I had to escape. Get away.

For some reason my WIP just wasn’t coming together. And I am four weeks from deadline.

I had to start over… again.

Now I have a great office at home but between the internet, my husband and dog, and just all those little homey interruptions, I decided to break away.

I rented a room up at Teen Missions in Merritt Island.

I packed up, drove 40 minutes up the road and spent three days writing like crazy!

Here’s a few things I learned for making the most of your personal writing retreat.

1. Go some place near by. Traveling is emotional and physically draining. The closer your retreat to your home, the better. Make the retreat short rather than long. I left on a Tuesday morning and was plenty ready to return home by Friday noon.

2. Pick a place that’s nice but not luxurious with a lot of amenities. You don’t need distractions like a beach or pool.

3. Take a few comforts from home. I always travel (even when flying) with my Ohio State blanket and if possible, my Brutus Buckeye pillow pet.

4. Pack a lunch. In other words, have food on hand so you don’t have to be running out for dinner breaks. The idea is to stay locked away writing. Don’t eat a lot of heavy food because it will make you tired or feel fat and you won’t like “sitting there” writing. I tried for a balance of chocolate, protein and fruit. Of course water and Diet Coke.

5. No internet. No internet. No internet. Not even the chance of logging on. It’s just too tempting, when the writing is hard, to scan email or Facebook, look up recipes, etc. However, it is key to keep in touch and have some connection to your normal world, so your cell phone is a great tool. For me, it helped to be able to call a writer buddy for help and encouragement. And to keep in touch with my dear hubby.

6. No TV. No DVDs. Entertainment is amusement. Meaning, it’s anti musing. You need to be musing. TV and movies redirect our emotion and affection. The retreat is to target your affections toward your book. So NO movies. NO DVDs. However, this is where the cell phone comes in handy! I watched a Frasier episode on my iPhone before falling asleep at night. But the connection wasn’t great so there was little temptation for a marathon.

7. Keep from going stir crazy, go out at least once a day. Exercise is also key. I would walk around the grounds. One evening I ran sprints up and down the sidewalk outside my room.

8. Let people know you’re going to be gone so you don’t feel pressure to answer emails, etc right away.

9. Plan on having a writer buddy on the alert in case you need to call for help or encouragement.

10. Set a goal. How much do you need to accomplish on this retreat. You’ll get tired and stir crazy, frustrated and weary, but keep that goal in mind. Push through.

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Best-selling, award-winning author Rachel Hauck loves a great story. She excels in seeing the deeper layers of a story.

With a love for teaching and mentoring, Rachel comes alongside writers to help them craft their novel. A worship leader, board member of ACFW and popular writing teacher, Rachel is the author of over 17 novels. She lives in Florida with her husband and  dog.

Contact her at: Rachel@mybooktherapy.com. Pre order her next release, Princess Ever After, book two in the Royal Wedding Series.

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