Attend a Residential Writers’ Retreat and Set Fire to Your Creativity
This post may contain affiliate links to products or services I'm happy to recommend. If you click on an affiliate link and then make a purchase, Artsy Traveler may earn a small commission at no cost to you. Thank you!
Have you ever considered going on a writers’ retreat? If you’re a writer—or want to be a writer—the top need on your writer’s wish list is very likely time. Without time, you can’t write. Without time, you can’t improve. When you give yourself the gift of time to think and create, you give yourself the gift of productivity.
In May 2024, I gave myself the gift of time by attending a week-long writers’ retreat in North Yorkshire. Called, fittingly, The Writers’ Retreat, the venue and program is the passion project of writer Jan Birley. Participants gather in a renovated 200-year-old pub in the tiny, picture-perfect Yorkshire village of Beal to write their hearts out in a peaceful and supportive environment.
About The Writers’ Retreat
The Writers’ Retreat runs retreats from one day to six days in duration, along with special events throughout the year. Check out their website.
At The Writers’ Retreat, you are provided with all your meals (even wine with dinner!) and can participate in a series of optional writing workshops and one-to-one mentoring sessions with a writing professional. Jan or her husband Tony even collects you from the local train station and takes you back again at the end of the retreat.
When you’re not eating, sleeping, or being mentored, you are free to write in any number of comfortable locations throughout the building—from the stylishly decorated bedrooms all equipped with writing desks, to tables and squishy sofas scattered throughout several lounges, to an outdoor terrace for days when the sun shines.
I chose the six-day retreat because I knew from experience that five full days of dedicated writing time was optimum for me to make significant progress on my WIP (Work In Progress).
Spoiler Alert: It worked and it was fabulous!
Here’s my account of the six days.
Day 1: Monday Arrival
The start date of my retreat in May 2024 corresponded with the last day of a five-week trip around Europe with my husband, artist Gregg Simpson. The purpose of our trip was to attend several exhibitions of his paintings in Italy and for me to research locations and get inspiration for new novels.
I discovered The Writers’ Retreat after I’d booked my European trip. Surely it was a sign from the universe that I had to attend when I found out that the dates aligned with the conclusion of my trip–and that there was just one spot left. I immediately rejigged my travel arrangements. My husband flew home from Paris while I flew to Manchester, took a train to Selby in North Yorkshire, and was picked up and brought to the retreat in the sweet little village of Beal.
Here’s my bedroom and the view from my writing table that would inspire for me six days.
Meeting My Fellow Writers
After getting settled in my room overlooking a pair of quaint houses with green and pleasant parkland beyond, I meet Jan and the five other writers with whom I’ll be sharing my week. Jan introduces herself and talks about what to expect for the week, and then we all share why we’ve chosen the retreat.
We are an eclectic lot consisting of academics, non-fiction writers, experienced novelists, and short-story writers. Here are brief bios supplied by some of the participants.
Sue
Sue is a Professor from the University of Edinburgh, specialising in developmental psychology. During the retreat, she worked on wrapping up a series of writing projects including a grant proposal, a couple of journal articles, an editorial and the introduction to a book about neurodiversity for teachers. Neurodiversity is gaining ground as a way to understand important aspects of how pupils learn and generally experience school. But lots of teachers aren’t clear what this model means for them and why it is supposed to be helpful to pupils. The book will have chapters written by a neurodiverse group of academics and educators with the aim of helping teachers embed this new theory into their classroom practice.
JoJo Stone
JoJo is a passionate new writer based in the picturesque landscapes of the U.K. From a young age, JoJo discovered a deep connection with the writing world and began crafting poetry that resonates with emotions. JoJo has published three novels and at the retreat worked on her fourth novel and some short stories. Check out her great website.
Ann
When Ann retired, she dipped her toe into various writing groups and also attended a short evening course in Creative Writing at her local university, all of which encouraged her to ‘get writing.’ She’s completed a number of short stories, some of which she intends to publish online. At The Writers’ Retreat in Yorkshire, she revved up her writing engines and hopes to publish her first novel in 2025.
Two writers from the United States also joined us to contribute their enthusiasm and good vibes.
First Evening
After introductions (and a nice glass of wine), we enjoy our first dinner together in the large dining room. Over the course of the week, the dining room becomes the hub for conversation, lots of laughter, food, workshop sessions, and a constant supply of coffee, tea, and cold drinks to sustain us when we aren’t being fed.
My Project for the Week
I retire to my room and get busy working on my project for the week—finishing my sixth novel. Called The Merchant of Siena, the novel follows headstrong Bianca as she learns how to survive and thrive in late 14th century Siena–a time fraught with plagues, famines, and vicious attacks by bands of roving mercenaries. Bianca’s journey from idealistic youth to one of the city’s richest merchants is a rags-to- riches story with a twist.
The first three chapters of The Merchant of Siena were recently shortlisted in the Ancient to 16th Century category for the Historical Novel Society’s First Chapters competition. This positive feedback has motivated me to finally finish the novel.
Day 2: Tuesday
Our first full day of writing stretches before me with delicious emptiness full of possibilities. Like everyone, I’m up early and down to the dining room at 8 am for a full English breakfast. I can’t manage the full meal deal and opt for two poached eggs and bacon—my go-to for the rest of the week. Cereals, yogurt, fruit, and juices are also available. But in case you’re interested, here’s a photo of another participant’s full English breakfast! That’s a hearty breakfast for sure!
After a productive morning, we all gather for lunch and are introduced to Clare Bamber, our mentor/workshop leader for the week. Thanks to Clare, my experience at The Writers’ Retreat is about to go second level. My mentorship sessions with her along with the fun writing workshops she facilitates make my week very special and fulfilling.
Meet Clare Bamber – Mentor Extraordinaire
Clare Bamber is truly a delight. She’s been a tutor and mentor in Creative Writing since 2020 and is passionate about encouraging writers of all levels to explore the craft in a supported, nonjudgmental environment. She states: “Supporting writers at The Writers’ Retreat UK this week has been so much fun. There has been so much diversity in the subject matter, but it’s great to see everyone being supportive of each other in their projects. What a wonderful bunch of people to have spent time with! I crossed the finish line of drafting my own novel whilst on a retreat here, so I understand the value of giving ourselves the space to write.”
Where to Find Clare Bamber
You can visit Clare’s website to check out her services for writers or visit her on Facebook.
Workshop: Character Creation
Clare’s first writing workshop is on character creation. The four of us most interested in writing fiction meet with Clare to learn valuable techniques for creating memorable characters. I very much enjoy the exercise that she leads us through. A highlight is listening to what everyone else writes. The level of creativity is astonishing!
Country Walks
After the workshop and on most days during the week, I slip out for a country walk. The village of Beal is situated in the middle of farmland with access to a public footpath bordering the River Aire. I have a grand old time snapping photos of the Constable-like skies, the sheep with their gamboling lambs, and a contingent of curious cows.
Day 3: Wednesday
My writing is starting to click into high gear. I spend my mentorship session with Clare hashing out a plot problem. Together, we come up with some excellent strategies. I’m feeling energized and exhilarated. Writing retreats rock!
I skip the workshop (it was on point of view and I’m sure was wonderful!) only because I’m on a roll and want to get a few more chapters under my belt before dinner.
At 5, I take off for the only local pub in the village to sip some wine and continue writing before being joined at 6:30 by the rest of the group for a pub dinner. We continue getting to know each other amid much laughter as well as interact with the friendly pub staff.
Some of the Participants Hard at Work
So many work spaces are provided for participants at The Writers’ Retreat. I chose mostly to work in my room because I liked the view. Most of the others spread out among the many areas on the main floor of the converted pub.
Day 4: Thursday
Another mentorship meeting with Clare builds on my progress. She provides excellent and useful feedback about The Merchant of Siena. I’m finally starting to feel like this novel—which I’ve been writing on and off for about five years—is on its way to being completed.
Workshop: Writing Descriptions
In the afternoon, Clare facilitates a workshop on writing good descriptions. Thanks to her advice and prompts, each of us produces and reads two compelling pieces.
Day 5: Friday
Today, I share with Clare the first three chapters of Mill Song, my recently completed fifth novel. As I’ve come to expect from Clare, she provides me with thoughtful and useful feedback. I’m feeling more excited now about getting Mill Song out to the world.
Workshop: Writing Emotion
Our afternoon workshop is on how to effectively write emotion (no easy task). To my delight, I follow Clare’s prompts and end up writing a piece that I’ll be including in The Merchant of Siena. Talk about a win-win!
Day 6: Saturday
After a series of cloudy, wet days, the sun finally emerges on our last full day at The Writers’ Retreat. After five full days of solid writing, I start the final day feeling relaxed and much more confident in my ability to complete and be proud of The Merchant of Siena. I still have a few months worth of work to do before it’s ready to send to an editor, but that’s okay. I’m feeling motivated and confident—and that’s worth a lot!
After lunch, a few of us read a piece of our writing aloud to the group. I share a passage from The Merchant of Siena and am gratified by the positive response. One of our group is leaving, so after the readings, we troop out to the parking lot for a group photo.
Workshop: Writing Dialogue
Our final workshop with Clare is on how to write good dialogue (another challenging and useful topic). She has a knack for giving us just the right prompts to stimulate the creative juices. I’m amazed at the work each of us produces in a very short time. The creative process really is miraculous.
At the end of the day, we all retire to the pub for a farewell drink and dinner. I go to bed feeling tired but very satisfied with my progress over the week.
Should You Go On A Writers’ Retreat?
In a word, yes. No matter where you are on your writing journey, a writing retreat will help you. Having the time and mental space to do nothing but write and be creative is tremendously therapeutic. No cooking, no cleaning, no kids, no spouses, no day job—just you and your pen or laptop and the infinite possibilities roaming around your head waiting to be led to the light of day.
What could be better than that?
Conclusion
In March 2024, I went on another, very different, writers’ retreat with three other historical novelists. This one was based in sunny and warm Florida and was just as wonderful. Fellow historical novelist and retreatee Mary Tod wrote an interesting blog post about our experience in Florida.
Writers Retreat: Fun, Productive, Informative
Have you ever been on a writers’ retreat? Share your experience in the comments below.
Related Posts
Here are some literary-themed posts on Artsy Traveler:
Hi Carol ~ What fun to hear about both of your retreats. I am off to France this week until the end of September. First to do my 12-day tour, tenth year! Then I’m spending a week in Antibes to soak in some writing vibes before I take a bus to Collioure, near the Spanish border, to attend a writing retreat with Karen Karbo. https://www.karenkarbo.com/workshops-retreats
Aren’t we fortunate to love what we do!