Anticipating refreshment!

 

It’s nearly time!

Time for a few days of being with other writers, swapping news, gaining inspiration and doing writerly things under the guidance of Adrian and Bridget Plass, in the beautiful surroundings of Scargill.

The I can hardly wait. The Scargill community is caring and welcoming, the countryside around is breathtaking and the chapel awe-inspiring in its holiness. 

This year, my husband, Ken, is coming with me. It marks a departure from ‘getting away from it all’ but to share this special place with him is a privilege. We will have a room for the disabled and he will trundle around with his Zoom wheeled walker and I shall not have to worry about him being home alone. I’m sure he will enjoy the talks and laughter too, so maybe that will stir up his his early leanings towards writing more than the church newsletter.

We are so blessed to be able to do this. I would urge any writer to have times devoted to nothing but writing, whether it’s connecting with other scribblers or finding a quiet place to concentrate and retreat, even for a few hours. 

There is a small but magnificent book which has 25 cards accompanying the text. It all comes in a neat box. It is compiled/written by Judy Reeves, entitled ‘The Writer’s Retreat Kit’. It is a do-it-yourself manual, mostly for creating your own retreat whether you are staying at home or are somewhere exotic. Packed full of excellent advice and ideas it includes: reasons for the retreat; going into it and coming back to real life; guidelines for the retreat and guidelines for good writing practice. Then there are twenty cards of writing prompts and only one set I would never use (‘Retreat with the Oracles’).

I’ve just looked it up and it seems as if new copies are not available in the UK but there are some costly ones available secondhand. It is still possible to buy new from the US. Grab one if you can afford it - it is cheaper than going away on any retreat and you will have the wisdom that is in her kit forever.

And it has been my lifeline when I have needed to get away to write yet not been able to do so.

You may not need a kit written by someone else, of course. But you will need the courage to cut out all other engagements and clear yourself space in your life and home to prepare yourself for a time of complete dedication to your craft. Enter purposefully into your retreat in the way Judy Reeves suggests:‘Meditate. Sit in the stillness. Say a prayer.’

Annie Try writes contemporary novels and is published by Instant Apostle and Kevin Mayhew. Living in West Norfolk, she loves giving talks about writing and running a writing group in her village.