Writing Colonies

I wrote on 2/16/11 about unusual places that some writers write, such as a remote island. Most are more conventional, writing in home studies, at dining room tables, in university offices, in libraries, or in coffeehouses. But some writers are fortunate enough to be given, for a few days or weeks, the opportunity to write at various writers’ colonies. Some of the most famous ones, entrance to which is of course very competitive, are Yaddo, Macdowell, Bellagio (on Lake Como!), Ucross, Hedgebrook, Dorland Mountain, and the Virgina Center for Creative Arts. Most of these colonies are set in physically beautiful surroundings, which provide inspiration and a sense of well-being. Writers are given quiet, comfortable places to write, with all meals and other needs provided. They may stay for as little as a week or as much as several weeks. Even if one is not fortunate or well known enough to be accepted to one of these, some writers have access to shorter stays at conference centers or other sites that provide congenial and quiet spaces for writing. For example, some universities, such as my own, sponsor weekend writing retreats; I have participated in several of these. It is amazing how much writing can get done in a weekend in which one’s complete focus is on writing. And there is always the self-constructed writing retreat; for example, my colleague P. and I have created two three-to-four-day writing retreats in the beautiful city where she lives. We focused on writing all day, and then had delicious dinners and talked about what we were writing and how it was going, providing each other with advice and encouragement. The key to all of these colonies and retreats is having the luxury of a good place and uninterrupted time to write.