Road Trip Wednesday
This Week's Topic: If you could go on a writing retreat anywhere, where would you go & who would you bring?
If time and money were no object, where would you shut yourself away to write the great American novel? And what friends, crit partners, or inspiring authors (living or dead!) would you bring along?
Road Trip Song of the Week: "Somewhere Only We Know" by Keane
I have a few different ideas for the perfect writing retreat, The first involves a cabin in the woods somewhere on Maine coast or in the Pacific Northwest. Something along the lines of this picture. Preferably, my writing friends would each have their own one of these bad boys and we'd be spread out within walking distance of each other - just far enough away for each of us to feel alone in our part of the forest, but close enough to gather in the afternoons for crit groups and discussions. And if we were in walking distance of the ocean, well that would just be amazing! Nothing is as relaxing as the sound of the ocean.
And who would I bring along? Well, a whole group of crit partners from Scribophile and just about any YA urban fantasy/paranormal author/agent/editor who'd be willing to come along!
Here's another equally wonderful option for my perfect writer's retreat: The Gatehouse at Thornbury Castle. It has everything I'd need that I might not get in a hotel (kitchen, extra rooms, peace and quiet) and yet it's close enough to the hotel (which just happens to be a castle) that I would be able to come over for afternoon tea or order room service. Plus, I'd have the castle gardens to walk whenever I would need a break.
What do you think about my picks? Do you dream of a writer's retreat in a cabin or a castle? Where would your perfect retreat take you to?
Oo, some great picks! I'm not sure where I'd go--I'll have to think about it! I'll take your castle that's a hotel, that looks fab!! :)
ReplyDeleteThe castle hotel option is pretty amazing :) And they even have suites with fireplaces and time period appropriate furniture/decoration. I'm very tempted to write a post asking if anyone would join me if I plan it!
DeleteI'd love to be snowed into the cabin - so long as I had plenty of tea, a log fire and an endless supply of pens and paper to write with ;)
ReplyDeleteOh yes, that does sound wonderful :) Just as long as I can be helicoptered out of there at the end of the retreat (before I run out of firewood and hot chocolate) and not have to worry about waiting for the snow to melt/get plowed.
DeleteI am loving the look of that cabin. That would be a great place for a retreat. I think I'd wanna go there, too. One in Washington, maybe, where it's too cold outside to wanna go out and explore. It would give me a great excuse to stay inside, warm, and write, write, write!
ReplyDeleteWashington would be perfect! Maybe somewhere along the coast, in the Olympic rainforest? *dreamy sigh*
DeleteThe castle is a great choice, that looks beautiful!
ReplyDeleteLove the cabin in the woods, but particularly love the idea of writer friends within screaming distance (because alone in a cabin in the woods seems like a scary, scary idea). :) That way they're there to hear you scream, but also to use as sounding boards. That first picture is absolutely beautiful too!
ReplyDeleteExactly! You have solitude, but you don't have to deal with any potential anxiety about being truly alone (should disaster strike).
DeleteOoo, wouldn't a castle be perfect? I totally would, especially if the project I was writing was horror. :D
ReplyDeleteOh yeah, writing a horror story in a castle would be fun! :)
DeleteWow that cabin looks great! And I´m with Jaime on this, I would be in as long as I know people can still be reached easily :D
ReplyDeleteI don't mind where it is, but it's got to be old and by a river or a lake. I think your cabin would fit the bill perfectly right in the middle of a forest (with a lake!) I wouldn't stop writing!
ReplyDeleteA lake would be perfect :) As long as there aren't too many mosquitoes!
DeleteCabin in the woods, just my style ;) And having a couple of cabins with friends around is a great idea! I would definitely join :D Btw, that carved wood balcony of that cabin is stunning.
ReplyDeleteMe too! Maybe we should send an open call into the writer/blogger world and see if enough people would be into the idea :)
DeleteI would LOVE to do that. I'm back in Germany all of July and there are some gorgeous places in the woods there. Unfortunately I don't know many YA Writers over there that write in English except you!
DeleteThere are a few more out there :) And who knows, maybe some writers in the UK would come join us?
DeleteYes, I like the first idea. The cabin in the woods that's just remote enough but not too remote. I love that picture! I want that one. I do love the sound of the ocean, so a cabin within walking distance of the beach would be an added bonus. And my favorite road trip song is "Life Is a Highway". Not the Rascal Flatts version. The Tom Cochran version. Yep, that'd just about do it.
ReplyDeleteThat's a very good roadtrip song, and I agree - it's got to be the original :)
DeleteThanks for stopping by my blog! I'm with you on the Pacific NW or a castle. I need something remote for a few days and then I need to go into town for some interaction.
ReplyDeleteA small town not too far away would be perfect, but I couldn't do anything bigger than that - it would knock me out of my writing groove.
DeleteThose both look amazing!!
ReplyDeleteYay for cabins in the woods! That would be so peaceful!
ReplyDeleteI think I would go for the castle. It's not just the setting, but having a huge library and large fireplace (assuming a cool climate).
ReplyDeleteI was imagining my cabin with a roaring fire inside, too :)
DeleteExcellent choices! I'm a cabin in the woods (on the lake) type of gal, but if forced... sigh... I suppose I could go to a picturesque castle. :)
ReplyDeleteThe cabin looks very peaceful but the castle looks like it would be a great place for the imagination.
ReplyDelete