What do authors do on a retreat? Folly Farm 2023 by Tracy Darnton

 A hardy bunch of Scattered Authors met for a windswept, rainy weekend at Folly Farm in the countryside near Bristol. Our first full retreat after last year’s slimmed down, Covid-conscious one, it was fabulous to spend time together away from all the distractions of home – and to have someone else doing all the cooking.

So what do we actually do on retreat?

Muddy walks

Chat

Morning stretches

Clay creatures

Improv drama games

Kids lit quiz

Eat cake

Play Codewords

Workshop our writing

Offload

Tell ghost stories round the fire

Eat flapjacks

Swap knowhow

Play the kazoo

Admire each other's stationery

Chat

Life coaching for authors

Share successes and failures

Reflect on the childhood books that shaped us

Writing exercises

Stay in bed

Exchange school visit good practice

Chat

Eat cake

Read

Brainstorm plot problems and titles

Share our work over wine

Enjoy the view 

Talk about using myths and legends in our work

Cement old friendships and forge new ones

Eat shortbread

Chat

Laugh

 

What else? Three delicious breakfasts, lunches and suppers.

Some of us even wrote a line or two.

If you’re a Scattered Author who'd like to come along and stay for the three-night residential 12th-15th January 2024 or to pop along as a day visitor, keep an eye out for details later in the year.

Find out more about joining the Society of Scattered Authors at the website

Tracy Darnton is a writer for children and young people. Her latest YA thriller is Ready or Not. She's already looking forward to next year's Folly Farm retreat. 

The accidental writer's retreat by Tracy Darnton

I have finally finished and delivered my new manuscript to my editor. 

There are few moments that give you that end of exam/term/handed in homework feeling as a writer. Let me revel in having finished something, in having got something off my desk onto someone else's - even though I know deep down it is a brief reprieve before the edit letter.

It has been a colossal effort to write this one, juggling a plethora of timelines, clues, red herrings and psychological themes. And, hard as I try, I can't turn myself into a planner. But I am very good at moaning - I have moaned a lot to my patient crit group writer friends.

I needed headspace for the last push to make it all fall into place - and what with all the complications of life and family (and lockdown malaise) I'd been finding that difficult. I came off social media on 4th January for the run up to our house move. And then I moved house to a quiet village. Quieter than we knew as so far we have no TV reception, no DAB radio, no mobile phone reception. I focused for days on unpacking boxes and solving problems - and finally on writing a novel. 

I'm enjoying the quiet. We left behind our city neighbours through the thin shared wall and the noisy DIY projects of the whole street. And we haven't started our own noisy projects yet. I've only driven out of the village once in a month. 

I haven't seen any friends IRL, even for a permitted lockdown walk. I've befriended a pheasant and called it Bertie. (My son tells me that 'Bertie' may be several pheasants who all look and sound pretty much the same to the untrained eye - me.)

'Bertie'

In short, I have become a writing hermit on retreat, down to the wild, greying hair and wearing the same moth-eaten jumper for days on end. 

It feels weird now to emerge blinking from my little office. What did I used to do? I really should sort out a TV aerial, go back to Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and see what I've missed. I really should...

But there's plenty of time for that. First I might detangle my hair and walk up the nearby hill to pick up any text messages. Maybe see what Bertie's up to.

I'd been meaning to go on a writer's retreat and I've accidentally been on one in my own house and rather liked it. 

Tracy Darnton is the author of YA thrillers The Rules and The Truth About Lies. And another one!!!!