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THE GREAT ESCAPE
By Brenda Collins
(with thanks to Suzanne Stengl and Donna Tunney for the awesome experience)“ What’s a writers’ retreat?” someone on my writers loop asked when I advised that I would be offline the following week for that reason. My response, “It’s three aspiring writers running away from home so they can find some peace and quiet to focus on their writing.” No registration, no formal agenda – just plan it and go.
Dawn was breaking over the driveway on Sunday morning as we stood loading the car, our three anxious spouses in attendance. “How did Shakespeare manage before technology”, one commented as he surveyed the jumble of laptops, AlphaSmarts, voice recorders, conference tapes and walkmans piled on top of three small suitcases. It beats me!
We set off through increasing rain towards the mountains en route to Kelowna, British Columbia. Allocated two CDs each by our fearless leader, our disparate choices could be seen as an omen; one arrived with two classical, another with two pop and the third with maritime folk – Yikes!
Which raises the issue of compatibility. Who do you invite on an adventure like this?
As our varied taste in music suggests, compatibility doesn’t mean ‘the same’ – you don’t need to be writing for the same line, or to be at the same point in your work-in-progress, or even be using the same process to get to the end manuscript. Just find ‘real writers’; ones who share your passion and commitment to that common goal, WRITING. Set the ground rules of consideration, respect, patience, and humor – and you’ve got your team assembled.
As to the retreat location, we chose a hotel in wine country but it could have been anywhere.
Of course, nothing brings creative juices to a boil faster than an outdoor hot tub but that wasn’t an essential. Plots percolated over coffee, conflicts were constructed over meals, motivations emerged out of girl talk about family idiosyncrasies, and pages passed from hand to hand. We made sure that we balanced quiet time against intense critiquing and discussion. And, okay, it didn’t hurt to be developing our characters along with our muscles at the health spa of a five star hotel.
How long should a writers’ retreat last?
As long as you have; be it a week or a day, the immediate feedback, infectious intensity and the absence of distractions will drive out some of the best writing you’ve ever accomplished.
And how did we all get along on our week-long adventure, you ask?
Well I always said I needed a wife and this was like having two: meals got made, tables got set, dishes got washed – all occurred seamlessly without negotiation or nagging. The only challenge was the menu; two of the writers were following Weight Watchers™ which pushed the third into the same diet if she wanted to eat with us. She swears it wasn’t a problem since she was able to avoid cooking that way!
Pulling into the driveway a week later, this time as the moon was rising, we were welcomed by our spouses, all greatly relieved to see us and the van back in one piece. We concluded it was indeed a week well spent – and immediately debated how soon we could do it all again.
Brenda Collins
©Brenda Collins - Nov 2003
