Thread by @raulpacheco

It’s Sunday morning and I’m sitting in my living room and pondering about how I actually never had the joy of either hosting or attending a writing retreat.

When I was a faculty member at CIDE I tried to host #ShutUpAndWrite weekly sessions.

These mostly didn’t work.

I get that we are all busy. I am an incredibly busy person myself.

But for me the joy of organizing a writing retreat would reside in making it work.

I have my own daily writing retreats. I write 4:30-6:30 in the morning all by myself.

I have enjoyed the collective writing.

But if I were to organize something post-pandemic it would need to have firm commitments from everyone.

Life happens to us all, I get it.

But for me, to commit to doing a writing retreat would mean really focusing and not paying attention to anything outside.

I DO want to organize post-pandemic, in-person writing groups and retreats.

But only if they work.

Otherwise I am happy to write all by myself.

I have done this before.

In 2011 I toured my home province, British Columbia, and spent a glorious week writing by the sea.

I spent 2 days in Nanaimo, 2 days in Victoria, 2 days in Parksville/Qualicum Beach and 2 days in Comox/Courtenay.

Honestly, best solo writing retreat ever.

A 2 week retreat would work best, to include Tofino/Ucluelet.

To be honest, writing staycations work too.

I’ve done these writing staycations before: I have booked hotels in New Westminster, North Vancouver, Richmond or Burnaby and stay there for a few days to just write.