Getting Out of Town

Writing is often a solitary occupation. And writers tend to be an introspective bunch.  But too much time alone can lead to writer’s block, feeling stuck in a rut, or questioning whether something you wrote is really any good. Left unchecked, it can lead to things like calling your own cell phone to leave messages, talking to appliances, or thinking that the little characters on Angry Birds are really laughing at you.

That’s why writers need to get out of the house on a regular basis, whether it’s to work in a different setting (like a coffee shop or a library), take a walk, talk to new people, or spend time with other writers.

Last weekend, I was lucky enough to do all of the above, when my writer friend Stephanie and I took a road trip to Fort Smith, Arkansas, for the Arkansas SCBWI Fall Retreat at St. Scholastica Monastery, led by editor Stacy Cantor Abrams from Walker Books.

Spending two mights at a monastery gave me a new perspective on my writing life. Sleeping in a room simply furnished with a twin bed, a chair, and a dresser made me realize how the clutter in my head and my home makes it hard to hear the muse, and my busy schedule makes it even harder to heed it.

The retreat was both relaxing and energizing, with plenty of opportunities to talk with other writers, exercise our creative muscles, and spend time walking the serenely beautiful grounds of the monastery.

Stephanie and I ventured out to explore the town for a couple of hours, where  we were amazed by the Fort Smith Public Library, and  enthralled with the “writer friendly” room at Sweet Bay Coffee Company.

We headed back home refreshed, with renewed enthusiasm for our writing projects, along with a promise to get out of the house a little more often!