Guided Writing Retreat with Katie Manning

The Inspiration Club

"Don’t loaf and invite inspiration; light out after it with a club..."
– Jack London, “Getting into Print” (The Editor, March 1903)

While I’m certain that Jack London meant that we should chase inspiration with intense purpose, as if wielding a weapon, I prefer to hear this as advice to chase inspiration with a close community of people.

Many of us find that we’re better at staying on task when we work in the pleasure/pressure of other people’s company. We’ll have some brief times of sharing intentions and accomplishments (and perhaps longer times over meals!), some optional prompts, and lots of open quiet time to work on self-directed projects. If you’re looking for time and space to work on your own project, this is the place for you!

While I imagine most retreat folks will pursue writing projects, all types of projects are welcome! Photo editing? Layout/design work? Digital painting? If you can do it quietly in the company of others, you’re welcome at the co-working sessions! If your work isn’t quiet, then you’re still welcome to join us for our brief activities at the beginning and end of each session.

All retreat activities are optional. If you just want to hole up in your room to work, you’re welcome to do that.

Each Day
We’ll prioritize personal work time, but we’ll also make space for brief discussions at the beginning and end of our co-working times. No doubt some of us will take a stretch break mid-session as well. I will offer an optional prompt at the beginning of each day that can serve as a warm-up to send you back into your work (and whatever you generate in response might even work its way into your project!).

Preparation
No preparation is required, but to make the most of this retreat, it’s best if you come with a specific project idea already in mind. In the weeks leading up to the Glen, I will offer the option of one-on-one Zoom conferences for those who would like to discuss their projects and goals with me ahead of time.

Recommended reading: Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2021)

Supplies
Laptop, paper and pens, and/or any other materials you need for your project. You might want to bring noise cancelling headphones, ear plugs, or whatever personal listening gear you use (headphones, earbuds, AirPods, etc.) if you want to listen to music while you work.

Experience Level
This retreat is for writers and other artists of all experience levels who can work in a self-directed way to make progress on their own projects.