budget allows, visiting a retreat is ideal, while DIY retreats in your summer house could also work wonders.
1. Designate a Room
No matter where or when your writing retreat takes place, designating a space to help make the experience feel more like an authentic break and enable you to concentrate fully on your craft without distractions such as social media or emails.
Ideal locations to work from are areas outside of your normal living areas, like a garden room or office in your garden. This will enable you to focus fully on your work without being distracted by temptations to procrastinate or procrastinate again later. If this is impossible for you, try to minimize distractions by turning off your phone, telling friends and family you are working and only checking email at certain times during the day, planning ahead for retreat days when these potential distractions may occur and plan ahead on how best to deal with them when planning ahead for such days in advance.
One effective way of creating space in the summer house is transforming it into an outdoor living room, at minimal expense. Just add sofas, an armchair or two, and lots of cushions – and your outdoor living room can become the place where you unwind after an exhausting day at work! Fairy lights or other ambiance elements can help make it an inviting retreat that’s great for unwinding and getting yourself ready for bedtime.
Your summer house doesn’t need to be an extension of the living rooms indoors; instead, treating it like its own space with an unrelated theme might work more effectively. Charity shops are an excellent source for finding eye-catching lamps and accessories to add personal flair and make the summer house your own space.
2. Set Up a Desk
Establishing your own space to write is the cornerstone of creating an effective writing retreat. Doing so allows you to isolate writing from domestic distractions while customising its layout to meet your writing needs, such as adding seating or sofas for taking breaks. A suitable desk and chair are musts, while soft textures and soothing music playlists should round off this cozy writing oasis.
If you can’t make the trip out of town for a writing retreat, creating an inspiring space in your garden shed or other insulated garden building may still give you all of the same benefits. Doing this is a great way to clear your mind, get into your writing groove, and focus on writing that book or script you have on the go.
At your writing desk, the first step should be establishing a comfortable chair for sitting. A high-quality office chair should do, since you’re likely going to spend hours sitting on it while writing. Chairs come in all styles from antique-inspired desks to sleek modern designs; you may even consider picking up one from a charity shop; although more comfortable pieces may offer longer term benefit.
Your writing retreat can be customized according to your personal tastes; an antique desk or electric keyboard might suit, while shelves and drawers for holding books and materials may come in handy for some. Others prefer keeping everything within reach as this reduces movement between work sessions; having a kettle connected directly to electricity supplies also offers convenience, while fans help cool the space during warmer weather conditions.
3. Create a Writing Space
Writing retreats provide writers with an intentional experience designed to free them from daily responsibilities and allow them to concentrate exclusively on their craft. Their purpose is to foster creativity and generate fresh ideas; whether you are embarking on your first novel writing experience or revisiting one you have been working on for some time now, a writing retreat provides ample time and space away from home for productive writing sessions.
As part of setting up your writing space, it’s crucial that the environment is comfortable and conducive to work. Focusing and staying motivated are crucial parts of writing retreats; to maximize these chances for success make sure your shed is well insulated and ventilated to stay cool during summer and warm in winter – consider also including electric heaters, kettle and hot chocolate to make the retreat as relaxing as possible.
Atmosphere in your writing shed is also key for keeping yourself focused on the task at hand, without becoming distracted by external noise. To reduce noise, add rugs or wall hangings as decoration inside, curtains and upholstery furniture can further muffle sound, while white noise apps or soft music may create a relaxing and peaceful ambiance.
Create the ideal writing space for your writing retreat can be as easy or challenging as you wish. From converting an old garden shed into an Insulated Garden Room to converting beach-style summerhouse or log cabin, designing an environment tailored specifically to your writing needs can be achieved through sheer hard work or clever planning.
4. Set Some Goals
Writing retreats are a wonderful way to escape the daily distractions of life and unwind from its stresses, yet for this event to go smoothly they require having clear goals and plans in place for its duration.
Planning a writing retreat at home might involve clearing out a shed to transform it into your Virginia Woolf-esque „room of one’s own”, and reaching an agreement with other members of your household that no one will disturb you while inside (hang signs if necessary!). Or it could mean setting a six hour time block on Saturday for yourself and dedicating it entirely to writing!
Some retreats may last a full week or longer, which can be daunting and infuriating. Starting small can give a sense of accomplishment while being more effective for you.
When attending a writing retreat, it can be useful to bring a specific project with you – this could be anything from writing a novel, new essay for publication, journal entry writing or anything else creative that keeps your focus. By having something tangible on which to work during the retreat, the retreat won’t become just another vacation getaway!
Lastly, attending a retreat with other writers can often prove advantageous; hosting workshopping sessions during breaks or in lieu of writing sessions can provide an excellent opportunity to discuss shared issues and challenges related to projects, exchange ideas and provide support.
Though writing retreats can be tempting, their costs can often be prohibitive. Even short writing retreats require sleeping accommodation, food costs and travel costs; as a result, it is wise to save for one ahead of time.
5. Bring a Specific Project
Retreats provide an opportunity to focus solely on writing for an extended period, which could mean finishing that first draft, polishing up chapters from the book you’re working on or vision casting new short story collection projects or revising essays that have lagged.
Ideal retreat environments should eliminate distractions to maximize creative output. This could range from something as basic as renting an Airbnb nearby to hotels specialized in creating retreat-like environments specifically tailored towards writers; some universities even offer retreat spaces for faculty – explore your local options! You could also check out paid writer residencies such as those offered by Highlights Foundation of Eastern Pennsylvania (the family behind Highlights magazine) which offer lodgings, three delicious meals a day, as well as plenty of support to write and engage with fellow writers.