Why Writing Retreats Should Be a Regular Part of Your Writing Practice
Picture this. A luxurious boutique hotel nestled in the palm-tree laden outskirts of Marrakech, Morocco. Healthy breakfasts and tasty lunches prepared for you every day, featuring local foods, and vegetables grown in the gardens right on the property. Exquisite evening meals served by candlelight, and under the glittering glow of a million stars. And your companions at this charming locale, are writers from around the world who, like you, are there to participate in the inaugural Silk Road Slippers Masterclass, an immersive writing retreat for emerging and established writers.
A magical moment during the Silk Road Slippers Masterclass in Marrakech.
Lucky for me, this wasn’t a conjuring of my imagination. I actually got to experience this amazing literary retreat at the end of 2023.
A Writing Retreat for all the Senses
Hosted by three extraordinary writers and editors, Alexandra Pringle, Faiza Khan, and Kamin Mohammadi, the very first Silk Road Slippers retreat took place over a week in November at the Jnane Tamsna hotel. Even though we were only together for five days, the incredible amount of writing and instruction that took place made it feel like we were together for twice as long.
I may be biased, but Morocco is one of my favorite countries to visit. And I’ve recently fallen in love with Marrakech, often referred to as the Red City, but also the gateway to Africa. It is the perfect place to host an international writing retreat because the city pulses with color, culture and flavor. And the Silk Road Slippers hosts took full advantage of the city’s charms to add to the richness of the retreat experience.
We spent each day as a group, writing, talking about writing, and learning invaluable writing techniques from our hosts, and from Booker Prize winning author, Sheehan Karunatilaka, who was our “special guest presenter.” We also spent one morning touring the ancient medina, learning about the dramatic history of Marrakech, while soaking up the sights, sounds, and scents in the winding streets. On the final full day of the retreat, each writer received a lengthy one-on-one session with one of the hosts, to discuss a piece of submitted writing.
Needless to say, I walked away from this extraordinary experience, not only with pages full of insightful editorial notes for my novel in progress, but also with new and exciting strategies to try within my writing practice. And probably the best part, I made new writer friends from all over the world who I am still in touch with today.
Why Writing Retreats Should Be a Part of Your Regular Writing Practice
One of the most important benefits of attending a writing retreat is meeting other like-minded writers.
Do you need to go all the way to Morocco to attend a writing retreat? No. (Although I highly recommend checking out the Silk Road Slippers Masterclasses if what I wrote above sounds intriguing. They will be running the retreat four different times in 2024 with amazing guest authors beginning in February.) But you should consider making writing retreats part of your regular writing practice because they provide many benefits to your writing life. Some of the benefits include increased productivity in your writing, improved self-confidence as a writer, access to a wider writing network, and increased creativity energy.
If you want to hear more detailed reasons why writing retreats should be part of your regular writing practice, check out this episode of the RWC podcast on Apple podcasts or below.
The reason writing retreats are so beneficial to your writing life comes down to one simple fact. Writing retreats provide the opportunity to leave your regular life and responsibilities behind, in order to focus exclusively on your writing. Whether you’re spending time learning new literary lessons, or deep diving into a work-in-progress, a retreat provides the time and opportunity to focus on your craft. And the reality is, in today’s hustle and grind culture, where more often than not we’re engaged with our phones instead of other humans, and the pursuit of artistic improvement isn’t always valued, a writing retreat is often the best way - or the only way - to make significant progress with your writing. So, writing retreats should not be looked at as a luxury, but rather as a necessity.
Writing Retreats are Not Bougie
Even though some writing retreats come with a hefty price tag - plus transatlantic travel costs - that doesn’t mean they are only for writers with a lot of cash to flash. Depending on the location, time of year, and duration of the retreat, prices can vary widely. (See my updated list of retreats for BIPOC writers.) And many retreats offer scholarships and fellowships as well, so it’s a good idea to apply early in order to be eligible for financial assistance.
I believe every writer who takes their writing seriously should find a way to incorporate at least one writing retreat into their practice per year. And that’s true for emerging writers and seasoned professionals. Just like a car requires an annual tune-up, writers need an excuse to run away and write as part of their annual maintenance plan. In addition to all of the benefits mentioned above, the retreat will almost always help writers rekindle their romantic feelings for the written word. Writing retreats provide that much needed kick-in-the-pants to your inspiration and motivation to keep writing. Because let’s face it, staying motivated to write is often the hardest part of this vocation.
In conclusion: Writers, you need at least one good writing retreat in your life this year. There are multiple options to choose from, even a DIY writing retreat can do the trick. If you take yourself seriously as a writer, then make a serious commitment to run away and write.