finished

The idea for my novel came in a rush: as I walked over the Thames on the Golden Jubilee Bridge in central London, the scene at the heart of it leapt out of the deep blue dusk and clung on to me until I committed to writing it into existence.

A few months later, it became depressingly clear that the half-hour snatches of writing at the end of my working day just weren’t going to get me over the finish line.

And so I entered the world of the writing retreat. More than simply a place to write, the best are spaces that can rejuvenate even the most frazzled and blocked writers.

The first retreat I went on was self-guided: three very solitary nights in a converted chapel in Llanfrynach village, near Abergavenny, in the foothills of Bannau Brycheiniog (Brecon Beacons). Dylan Thomas was definitely on to something with his love of walking, and Wales meets a writer’s need to walk and write. I developed a routine of morning writing followed by a stroll along the damp banks of the River Usk through clouds of marsh hair moss, allowing the plot tangles to unknot themselves in the cold Welsh air. I was amazed by how much I got done in a long weekend cut off from distractions, but it was an eerie idyll and I missed having people to bounce ideas off.

Rewarding myself for reaching the hallowed 50,000-word mark and clutching a patchy story and the beginnings of a credible three-act structure, my next stop was the Urban Writers’ Retreat. I had already taken an online writing course with its founder, Charlie Haynes, and liked the supportive way she worked. So I knew I would be in safe hands for my three-night stay in the expansive Georgian farmhouse near Newton Abbot, Devon, where she hosts her retreats.

The setup was what I needed: unfettered time away from life’s admin during which I could immerse myself in the story. While my room had faded country house charm and a desk, I preferred the window seat of the drawing room, where I could look out at the gardens and farm animals as I wrote.

There were six guests and we met for meals and to talk about all things writing in the cosy kitchen. Relinquishing the mental load of meal prep in return for herb-crusted salmon, fig and mozzarella salad and homemade cake was one of the greatest pleasures, all the more enjoyable given that Charlie, who prepared much of the food herself, is a notable cook. Even had I not written a word, I would have left feeling restored.

Months later, my novel had slipped down my priority list, becoming the Google Docs equivalent of a cupboard door that was opened occasionally then crammed shut before the messy overwhelm cascaded out.

Informed by her PhD experience, Dr Rebecca Maxwell Stuart set up Acorn Writing Retreats to help writers tackle their unwieldy manuscripts. “Coming on an Acorn retreat allows writers time and opportunity to have conceptual clarity on their projects, but also leave feeling good about themselves,” she says.

Amid an expansive Loch Lomond landscape, the Oak Tree Inn in Balmaha was a paradisal setting for a four-day retreat for a diverse group (fiction, academic, nonfiction) of eight writers. This was one of the most structured retreats. We started with some goal setting and sharing our objectives, and there were four writing sessions across the day, including short activities, which were brilliant for jump-starting ideas and energising my writing.

We wrote quietly, seated around a horseshoe table. Writing together is strongly encouraged for the duration of the retreat, to foster support and momentum and hold your writing gently to account. Nurture is important to Rebecca’s ethos, and there is optional meditation in the evenings and time to celebrate the small wins of the day.

Watching sunlight and shadows race along the lochside hills on our afternoon walks, it was hard not to feel hope in my project and believe my years-long work-in-progress might reach completion.

Sometimes it’s the right people at the right time that make a writing break memorable, as I found at Rewrite, a retreat for women of colour. The founder, Christina Fonthes, is an author who runs writing and wellbeing programmes in the UK, Costa Rica, Portugal and Thailand, as well as online.

The Brighton weekend retreat I chose was a refreshing opportunity to concentrate on technique. The structured writing sessions focused on helping us find our voice, then we workshopped what we had written and shared what we had developed in an open mic finale. Christina highlights the importance of connection between mind and body, and avoiding the burnout all too common for Black women. A meditative daily yoga practice brought that to life. Discussing the themes of beauty, Blackness and belonging that I explore in my novel in a safe space with other women of colour edged me closer to the final draft.

With the end of the novel in sight, I needed solitude and space to write my way to the finish. A wood cabin at Starcroft Farm, overlooking the fringes of Powdermill Wood near Battle in East Sussex, was quietly perfect.

Hannah Stuart-Leach, a historian and former travel journalist, and her husband Tom have created the most magical space where every aspect of a writer’s journey has been carefully planned out. Each bijou wood cabin has a desk area, bathroom, kitchenette and a bedroom with a stargazing skylight. There was a pagan air afoot in my cabin: a carefully curated collection of craft books, poetry and witchy tomes (including Hagitude by Sharon Blackie) filled the bookshelf. There was also a box of spells for down time, while the Green Man looked down from a print on the wall.

The nicest touch was arriving to find a gift-wrapped copy of Soldier Sailor by Claire Kilroy, specially chosen by the local independent Rother Books after a brief pre-trip email questionnaire.

I chose to work alone, but Starcroft Farm also arranges brilliant regular sessions with writing coaches, one-to-one or in small-group themed retreats. Tucked into the writing nook of the cabin, it was impossible not to do my best work.

I finished my novel. The sense of achievement is enormous. And while there’s no substitute for keeping your bum in the seat and getting words on to the page, having a few days of literary luxury every so often with like-minded people certainly made it more fun.

The Old Chapel in Llanfrynach is £487 for three nights. Urban Writers’ Retreat has rooms from £415 for three nights. Acorn Writing Retreats’ all-inclusive rates are £525 for three days, £675 for four (the Acorn Access Fund offers discounts for marginalised and low-income writers). Rewrite in East Sussex from £1,700 for five nights. Starcroft Farm cabins £320 for a two-night independent writing break and £750 for a four-night small-group retreat with coaching, massage and other extras (the writer was given one night’s stay for this article)

Fiona McAuslan hopes to have her debut novel published in 2027