Are writing retreats really worth it?
Should you invest thousands of dollars into a writing themed vacation? Today, I'll walk you through 7 signs to look for to know whether this is a good use of your time and money.
You cannot hope to actually get to the professional screenwriting level without investing money into expanding your understanding of the craft.
Some writers have more money than others. Some have more time. Some have more connections. No matter where you are in life and in the world, you can find an educational resource that is accessible to you.
The different types are:
Free resources, like articles, blogs, podcasts, newsletters, or YouTube videos.
Inexpensive resources like books.
Pricier resources, like downloadable courses or online webinars.
Medium-sized investments like online classes or in-person labs.
Huge investments like film school.
Gambling years of your life on a minimum wage assistant career path in the Entertainment Industry.
Not everyone can afford all of these. But everyone can afford at least one of them.
There is no excuse for not taking the time to focus on learning the theories and techniques that will enable you to write screenplays at a professional level. As an added motivation, remember that every day you are not spending at least a little bit of time focusing on your own craft, someone else is.
Don’t make the deadly mistake of thinking that your competition is other aspiring screenwriters.
I see this every day when writers querying me brag that they are a Nicholls Quarterfinalist or that their script got an [insert impressive number here] on the Blacklist.
You are not competing with other unemployed writers.
The industry is in a time of contraction right now.
It’s harder than ever to get a job or sell a show. When you’re trying to break in, you’re not competing against other Hollywood outsiders. You are competing against Ryan Murphy. You’re competing against writers who have been working at the professional level for decades. You are competing against Showrunners’ friends and mentees.
It’s not enough to be good. You need more than a script that is passable.
You need to live and breathe story. Your work needs to be next level. And you need a powerful, connected network to advocate on your behalf.
All this might sound intimidating. But just like there are resources to help you learn, there are resources to help you learn while also leveling up your script and connecting you with powerful insiders. The best way to do this is to participate in a studio fellowship or a paid Writing Retreat.
Fellowships are incredibly competitive. You should absolutely be applying to them, but your chances of getting in are slim. Many writers apply for years for being accepted.
Some writing retreats like Stowe Story Labs, Cinestory, or the Orchard Project are also incredibly competitive. They’re a great opportunity for growth and networking. (I would know, I have had clients participate in each of these and come back with rave reviews. I also have participated as a mentor at Stowe, so I have seen firsthand how much growth a writer can accomplish in just a week).
If you can’t get accepted into a fellowship or lab, don’t give up! Keep Exploring and keep learning.
There are also other types of labs that you can consider: Paid writing retreats that offer opportunities for education, networking, and writing—but that are open to anyone who wants to participate.
Should you invest in one of these?
It depends.
Here are 7 signs that a writing retreat will benefit you:
Sign #1: You find it impossible to carve out time in your life to write.
Some lucky people can wake up at 5am, sit down at their computer with a coffee, and plug away for three hours every day.
These people usually don’t have kids. Or they have a flexible job. Their home life is consistent, supportive, and tranquil. If your blood boils in jealousy thinking, “Must be nice!!!” then you will get so much out of an opportunity to schedule some Out of Office Time. If writing is something you want to do, a retreat is the perfect chance to tell everyone you are going to be off the grid and arrange for someone else to take on your responsibilities for a short period of time.
It just might give you the jump start that you need.
Sign #2: You work best in long, intense bursts (rather than in consistent, small daily sessions).
When Maya Angelou needed to finish a draft of a manuscript, she would rent a hotel for a weekend, hole herself up in it, and not come out until she was finished.
Other writers advocate concepts like booking a round trip flight to Japan whose turnaround is immediate. Essentially paying thousands of dollars for the privilege of being strapped to your seat with no WiFi.
The advantages of both these strategies is that you get out of your house, where the distractions are. You sprint through the draft you need to finish, and you get more done in a few days then you otherwise would have in a few months.
Writing retreats offer the same advantage: In getting away from your home and your life, you make it impossible for yourself to work on anything else except your current script.
Sign #3: You have a strong draft of a script but don’t know how to make it even better.
An advantage of a writing retreat is access to experienced, helpful mentors.
Access to industry experts is not a good use of money if you are just starting out. If you’re still learning the basics, you are better off spending money on a cheap or free educational resource, like a book or online course. See how far you can take yourself on your own.
Once you hit a wall, then it’s time to invest real money into talking to someone who can help you see your blindspots.
This is when you’ll actually be in a position where you can take advantage of their advice.
Sign #4: You consistently get positive feedback on your writing but are still finding it impossible to break in.
Many writers complain to me how difficult it is to make inroads into this industry if you don’t know anybody.
If you live far away from Los Angeles or New York City and you don’t know anyone even remotely related to the Entertainment Industry, a writing retreat is an excellent opportunity to connect one-on-one with multiple other creatives and professionals who can help you.
But you have to do it right! Follow these tips to make sure you don’t squander your opportunity and waste this investment:
Be personable. Networking will only help you if you are good at making people like you. Luckily, this isn’t hard to do! Bring your enthusiastic, positive energy to every conversation, listen more than you talk, express genuine interest in other people, and be kind.
Don’t pitch yourself. This sounds counterintuitive, but if you make the hard sell, your listener will put their guard up. Many writing retreats (like the one I am mentoring at in May!) offer opportunities to formally pitch a manager or executive. You should absolutely take advantage of this. But when you’re at dinner or at a mixer, talk about anything else besides business. The goal is to make lifelong friends here. This will take you much further in your career longterm.
Keep in touch after. When you go home, send emails to everyone you talked to and formed a genuine connection with. Add them on social media. Offer to help them however you can (either with something related to writing or something else altogether!) Make sure you are talking to these people every 6 months or so. This way when you need something from them, you’re not popping up like a zombie out of the woodwork. You are actually real friends.
If you are an extrovert, a writing retreat should be a no-brainer. It’s a great place to take advantage of your social strengths.
If you are an introvert, only sign up for a writing retreat if you are ready to practice getting out of your shell and pushing past your comfort zone.
And don’t forget to carve out a few days of recovery time when you get home.
Sign #5: You love writing but your routine is stuck in a rut and you don’t feel inspired.
I love living in downtown Los Angeles.
But my favorite part about mentoring at writing retreats is getting away from the grind and the pavement and reconnecting with nature. Humans are not meant to sit at computers all day. We are not meant to suffer through monotonous daily routines. It actually shortens the experience of our life to not break out of this routine and do something different.
Julia Cameron writes that the job of an artist is to collect images.
How can you feel inspired to write if you are looking at the same things every day?
Just changing up your input will make you feel alive again, reignite you with a sense of adventure, and remind you how big and exciting the world can be.
Yes, any trip or vacation can do this for you, but if you keep procrastinating scheduling one for yourself, a writing retreat is an excellent excuse to force yourself out of your routine by also justifying it as a productive, invaluable career boost.
Breaking out of an impossible-to-defeat Writer’s Block is priceless.
Sign #6: You used to love writing, but lately you are lacking motivation.
Artists need other artist friends.
An advantage that working writers, Hollywood assistants, and Entertainment professionals have over writers outside Los Angeles is what I call Hollywood Immersion. It means that we live and breathe screenwriting every day. We are constantly thinking about story, talking about story, pitching shows, and discussing what the industry is looking for with each other for hours a day.
How can outsiders stand a chance to compete against people who are infused with education and motivation as part of their full time job requirements?
The key is create a Hollywood Immersion experience for yourself wherever you are.
This could mean meeting regularly with a group of writers.
It can also mean attending a writing retreat designed to show you what it feels like to live a life in which you are thinking about and prioritizing your career as a screenwriter every single day.
Not only will you come back from it more motivated than ever, you will have a group of artist friends to continue to keep the conversation going whenever that motivation starts to slip away into distraction.
And you’ll have a stronger draft of your script, knowledge from panels, and a set of memories that will last a lifetime.
A writing retreat is only worth the time and money if you are willing and ready to take full advantage of it.
If you truly are ready, the bigger cost is missing out on an opportunity that will change the trajectory of your entire career.
If you have money to invest in individualized script feedback, click the link below to book a one-on-one Zoom session with me:
I love that you are going to Greece! What an amazing way to help writers and be inspired yourself. Excellent news!
What's the seventh sign? Funding your vacation to Greece =)