How To Plan Your Own Writing Retreat

Design your own at home writing or passion project retreat

This voiceover is an audio version of my Slow Sunday Letter below. It is unedited, so may have some stutters, imperfections, and background noise. I hope you enjoy listening to it anyway!

Welcome to Generosity of Spirit, a space to share my slow and gentle living philosophy, alongside my love of books and reading. Please do subscribe to join me on this gentle journey of discovery and receive my Slow Sunday Letter straight into your inbox.

Welcome back to another Slow Sunday Letter! I hope you have had a slow and gentle week.

This week’s Slow Sunday Letter is inspired by

Beth Kempton

SoulCircle membership and specifically her first member’s Journal Note ‘Beginning’. I want to explore how we can create our own personal ‘at home’ writing retreat, so we can finally begin all those wonderful projects we have swirling around our brains! If you aren’t a writer, just swap writing for your creative sparkle, soul’s passion or any ongoing projects or ambitions you may have.

Together we are going to BEGIN.

I would like to start with a poem, from the beautiful book ‘All Along You Were Blooming’ by Morgan Harper Nichols. So, grab a cuppa, get cosy and let us begin…

(poem audio below)

“All Along You Were Blooming” by Morgan Harper Nichols. Page 25

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Just Begin

I am going to talk specifically about writing in this Letter - but please do swap out ‘writing’ for whatever your personal projects are, I do believe most of these points are transferable to other passion projects.

So - firstly, what is a ‘at home’ writing retreat?

You may have heard of, or seen advertised writing or wellness retreats, and they look so idyllic, but often they are expensive, require travel, holiday and vacation time and can also feel a little intimidating, especially for us introverts. I will admit it is one of my bucket list items to take myself off on one of these organised writing retreats one day. I have also often daydreamed about renting some beautiful cottage somewhere in the countryside and writing for days and days in perfect isolation.

BUT - what about now? What about today? In the spirit of ‘just begin’, I have decided to create my very own DIY ‘at home’ writing retreat, and you can too!

A writing retreat is simply a chunk of time and space you are giving yourself, to exclusively focus on writing (or your passion project). Ideally, you would be able to schedule in some time alone, and away from your regular responsibilities, so you can fully dedicate your time to yourself, and the project you would like to begin, continue or finish.

Short or long, fancy or inexpensive, a writing retreat can be as extravagant or as simple as you like.

The key is that you are giving yourself the gift of time to work, uninterrupted, to make progress and think deeply about your work. This could be a weekend, or a week, maybe longer if you are able. You can plan your retreat at home, or you can find a location away from home.

Be on the look out for opportunities to dedicate time to your retreat. There could be a weekend coming up, where your house is quieter than usual, everyone is busy and you may get the house to yourself for big chunks of time. A friend or family member maybe going away on holiday, and you could offer to house sit, or pet sit while they are gone. You want to remove as many distractions as possible. You don’t need an expensive retreat - you just need time, commitment, some comfort and the chance to begin.

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Writing Retreat : Journal Prompts

What are the goals for your project?

What motivated you to start the project?

What do you need to get started with the project?

What are you most excited about your project?

What do you want to create?

What boundaries do you need to set for yourself to stay focused?

How do you plan to navigate inevitable writing blocks?

What small rewards can you offer yourself to celebrate your progress?

Planning for your Retreat

Set Goals

What will the end result look like for you? The first chapters of your new book written, or a complete re-draft of your non-fiction? Perhaps you’re taking this retreat to reconnect with your creative self?

Plan your writing and set an overall goal, this could be a word count, a chapter or a section you would like to start and/or finish. Try to be flexible and realistic about what you can achieve.

Break down your goals into bite sized goals, it will make starting less daunting and also give you more chance for success.

Set A Writing Schedule

Spend some time before your retreat to work on a rough plan or schedule for your day, I would recommend time blocking - even if you don’t do it hour by hour, at the very least set out your morning, afternoon and evening tasks.

I use notion for pretty much everything in my life nowadays, and so I plugged in a rough plan and will use this as a basic structure (below). Your plan will be entirely personal, perhaps you write better first thing in the morning, or late at night, you may prefer to write for one hour before taking a break, or need to schedule in more breaks. I quite like longer writing sessions as I can slip into a ‘flow state’.

I love cooking so my meal breaks, are also my way of relaxing and unwinding as a I prepare the food. Walking is also very important to my plan. Getting outside, away from the computer and stretching out your mind and body is so important, so I rely on this time throughout the day to keep me moving and relaxed.

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Top Tips for a Successful Writing Retreat

Morning Mindfulness

I like to start my days with a morning meditation, and/or a morning walk. This always gets me in a good mindset for the day ahead, and I think particularly when you are working on a project it is good to start the day from a relaxed but empowered state.

Morning Affirmations

I am owning my energy

I am capable of all I put my mind to

I am not striving for perfect

Clear Your Schedule (as much as possible)

I know this will be tough for many of us, but try as much as possible to clear your schedule. No housework, no little jobs, no grocery run etc. The aim is to limit distractions as much as we possibly can, to allow you mind some freedom to stretch out and take up some space and attention.

Plan Your Meals/Snacks

I love cooking, so in a way the food is just as important to me as the work! Preparing and eating is mindful for me, and also part of how I relax and unwind, so planning a menu and making the time to get into the kitchen and spend some calm time cooking during the day is a vital part of the retreat.

If you don’t enjoy cooking, make sure you meal prep, and make it as easy as possible to nourish yourself well during these days. You will need plenty of variety, and colour to really maximise your nutrition - after all your brain is going to be working hard, and it needs lots of gorgeous and delicious fuel.

Turn Off Your Notifications

I like to use my phone as a clock and timer, but there’s nothing that will derail my retreat vibe like getting drawn into Instagram or emails etc etc.

Go to Settings and turn off notifications. Let your friends and family know that you’ll check your phone and email messages once per day, and if they need you immediately they should text.

Schedule Regular Breaks

So much of writing is about thinking, so allow yourself time to ponder. Take breaks and walks regularly. Bring a yoga mat and do a few stretches between writing sessions. Let your creativity have some space to open up. There’s nothing that will stifle your creativity more than trying to force it when you are not in the right headspace. When you feel stuck, get up and move. Follow your heart on this.

Self Care/Reward Your Progress

Everyone likes rewards, and you will be earning them! Make sure you make time for self care that makes your feel wonderful. Scented candles, incense, your favourite mug, cosy blankets and fresh flowers. Plan in some rewards, a bubble bath, your favourite movie, a chocolate bar anything that feels special - you deserve it!

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I hope you have enjoyed this week’s Slow Sunday Letter, and this has inspired you to carve out some time for your very own writing retreat or passion project retreat. I felt so inspired by

Beth Kempton

invitation in SoulCircle ‘to begin’, and decided both myself and my project deserved it.

I have made a promise to myself that I will continue to look for time for regular writing retreats, and carve out space for creativity to find its way back to me. And I would like to invite you to do the same …

I would really love to know your thoughts and if any of this resonated with you - if you feel able, please do share in the comments.

Thank you for being here,

With Light & Love

Emily xxx

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