Six Tips for a Successful Writing Retreat
- joannanorland
- Aug 2
- 4 min read
Updated: Aug 12
As the writing coach for Starcroft Farm Cabins writing retreats, I want guests to get stuck in, surprise themselves with the work they create and leave hungry to keep going. Here are some tips for making the most out of that magical opportunity.
Writers of all genres come to Starcroft Farm Cabins because we crave uninterrupted time to immerse ourselves in our craft. From raw beginners to award winners, we sense that if we give our ideas extended, focused attention, we will discover possibilities, twists and interconnections that would otherwise elude us. We covet the opportunity to delve . . .
. . . Until we sit down, steaming cuppa in hand and suddenly feel overwhelmed by the stretch of time ahead. Faced with the possibility of doing anything, we may curl up and do nothing at all. With no hard deadline, inertia can take hold. And with no clear goal beyond the amorphous imperative “to write,” our inner self saboteur can take charge.
A little planning and a few key strategies can provide the structure and purpose we need for a satisfying, productive retreat.
Here are some tips to help you immerse with confidence and emerge fulfilled and inspired.
1. Establish your main goal
Stephen Covey, author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, teaches that to live a purposeful life, we must “begin with the end in mind.” Setting an ambitious target animates us — regardless of whether we achieve it.
So, try this exercise: Time travel to the final day of your retreat, and complete this sentence:
"This is the last day of my retreat and I am so happy and proud that I . . ."
Write down your answer on a card or post it note, bring it to your retreat and keep it in view.
2. Consider a few secondary goals
Additional, more circumscribed writing tasks can vary the texture of your day and yield a gratifying sense of completion. It gives me a mischievous thrill to cheat on my main project with an intriguing side gig — and yet I’m still writing.
Consider spending a little time on one of these:
A thank you letter to someone who helped you on your writer’s path. (Bring stamps and an envelope, so you can post it at the Starcroft post box).
A fifty-word story. You can submit your microfiction to fiftywordstories.com.
Your version of a fairy tale.
A monologue in the voice of an unreliable narrator.
3. Clear your decks
To immerse, you must suspend — or at least, curtail — your external commitments to work, family and community.
Here are some questions to consider:
What arrangements can you make to minimize interruptions?
What tasks can you do in advance, delegate, or eliminate?
Do you need to inform anyone that you will be out of contact?
Which time sucking apps can you temporarily remove from your phone?
Seasoned writers also suggest leaving behind “writing adjacent” activities, such as peer critiques or book reviews. While these contribute to a rounded writing life, they distract from the purpose of your retreat. Remember, every time you say “no” to something external, you are saying “yes” to immersion.
4. Sketch a rough timetable
Consider the steps required to achieve your goals, and draft a rough schedule for your days, including writing time, movement breaks and meals.
Does this mean that everything will (or should) go to plan? Of course not. Creativity is capricious. You may unearth unexpected avenues or challenges that warrant further attention. And of course, most of us chronically underestimate the amount of time it takes to write and revise.
But regardless of whether you follow your plan or adjust it as you go, putting it in writing will spur you to proceed with greater intention and energy.
5. Connect with others on your terms
Quality time with a BFF or a new soulmate can be a retreat highlight, and you can support one another’s writing by sharing your work in progress. Just make sure that you are socialising out of a genuine desire to connect, rather than a sense of obligation or urge to procrastinate. So often, we choose to fulfil the needs of others ahead of our own calling. A writing retreat invites you to break this habit.
If you are attending with friends, consider discussing in advance how you wish to apportion your time and agree on a signal to use if one of you wishes to crack on, undisturbed. Above all, honour the commitment you made to yourself when you booked your retreat.
6. Support a productive mindset with mantras
Here are three key messages I repeat to myself to overcome rumination, procrastination or the illusion of time scarcity:
Quantity over quality. This silences the inner critic, so that I can set down my initial thoughts. Sifting and polishing come later.
I don’t HAVE to write, I GET to write! This helps me counter my resistance to diving in.
I have an abundance of time, as long as I treat my time as precious. I’m certain that time dilates in proportion to our focus.
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Would you like to connect in advance to prepare for your retreat?
I can help you:
Clarify your goals.
See fresh possibilities for your project.
Create a rough plan for your days.
Navigate obstacles or points of concern.
Build excitement about the week ahead.
Gather resources to inspire.
Writers who booked an advance session often start building writing momentum even before they arrive. The retreat may be scheduled, but the writing starts whenever you say it does.
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PS. Here are some additional tips from past Starcroft guests:
”Morning pages are an essential for me. They help me see what I want to achieve with the day ahead and offer clarity for what I worked on yesterday.” Alice-May Purkiss
“Walk in the woods. I sometimes did it twice a day. Hannah showed us a big loop and then you can figure out lots of shorter loops. Those woods are full of spirit.” Cate Sloan
”I brought an absolutely vast quantity of snacks and just sort of grazed through my days. I’m sure this wouldn’t work for everyone but it meant I wasn’t getting fixated on it being lunchtime or dinnertime and feeling like I had to stop if I was in a good writing rhythm.” Jane Crowley
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