My Solo Writing Retreat
What I did last weekend, and how I write my books.
If you follow me on Instagram and view my stories, you may already know that I escaped last weekend for a solo book-writing retreat. I rented an adorable little cottage about an hour north of me, near New Paltz, New York, arriving just after dusk during a snow flurry. The cottage was set back on a bucolic country road and had a fireplace and tons of cozy spaces to write from. After making myself a huge pot of Smitten Kitchen’s garlicky broccoli rabe pasta, I began digging into one of my book chapters. For those of you who don’t remember or missed the announcement, here’s a bit about the book I’m writing, which is due to my publisher in early July:
Actually, the pasta I made has a funny (and depressing??) story behind it. Before I left, I tried to plan out what I was going to cook when I was there, so I could bring necessary ingredients from home. I was texting two good friends about recipe ideas, and one said something along the lines of: “Make something you love that the rest of your family hates” I was like, “Oh, good idea!”
Then I sat there thinking…. and thinking…. and thinking…. and then I was like, OMG, it’s been so long since I cooked something for myself, without considering my partner or kids’ preferences, that I DON’T EVEN KNOW WHAT I LIKE ANYMORE. You know, just one of those fun “Have I completely lost my non-maternal identity?” moments. (Eventually, I settled on the broccoli rabe pasta, which was delicious, but I’m not sure that was the choice I’d have made if I been able to recall who I really am deep down. Sob.)
Over the 36 hours I was there, I left the cottage only once, to take a 30-minute walk. The rest of the time I was writing, writing, writing (and, okay, eating, eating, eating — one of my writing retreat essentials is crumb coffee cake). I didn’t get quite as much done as I’d hoped, but I did pen 5,000 words on an important topic: How to help kids resist our culture’s hamster wheel of busyness and value rest, leisure and balance in their lives. I also took my own advice and took a two-hour break on Saturday evening to watch some Black Mirror episodes, which I ABSOLUTELY DO NOT RECOMMEND if you are staying by yourself in the middle of nowhere in a creaky dark house.
I thought I’d try something new today and share a video tour I made of the cottage, some photos I took while I was there, as well a few short videos I made that illustrate how I work when I’m working on a book. Enjoy these sneak peeks — and I welcome your questions in the comments!