Retreating to Write: A list of 2013 opportunities!

First of all, I am always so impressed by the writers from around the world who read this blog every week. So thank you to the children's/YA writers from the U.S, France, Germany, Belarus, Russia, China, Sweden, Ukraine, and Canada who stopped by this week.  I'm so glad to see you. Welcome!  Bienvenue! Добро пожаловать!Välkommen! 欢迎！Herzlich Willkommen! Bienvenidos! Welcome, welcome, welcome!

Ok, today we are taking another week in our short break from author interviews on craft, to look at ways to make your writing career "happen" and "succeed" in 2013 and 2014. In addition to learning the craft of writing, we've all also got to set goals, learn about the publishing industry, learn about marketing and networking, and most importantly find (aka make) time to do the hard work of writing or illustrating.

Today we're talking about finding Time:

Did you know that you can turn your next 1-4 week period of vacation-time into a miraculous time of actually finishing your novel or non-fiction book?

Writer's Retreat centers can be found all over the world. They are places where serious authors can retreat away from the day job, the telephone, the neighbors, even the kids briefly (though we love them)! They are places where you commune with other authors, and your computer, and silence, and you have all day to write. The even more fabulous news is that many of them are available to writers through grants, residencies, and applications based on writing merit that make an author's stay at the writer's retreat almost free.

Below are some of the many Writer's Retreat centers out there that you may want to consider!

But if you're looking for something shorter or even cheaper, here's a truly brilliant article by author Kathryn Haueisen Cashen:called Create Your Own Mini Writing Retreat that I definitely recommend reading!

After that, here are a few additional Writing Retreat options:

The Mesa Refuge in California

The Mesa Refuge is a writers' retreat located in Point Reyes Station, CA. It is one of the few retreats in the United States that supports people writing about nature, economics and social equity. Since 1998, we have granted residencies to over 500 writers.

The Mesa Refuge will be offering eight residency sessions in 2013 and accepting up to 24 residents through our traditional application process. We are offering four two-week sessions in the spring beginning March 29, 2013 and running through May 13, 2013 and four two-week sessions in the fall between September 20, 2013 and November 1, 2013.  The application deadline date for Spring Sessions is June 3, 2013. Your completed application must be received on or before the appropriate deadline.  See the website for  the application and rules.

Wildacres Retreat is a conference center in North Carolina.
It's situated on 1,600 acres atop Pompey's Knob, a mountain near the Blue Ridge Parkway in Little Switzerland, North Carolina.

The Artists Residency program each year provides 25 one-week residencies available from May through October. Sessions begin each Monday afternoon and conclude after breakfast on Sunday. The program allows individuals the solitude and inspiration needed to begin or continue work on a project in their particular field.

Residents may eat in the dining room, which allows for interaction between the resident, other guests, and the staff, or residents may prepare their own meals in the cabin. There is no charge to the participants. This week is a working retreat, and we ask that no spouses, family or pets accompany the visiting resident.

The Norman Mailer Center and Writers Colony in Massachusetts
This is a non-profit organization for educational purposes, has been established to honor Norman Mailer’s work and lifelong interest in and commitment to writers and writing programs. The Mailer house in Provincetown serves as the Center's and Colony’s headquarters for students, fellows, writers and scholars from all over the world.
The Center and the Colony offers Fellowships for fiction, nonfiction and poetry writers during the second half of 2013. During a Fellowship month, the mentoring faculty will be headed by three highly regarded writers.

Not from the U.S?  No worries! There are writing retreat opportunities near you too! Search online, in your neighborhood, and in your part of the world for a writer's retreat or quiet writing space near you. :)  Happy Writing!