And why come to our writers’ retreat in Herefordshire?
Full disclosure: I’m a published novelist who’s never been on a writers’ retreat. And it’s only now that I’m co-running a retreat of my own that I fully understand how much it would have motivated and encouraged me in the early days, had I taken the plunge. So here are the reasons why I believe a writer – at any stage of their writing life – would benefit from a retreat (and especially Writers Inc, of course!)
Focused time and space
First of all, over the weekend there are structured workshop sessions, plenty of private writing time, and many opportunities to chat and seek advice. In other words it’s focused time and space to think about your writing – and this is a blessing that you will fully understand if you’ve been trying to get your debut novel off the ground while, for example, packing the kids off to school, holding down a full-time job, feeding a family of four, walking the dogs, caring for elderly parents, or any other aspect of daily life that can sabotage our best intentions. You come here, to us, as a writer, having left behind at home all your other roles in life.
Connect with other writers
Secondly, by coming to us at Writers Inc, you’ll find inspiration and motivation simply by spending a weekend in the company of other writers. What we’re writing, what we’re reading, how we overcome the obstacles life throws in our way, how we can arm ourselves with tools to prioritise writing, how we feel when we give ourselves time to write – these things, when shared with a group of like-minded people, can be exactly the jump-start you need to make inroads with your work-in-progress, or to begin something entirely new.
Building confidence
Thirdly, our retreat is a place to foster increased self-confidence in yourself as a writer. It can be difficult to take ourselves seriously when we don’t even know what we’re going to write, or what we’ve begun seems to be losing its purpose. The retreat at Writers Inc quickly establishes an atmosphere of trust, where we can talk frankly about all aspects of our writing, and leave with a renewed sense that – with application, determination and a bit of discipline – anything is possible.
Clarity
Fourthly, our retreat can help bring clarity to your thoughts. Muddled thinking, tangled plot lines, scattered ideas – they’re the bane of writers’ lives, but they’re part of the process and something we all have to live with. Talking things through can be incredibly helpful. Sometimes it’s just encouragement we need, or the spark of a new idea, or some sort of validation, to regain that forward momentum we need to finish a project.
Lastly, at Writers Inc we provide you with a serenely beautiful environment, which in itself can be an inspiration. All the bedrooms are delightful in different ways, and they all have a desk, a chair and a lovely outlook. You can sit down to write in a place with none of the distractions of home, in a house where someone else is preparing dinner, in the knowledge that the evening ahead will be stimulating, rewarding and fun … that’s the Writers Inc promise, and that’s why we dearly hope you’ll come and join us.
Jane & Brian
