by Alena Wendall, @alenawendall

I’ve been very blessed to start off my writing journey with My Book Therapy. Our community of writers are amazing. I’ve met some of the most fabulous people and thoroughly enjoy each writing retreat. 

Believe it or not my favorite part of writing is brainstorming, not by myself, but with others. If you ever want to get together with other like-minded others, it’s not as hard as you may think to plan.

Here’s a basic plan on how to do this. 

1. Select your group of friends
2. Decide on time and place

• This is important. You want to give enough time for people to take vacation, plan on airfare (if flying) and find an economical place. 
• Some friends open their homes, some decide on going somewhere different. AirBnb and VRBO provide many options. 

3. Decide on an agenda

• The agenda is designed for what works best for your group. Some people want time away to work on their wip and others want to brainstorm. 
• Here are two sample agenda’s:

4. Meals

• This can be as complicated or as easy as you want. 
• Food Selection – We ask about allergies, and general likes and dislikes and plan accordingly.

• Breakfast and lunch are typically something easy. We have options for eggs, bacon, toast, juices and fruit. 
• Lunches are either sandwiches or salads. 
• Dinner – you can plan on cooking or go out to eat. I like to go with the flow of the group. 
• Big Question. Who cooks? We typically take turns cooking, so everyone has a chance to relax. 

5. Cost

• Once the place is selected, we have an idea of the general cost and communicate that to the group.  On the last day of the retreat, we collect receipts (food etc.) and split the costs among the attendees.

I hope you have fun planning your retreat. Make memories, laugh, and create amazing stories. What more could you ask for? 

If you have any questions, I’m happy to help. 

Blessings,

Alena

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Writing as Alena Wendall, Alena Tauriainen pens contemporary Christian romance novels that always end with a happily ever after. By day, she partners with her lifelong mate Clyde, to run the family HVAC business. She manages both business and family life with four lovable but crazy kids. She is the Retreats Coordinator for My Book Therapy. She is represented by Rachelle Gardner with Books & Such Literary Management. Visit her at alenawendall.com.