There’s a reason to want to spend time with other writers. It’s good to surround yourself with a support network and to bolster each other up. Before ICRS or some other major event, it helps to get ready for the intensity that’s ahead.
Still, going to a retreat days before a convention or conference, which might be the most convenient time to meet with other writers, means being away from home longer and mixing earlier with more people than usual. For some that’s a great prelude, for others it’s one more opportunity to step outside the comfort zone. But it’s worth it.
The writing community is one of the best things about writing. It really is special to share our journeys because somehow, although our lives are very different, we have enough common experiences to feel understood. Almost every time I get together with writing friends, no matter the size of the group or the level of expertise, I’m comforted.
Have you ever noticed when talking to other writers that they can all spot a story in the most mundane things? Add a spiritual level to that perspective and it seems to be an even deeper connection. We all want the same thing, to tell stories that glorify God—or at least to write in a way that would also entertain Him. In today’s society, which seems to lack community in ways unique to our generation, it’s becoming more and more precious to find community somewhere.
The gist of a writer’s retreat is to bolster each other up. Our fellowship is unique from secular writers because we see our craft as a ministry. A writer’s retreat can be anything from what the term suggests—a retreat, where you just fellowship, to something along the lines of a conference, perhaps more tailored to the needs of those attending.
Retreats can also help on a more practical level. When I come to a spot in my writing that I struggle with, it’s comforting to know others have faced the same thing yet somehow found a way to keep going. If they can write through the distractions, the uncertainties, all of life’s problems that can overwhelm our desire to write, then maybe so can I.
For me, it was the perfect beginning to the hectic days ahead of ICRS. On a similar note, in a couple of weeks I’ll be going to the American Christian Fiction Writer’s conference, and that will be part-retreat as well, because I’ve already arranged to spend some one-on-one time with others I’ve known through ACFW for years.
So. . . if you have the opportunity to get away with writer friends, whether it’s for brainstorming or for fellowship or just a little bit of time before a writer’s conference or some other big event, do it if you can! Networking is part of any business, but it’s especially fun when it begins by serving the most basic need: for community and friendship. To start something like this would entail arranging for hotels and meals and a program (even to decide if it’s going to be brainstorming or bringing in speakers), but if you arrange this with friends you can start out small and grow from there. Something to think about, anyway!
Join Me!