Writing Retreat Review: Unworkshops at the Highlights Foundation

One of the questions I’m asked most frequently, as a published novelist with a demanding day job, is how I have time to write. I very much admire those authors who can and do write every day, but I’ve never had a lifestyle that can support that sort of schedule. Instead, I’ve written before about the importance to me of making time to write i.e. setting aside intense periods of productivity, devoid of competing demands and distractions.

My cabin!

Over the last few years I’ve adopted a pattern of going on spring and fall retreat weekends with one of my writers’ groups. We (a group of 10-15 people) typically rent an Airbnb somewhere within three hours’ drive of New York City (e.g. in the Hamptons or in upstate New York). We spend our days writing in companionable silence, and our evenings drinking while making far too much noise. It’s cheap, fun, and effective. However, in 2020, retreats like this (often with crowded sleeping quarters) have obviously been impossible. 

This was why I was delighted when my friend and fellow historical novelist Kris Waldherr introduced me to the Highlights Foundation, a retreat centre in the Pocono Mountains in Pennsylvania. The Highlights Foundation normally runs workshops for writers of children’s books, with time dedicated to learning together as well as writing alone. However, during this pandemic period, the facility has pivoted, becoming a destination for “Unworkshops”—unguided, socially distanced retreats for writers. I attended an Unworkshop there in mid-November and wanted to share my thoughts on the experience.

Cosy in my cabin

Is it safe?

The Highlights Foundation has gone out of its way to make their Unworkshops the least risky retreat possible in our current circumstances, and, while I was there, all attendees were scrupulous about following Covid-19 protocols. 

Accommodations are mostly private cabins—each with twin beds, a writing desk, a fully equipped bathroom, and a snacks and beverages station. There’s no need to go anywhere else.

Meals are served at the central barn. You can order your food to go, eat outside (there are heat lamps, as well as crackling fireplace), or dine in the barn, spread out and behind Perspex dividers. I ate almost all meals outside so I could safely socialise between writing sprints. Yes, it was a little chilly, but as someone who’s been alone for most of the pandemic, it was worth it.

Walking in the woods

Is it inspiring?

The Highlights Foundation facility is in a beautiful location, so if you’re inspired by walking through the woods before returning to a cosy cabin, this could be the retreat for you. The books and artwork in the cabins were all focused on kids and children’s literature, so I imagine children’s book writers would feel even more at home.

The view from my writing desk

Is the food good?

Hard yes. The staff was also really accommodating to those with particular dietary needs. Wine and beer was served with dinner (though perhaps not in the quantities of my usual writing retreats!). I brought extra (and harder) liquor for late night nightcaps by the heat lamps.

Is it worth the money?

Everyone has a different tolerance for what they’re willing to spend on a weekend away. This retreat was certainly pricier than the DIY retreats I’ve done with my writers’ groups in the past but, in this case, a) I had much more personal space, b) food and wine was included, and c) there was no need for arguments over who was doing the dishes! 

For me, it was pretty priceless to enjoy a retreat experience safely during the pandemic. I’d even consider going back to the centre in a (hopefully) post-Covid reality, especially if they expanded their workshop purview to include writers of fiction for adults.

The Highlights Foundation

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Writers’ Questions: How do I find (or make) the time to write?

In my Writers’ Questions series I’ve been tackling the craft and business of writing, including whether or not to outline, finding a literary agent and showing vs. telling. Today, we’re taking a look at a more logistical and psychological question, and one lots of people ask me: just how does anyone have the time to write?

Let’s start with the obvious point. People’s lives are very different and there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to giving yourself the time to write. Some people put in long hours at a day job, while others don’t have to work, or are retired. Many writers have responsibilities at home—partners to spend time with, children to raise, parents to care for. 

Broadly speaking, however, there seem to me to be two buckets of ideas if you’re someone who wants to spend more time on your writing: there is the time we find and the time we make. I don’t know what your circumstances are, but maybe some of these tips will spark some inspiration.

Finding Time

Is there time that you’re currently spending idly? Or time you’re dedicating to an activity that’s non-crucial to your life and not as important to you as your writing? Consider reallocating it.

Maybe you’re playing a game on your phone when you’re commuting. You could be writing then in the notes section of your phone. Sometimes it’s important to relax, but, ask yourself, what is going to make you feel better on a Thursday night? Another episode of a TV show or writing a few hundred words?

Personally, I find travel to be a wonderful opportunity to discover time. My self-imposed ‘rule’ on flights is that I only ever sleep or write (and read when laptops must be stowed for take-off and landing). That means no movies and no games (wine is ok though, thanks to multitasking!). Are you on a business trip? Treat your hotel room like a writer’s room once your meetings are done. Maybe take the slow train, not an express, if the extra time in transit will be time well spent.

Sometimes finding time will involve hard choices. I frequently find myself feeling guilty about the path not taken. If I’m working out in the morning, I feel I should be writing. But if I’m snuggled in bed with my laptop, shouldn’t I be at the gym? It’s not easy to go through a process of ruthless prioritisation. But maybe asking yourself to make these binary choices will allow you to assess how important your writing is to you really.

Making Time

My second bucket of ideas is more about making time i.e. making changes to your lifestyle to carve out time for your creative process.

This could be a one off or an occasional thing, like treating yourself to a writing retreat, at home or away. Maybe you can afford to pay for an organised retreat with other writers. Or perhaps your retreat is simply a weekend without plans, or kids, or spouse.

But making time could also involve something more drastic and ongoing. A standing ‘date’ with yourself on certain days or evenings, which your friends and family know is sacred. A change to your working hours at your other job. Or a minimum number of hours a day you will dedicate to writing. Maybe you need to renegotiate time management with your partner, or others in your circle, to live the life you want to.

I actually schedule meetings with my characters on my digital calendar (a little strange I know!) to trick my brain into viewing my commitment to writing as immovable as my other social engagements. The even stranger thing? It works.

Only you can look at your own life and assess: what time can I find and what time can I make? And so I would caution against comparison with other writers. It doesn’t matter if you’re the fastest or the steadiest as long as you get what you want to achieve done. Find and make the time and I promise that every minute you spend writing and every word you type will add up, bringing you closer to your goals.

Do you have any other questions for me to address as part of my Writers’ Questions series? Let me know—here, on Facebook, on Instagram, or by tweeting @SVictorianist. And if you want to learn more about my forthcoming novel, Bronte’s Mistress, check out this link or sign up for my newsletter below.

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Writers’ Questions: How / When / Why should I get feedback on my writing?

I’ve been blogging about historical fiction for the last six years, but, in 2020, my own novel, based on the lives of the Brontes, will be published by Atria Books (more on this here). Writing a novel can be a lonely process so, over the next year, I’m using this series, Writers’ Questions, to share some thoughts and advice about the writing and publication process. Today, we talk feedback—when should you get it and how do you ensure it’s useful?

The setting for my group's latest Writing Retreat

Writers are a disparate bunch but there are two broad groups I see them fall into when it comes to feedback. Unfortunately both face problems!

First, there are those who seek feedback too early and too often. The issue here is that showing your work too soon can lead to you losing the storytelling impulse (why write your ending if you’ve already rhapsodised about it at length when drinking with your friends?) and negative feedback too early (even if it’s constructive) can leave you feeling disheartened and/or unmotivated when you should be in a generative and creative ‘honeymoon period’ with your novel.

Those in the second group don’t seek feedback at all and merrily send their manuscripts off to agents and publishers (or publish them in e-book form if self-publishing) without ever gauging how readers are responding. This is a bad idea. However intelligent or talented you are, writing is about connecting with those who are reading. Do you want your first feedback to be in the form of a rejection email or a 1-star Amazon review? I didn’t think so.

So, if these are the pitfalls, how can feedback be done well? I’ll share some ideas based on my own experiences.

Writing Groups

Writing groups can be an amazing (free) resource for getting feedback on your novel, but you need to give as much as you hope to get, and offer your fellow writers support. I’m a member of two groups (one general, one historical fiction specific). In each case we share chapters of our works-in-progress a week before our fortnightly (or, for Americans, biweekly) meetings and come to the group ready to share our comments and discuss our overall notes.

Some writers use writing groups to motivate them to write more as it creates a regular deadline. I prefer to have a little more emotional distance and share chapters I’ve written weeks or months rather than days before.

People often ask about how to find writing groups. If you’re in a big city it’s definitely an advantage (I found one group via the Meetup app, the other through the Center for Fiction in New York City), but smaller towns may well have groups too. Search online, visit your local library to ask for advice, and, if you have literary minded friends or acquaintances, consider forming your own.

Critique Partners

Another idea, especially if you’re struggling to find a local group, is to buddy up with another writer, even if they’re in a different location, to act as your critique partner. I’ve typically exchanged longer sections of my manuscripts via email with remote critique partners (especially the first 50 pages as this is what most literary agents and editors will ask to see first). Visit writing forums (such as r/Writing on Reddit) or genre-specific Facebook groups to try to find a good candidate.

A word of caution about the feedback you’ll receive and give either from/as CPs or in writing groups: as writers it’s very tempting to try to rewrite others’ books and tell people how you would have written it. Try not to do this yourself and, if the feedback you’re receiving is too directive, ask writers about the problems they’re seeing which are leading them to this conclusion vs. their proposed solutions.

Beta Readers

Beta readers are those who read your completed, self-edited, manuscript imaginary cover-to-imaginary cover, mimicking the experience of a real consumer. Don’t send your book to betas too soon, only when the manuscript is as good as you can make it alone.

My criteria for beta readers is as follows: they should be 1) reliable (i.e. they’ll meet the deadline I set for completion), 2) honest (this isn’t an exercise in flattery), 3) readers of fiction (I try to avoid having too many writers as beta readers, for the reasons mentioned above).

I use a discussion guide/questionnaire to garner consistent feedback from beta readers (which I’ll share in a future post) and I treat them to a drink or dinner to show them my appreciation for their hard work.

There is some disagreement in the writing community about how well you should know your beta readers. You can try to source strangers online, by frequenting some of the forums mentioned above and other services. But I find a mix of friends and acquaintances works well. Again, honesty is key. This means, it’s ok to have your parent or your partner act as one of your beta readers (if you think your relationship can take it), but they shouldn’t be your only beta reader.

Paid Services

If you’re going the traditional publishing route (i.e. trying to get a literary agent and then selling your manuscript to a major publishing house), you don’t need to hire editors of any kind to review and/or correct your manuscript, prior to querying. I have never done this and didn’t spend a penny on editorial to secure a deal. But, if you’re stuck, you’ve exhausted free feedback and you have the money, there are reputable services out there that can help. Just be clear in your mind about the kind of feedback you need. Are you looking for someone to help with structure? Then search for developmental editors. Does your grammar and spelling need to be checked? That’s copyediting. Do you just want someone else to read it and tell you what they think? Look into paid beta reading services.

So, any feedback on my thoughts on feedback? I’d love to answer any questions you have and hear about your experiences. If you have comments or questions, or ideas for future posts, comment below, contact me on Facebook or tweet @SVictorianist.