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Inside the Cover Book Reviews Review by Jenna Glatzer
The Writer's Retreat By Judy Reeves New World Library April, 2005 152 pages Amazon price: $13.57
I do love New World Library's books. They're always beautifully produced-- and this one's no exception. Described as a 'writer's retreat in a box,' it's delightful. The kit contains a small-but-jam-packed book of ideas and instructions for creating your own writing retreat, and a deck of 25 cards, most of which are filled with writing prompts. They're contained in a keepsake box with a magnetic closure.
Author Judy Reeves surveyed about 100 writers about writing retreats during the making of this kit. One of the things she discovered was that writers nearly always believed that a retreat had to involve traveling away from home at least overnight. To this, she answers, "Consider that a writing retreat is not necessarily a place, but a concept. Consider the word retreat not as a noun but as a verb." In other words, retreats surely can involve travel-- but they can also be just as 'real' if they occur in your bedroom, backyard, or at a local park or café. What matters more than location is intention.
In that spirit, Judy offers 20 'themed' retreats. Each theme has its own mini-chapter, and the chapters have four sections of ideas: Time Away, Day Retreats, Mini-Retreats, and Retreats at Home. Time away is the 'luxury' option, involving at least a few days of travel. A day retreat is 24 hours or less, a mini-retreat is a brief (a couple of hours or less) respite, and a retreat at home is… well, a retreat at home!
In addition to ideas for where to go and what prompts and exercises to try, there are also ideas for what to bring, what to read, what to do when you're not writing, and even a couple of recipes. It's an amazing wellspring of ideas.
There's a slight 'New Age' bent to the book, which I enjoyed, but some religious folks may take umbrage to the 'Oracles' theme and a few of the more 'otherworldly' suggestions. Of course, they can just skip those parts if they choose.
The writing advice is firmly rooted in the Natalie Goldberg/Julia Cameron school of letting the pen guide you and turning off your internal censors. But the craft advice is minimal in this book; its primary focus is on direct suggestions for sparking creativity and getting 'in flow.'
If you're feeling blocked, or stagnant, or just need to remember why it is you write in the first place, this book may become your best friend. It can help you reconnect with yourself and your love of writing, as well as provide you with inspiration for hundreds of stories. It's also a thoughtful gift for just about any writer in your life.
Jenna Glatzer is the editor-in-chief of Absolute Write and the author of 14 books. Her latest is The Street-Smart Writer: Self-Defense Against Sharks and Scams in the Writing World. Learn how to get published without getting scammed! Visit http://www.jennaglatzer.com.
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