Looking for a Writer Retreat

Or Should I Just Stay Home and Lock Myself in my Office?

I'm trying to kickstart my 30 year old dry spell. I used to write all the time, and though retirement has afforded me the extra time I require to devote my energies to writing, I'm still missing some critical work and writing experiences. Some people tell me I need to set a concrete, reachable goal and work towards it. Others say I should simply "manifest" - say I'm an author - then I will BE an author.

Neither of those approaches work completely for me. I do my fair share of writing, but it's non-fiction, political writing, mostly - writing for a cause. I want to work on my poetry and fiction writing skills and even see if writing memoir would be an inspired avenue for me. I've joined a writers' group, which I manage to attend only monthly, and I've started re-working old stories, but I feel as though I need more. Simply put: I can't find my focus.

After careful consideration, I came to the conclusion that finding the money to attend a Writers' Retreat might be the answer. Why? Three good reasons: accountability, feedback, and connections. I work well when I'm given direction and then held accountable for my output. At the right writers' retreat, I will receive assignments/exercises to complete, then receive feedback and constructive criticism on my work. With any luck, I will learn how to make smart, effective publishing connections for my writing as well.

Now, the only thing to do is to find an affordable, effective, and meaningful retreat. That's not as easy as it sounds, though. I have to ensure its credibility, gather the necessary funds, and take time away from my husband, kids, and grandkids to make time for myself. Then, there's the matter of where and when. Ideally, I could see myself working well in a woodsy environment, preferably by a lake. I would also need a quite environment. I'm easily distracted, but once I have time and a peaceful place to write, I can become well-absorbed in my writing.

I don't need much socializing, either, other than discussing the work at hand and some feedback. Making friends is always a bonus, but I need to put more energy into making lifelong friends with my craft (see, I'm manifesting here-trying to speak like a true author!). In either case, I willing to make the environment work as long as can work in the environment.

Some days, I feel ideas are trying to burst out of me, and other days, I can spend hours working on one sentence, or even one word, with not real idea what I'm doing or what I'm trying to say. I sort of ramble about on a shallow woodland path, enjoying the birds and the variety of trees, but not really settling in and marking camp. I guess I need work on my metaphors -- which is another writers' retreat exercise I will hopefully learn.

While I search for my perfect retreat, which is incidentally the name of a Transcendentalism assignment I gave my high school juniors way back in my early years of teaching (oh, how I wish I kept those assignments for inspiration!), I might share some of the more interesting ones I find. Time will tell, but I don't have a goal of hopefully booking a retreat by the fall of 2026. Wish me luck!