Author Retreat
The Most Relaxing Time of the Year
Last summer, I was traveling back from Tulsa, Oklahoma to get back to Michigan. It’s a long trip, so I decided to stop for a night in the Champaign/Urbana area of Illinois as a pit stop.
Little did I realized that I picked a gem of a hotel to stay in! I was sad that it was only for one night, because it was absolutely perfect for me.
So when I was deciding what to do for Christmas break this year, I decided to forego my usual family time and go back to this hotel for some Me Time.
That, of course, turned into another Author Retreat.
I actually was able to get the same room that I had in the summer, which I loved because it was a top floor corner room, which meant less noise. And even though there were more people around because of New Year’s Eve, I still wasn’t distracted too much by what was happening outside my room.
Since I was eagerly awaiting my developmental edits, I had two other goals during my five days away:
read through my children’s fantasy novel and make notes for things I’ll need to change in the next draft,
outline Book Two of The Kyrus Saga, which is a sequel to Sword of the Ancient (a book which I hope to publish this year!).
I am someone that needs to work in sprints (which will definitely be a topic for another Substack post someday!), so I decided that I would have three sessions each day to work: an hour in the morning, an hour in the afternoon, and an hour in the evening.
The rest of the time would be dedicated to, you know, resting after a very busy and overwhelming December. I brought books with me that I actually read, I played Animal Crossing on my Nintendo Switch (which is also how I rang in the new year), and I used the hotel’s pool and fitness center.
Two times, I made it down to the hotel’s bar, which is something I never do because it’s so expensive. But I figured I deserved a little treat after I managed to COMPLETE MY TWO GOALS! I was so excited that both of them were not strenuous activities, and I was done a day early.
I have to say that after outlining Book Two of my fantasy trilogy, I am very excited to get started writing the book.
In a complete coincidence, the hotel’s bar featured a drink called The Writer’s Retreat! When I had completed my goals, I just had to purchase this nonalcoholic beverage and enjoy the relaxation that I’d earned.
All in all, this retreat was a huge success for me. I got done the things I wanted to do, and enjoyed filling up my cup with personal rest and relaxation, which is what I really needed. I would definitely do this again during the Christmas break!
My next Author Retreat will not be a private one! In June I have made a reservation to attend an author “camp” in Pennsylvania, which will be my first time interacting (in person) with other authors. I’m a little apprehensive, but feel like this will be a good way to exchange ideas and get to know more authors! I’ll let you know how that all goes when the time comes.
Have you done an Author Retreat before, either with a group or personally? How do you celebrate achieving your goals? Do you want to know the name of the hotel? Let me know!