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[cactus]

I will be on paid leave this spring and am worried that I will fritter my time away dealing with students and committee work.  Many people seem to think that getting out of the country is the best way to keep one's time safe for writing.  I don't think I have the money for that.  Nor am I convinced that I could remain focused while away.

Instead, I was thinking about going to a writer's retreat.  I like the idea of being surrounded by other writers.  Has anyone been to something like this?  If you have, was it a productive time?  Would you do it again?  Where did you go?  Any other affordable ways to get away from it all?  I think a month in the middle of my leave time would be good for my morale.

Thanks!

Cactus

[untenured]

Clearly, you have the right mindset for productivity.  You are aware of the pitfalls and challenges of leave time.  True, many just fritter (I like that word) away the time unproductively.

I am skeptical, though, of writing retreats.  When I hear the term, I think of wine-sipping academics paying lots of money to reside in some mountainous resort.  Writing is by nature a solo process, what will you gain by being around others with the same obligations?  The temptations to socialize would be great, at least for me.  I've never been on one or even heard of an academic writing retreat so take my caution for what it's worth.  Yet, I do wonder -- what can you possibly gain from a formal retreat?  By the way, Stephen King in his book "On Writing" talks about writing retreats and their merits.  He was not discussing academic retreats, but it may be worth a read.

What I do is much cheaper.  When I need quiet time, I flee to my local library.  Either my town library will do or a local university library not my own will suffice.  I make sure the drive is at least 10-15 minutes away.  This is just long enough to symbolize in my mind the separation from home and work.  I leave my cell at home.  I usually don't check email.  I sit and I write.  I come home feeling good about producing quality pages.

Ultimately, assuming you have a place of quiet to access and no one is beating down your door, the battle for a productive writing experience lies in your own mind.  If you are prone to distraction, no cottage in the world will make your concentrate.  Even the most silly of tasks (washing the sink, for example) will take you away from your writing.  If you are dedicated to the writing task, imperfect conditions will not dissuade you.

Untenured

[venerablefemme]

Read up on Yaddo and the McDowell Colony. Lots of info is available. I think they're good.

[fiona]

Writer's colonies, such as Yaddo and McDowell, involve having your own private cottage, undisturbed. Lunch is left at your door, there are no phones nearby, and you're expected to be doing your writing by yourself all day, meeting the other residents only for dinner.

It's not a matter of wine sipping and socializing, and those are actively discouraged. If that's the kind of retreat you mean, it can be terrifically productive, and I respectfully disagree with Untenured about saying that someone who's highly motivated can write in any situation.

You can't write with clarity of mind if you have kids or responsibilities at home to worry about, or chores to do, or a messy house, or groceries to buy, or any number of chronic distractions besides academic ones. Often the only way to escape those is to leave town, even if it's just for a few weeks.

I like to write while I'm at academic conferences. If nothing of interest is being presented, I happily stay in my hotel room, undisturbed. Some writers I know check into a hotel for a week or 2 when they want some really productive time. Places like the Residence Inns have fridges and microwaves as well as room service, and you don't have to go out for anything.

On a paid leave, give yourself the optimum conditions.

The Fiona

[sinead]

Would rather spend the time writing, or completing the application forms that are often required for writing retreats?

It is possible to create your own writing retreat - arrange to rent a cottage/house for a month in an area where you don't normally live and where the pressure of friends and relations are far enough away that you can be productive. If there is a telephone, give out the telephone number only for emergency purposes. Set up a work space as soon as you arrive. If you miss the occasional social opportunity, frequent a local coffee shop.

I agree with The Fiona - many of us do not have lives that allow us to always be productive in our everyday spaces, and sometimes it is necessary to create spaces for the explicit purpose of focused and uninterrupted writing.

[untenured]

"If you are dedicated to the writing task, imperfect conditions will not dissuade you" is not the same as "someone who's highly motivated can write in any situation."

Another strategy I use is that I adjust my writing task to the conditions of the writing environment.  For my really deep-thinking, creative writing I save that for the silence of the library.  If I am faced with poor conditions, I complete my light-writing tasks such as a literature review or a proofread.  Adjust your focus to your environment and you should be more productive.

Untenured

[martina]

I'm all for writing in another environment - personally I think it enhances my productivity. Look into a house swap or house sitting.

[cactus]

Thanks everyone for the tips!  Renting a cottage or house swapping sounds like great ideas.  I will look into them.  What I really want is to get out of the city.  In the summers I go to the library.  It works.  But this spring I want to re-charge and write at the same time.  So, the library won't work.

I'm a very motivated writer and have all kinds of strategies for writing while I'm teaching.  But this spring I don't want to expend so much effort cutting out all the noise.  Saying "no" all the time drains me (it takes effort to say it nicely and then I have guilt to manage).  I want to be in a place where the noise is just gone.

We'll see if I can swing it.  You know how it is on an academic salary -- extravagance really isn't an option, and my plan to get away feels a bit extravagant to me.  I had thought that a writer's retreat (a no frills one like the ones that Fiona mentioned) might be affordable.  I'll look into those too, though I wonder if they would accept an academic writer.

Thanks again!

[nerdasaurus]

I had a friend who was a resident at Hall Farm in Townshend, VT. The setting is glorious and all their meals were prepared for them. She had a little hut with a table and sleeping loft and there was a big common area with music and other audio resources. I've been mulling over the idea of something similar...