Hi,
I'd like to take a week at the start of September to bury myself in writing and hopefully get a lot closer to a completed draft. A friend recommended the Tyrone Guthrie centre in Monaghan, but I'm curious if there are other writer retreats?
Any suggestions welcome!
Thanks,
Gaius

Arvon do them - no teaching, just single rooms and food, and Ty Newydd too, I think. But I suspect they're booked well ahead - as the Tyrone Guthrie was, the only time I tried.

Anam Cara http://www.anamcararetreat.com/index.html

Ant there's here - she was interviewed on VL recently.

http://www.deborahdooleyjournalist.co.uk/retreat.html

Emma

Thanks! Will see how I get on.
G

Well...

I go away Friday for a week on my own (+laptop) in a self-catering cottage in the back of nowhere. Chomping at the bit but worried I might get carried away and overdo it on the first couple of days.

Has anybody who's done this before got any advice other than to occasionally eat and go to bed?

Regards,

Twitchy and over-excited of Dublin

I've done this kind of thing at home, as well as away. The only advice I'd give is to make sure you actually get out of the cottage once a day, and get a walk or some other minor exercise at least. Your brain works better for it, however much you're feeling you ought to keep writing.

Indeed, personally, I find it works best to do a four-hour stint in the morning till my brain is fried, have lunch, do the walk/sight-see/whatever, then another four hours in the evening, preferably not by way of too much alcohol.

Have a great time!

Emma

make sure you actually get out of the cottage once a day

Thanks, I'll be on the edge of a country estate with some nice paths... so have packed running shoes.

Have a great time!

Oh yes, oh yes.

G

Sounds like a plan, I wish you the best of luck with it. Hope it is productive.

Michelle

I did it in the spring. It was bliss. My advice is follow your body clock not times prescribed by normal living. I woke at five wrote for three hours, went for a walk, wrote more, napped all afternoon then wrote till midnight. And eat what you like. i didn't want to bother cooking so lived on muesli. It would all be very sad and depressing long term but for a few days the eccentricity does no harm.

One day I went for a walk at 5 am to check out on of my locations and saw red squirrels for the first time since childhood. And rabbits all over the dunes. Bit late to suggest now, but I'd also advise goings somewhere related to the setting of your work, if possible.

Thanks Cherys, sound fantastic!

I'd also advise goings somewhere related to the setting of your work

If only... it's set on an island in the Pacific and couldn't quite persuade my wife on that one...

But actually, there are some parallels with the type of cottage and so on. Hmmm. Now there's a thought...

"One more day of work,
One more day of sorrow,
One more day at this old dump and I'll,
Be {quite a long way from} home tomorrow."

(Think back to when you were about 8 and you'll know the tune.)