Friday, July 29, 2016

DIY Writing Retreat/Residency

Writing residencies (some call them retreats) are days, weeks, or months spent out of the house, scribbling furiously and (hopefully) making headway on a project or even finishing it.  The new location energizes and removes some of the pressures of daily responsibility.  Just a writer... and time to write.

Residencies vary greatly in length, location, and cost.  Since most writers can't afford the expense, or being away from a job or family for weeks, do-it-yourself retreats are gaining in popularity.

But, when you're disabled, some options for DIY retreats aren't available to us.

~ Swapping houses for a weekend with another writer you trust is an almost zero-cost retreat and a good choice... unless no one has a place that fits your accessibility needs.  
*But you may have friends whose houses will suit your needs, so keep that in mind!
~ Some of us can't travel hours from home. (More than one article I came across said, "Oh, travel at least two hours by vehicle to really get into the right mindset".  Yeah, sure!)
- Our medical equipment won't fit into some hotels.

Hotels aren't necessarily a bad idea, though.  Even in my city of less than 10,000 people, there is a hotel with accessible rooms.  It can be a relaxing option close to home.  The bad part?  Over $250 is the cost just for a weekend, which many of us can't afford.

An option for some who want to write in nature are national parks.  Many parks are handicapped accessible, some with cabins you can rent for around $30 a night.  In America, disabled people can apply for an Access Pass that reduces or eliminates fees to certain aspects of a national park.  Since there are many parks, chances are decent there is one within a comfortable distance.  Days do fill up fast though, so plan ahead!

Have you ever went on a writing retreat?  How did it go?  Have you ever thought about a do-it-yourself one?

This may be the start of a small series of blog posts.  Let me know if you find it interesting!







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