(I Attended My First Writing Retreat; Here’s What I Learned.)

Walking has always been a tool for writers. You may already use short strolls to take a break from the desk or a longer wander to work through an intractable knot in your novel. A walk in your neighborhood may sharpen your powers of observation, while a hike away from the city could inspire new directions in your writing. Henry David Thoreau and William Wordsworth are particularly famous literary walkers. Writers whose books are about walking, such as Bruce Chatwin, Robert Macfarlane, Rebecca Solnit, and Raynor Winn, found book-length inspiration on foot.

Writing retreats are usually centered in one place. A walking writing retreat moves you and your writing ambitions or project forward, literally step by step. A self-guided walking trip, whether by yourself or with selected others, offers freedom and flexibility to choose dates that suit you and an itinerary tailored to your preferences and often budget. Add in the key elements of a DIY writing retreat, and you are off.

Recently I spent 11 days on my own walking writing retreat, following Offa’s Dyke Path which wiggles back and forth across the border between Wales and England. Days 1 and 11 were arrival or departure, I had rest days in Monmouth and Hay-on-Wye and for seven days I walked. I loved the rhythm of scanning for trail markers, opening and closing innumerable gates, eating my pack lunch with a view of deep valleys traced by hedgerows between pastures and fields, the joy of birdsong and butterflies, the horror and heartbreak of a dying lamb. Most walking days I managed at least a brief Morning Pages. On the trail I stopped to scribble thoughts or a potential paragraph into my notebook. I got a good start to a new chapter and mulled a nagging question on what the narrative arc of my book could be.

Planning the Walk

Plan the walking first. Where would you like to go, for how long and when? Alone or with others? It is possible to plan the logistics yourself, booking your own accommodation and organizing luggage transfer. Self-guided walking tour operators make this easier and are cheaper than group and guided walking trips. I booked through a Welsh company which modified their standard itinerary to add in the rest days.

The choice of where can be overwhelming. For its size, North America has few long-distance paths with accommodation at regular intervals. A search for inn-to-inn hikes in the USA provided suggestions in New Hampshire, Virginia, Massachusetts, and Arizona. There are terrific options in Vermont, Quebec, or Newfoundland. Suitable walking routes crisscross Europe and the United Kingdom. The choice can be overwhelming: Focus on a country or region that attracts you and look for paths there. Research beyond social media. Look at walking guidebooks. Most European countries have a national trail organization and official tourism websites have links. I chose Offa’s Dyke Path because I was going to be in England for other reasons, it is not over-touristed and I loved the literary linkages to passing Tintern Abbey praised in a poem by Wordsworth and spending time in Hay-on-Wye, of Hay Festival and bookshop fame.

Details matter, especially the walking distance between accommodations. Be realistic. Better to plan on less than discover that you can’t go the distance. There are a few details that I will be checking before booking future tours. It never occurred to me that there might not be desks in every room. Or that Wi-Fi was unreliable at best in a few locations. Finding food that was not highly processed and included fresh vegetables took up too much time.

Setting Goals and Expectations

Clarity of objectives and realistic goals are essential for any writing retreat, stationary or mobile. List yours. Is it writing a certain number of words a day or a deep dive into editing? Researching a new idea for a book or an article you want to explore? Now review against the walking plans.

My retreat suffered from conflicting objectives. I wanted the challenge of walking big distances over many days. I succeeded, but that satisfying tiredness meant that I was not up to writing after I reached the inn. For my next walking writing retreat, I will plan shorter walking distances and build in more rest-writing days.

Find a balance between selecting a location that appeals to you but is not so interesting that you spend more time sightseeing than working. I was very productive on my rest day in Monmouth. In Hay-on-Wye I got too distracted by all the bookshops and trying to find a real salad to get as much done as I wanted.

Getting on the Trail

I am a fan of packing light, but I negotiated the transfer of two suitcases for my retreat. I wanted to bring notebooks, my laptop, and research books. I carried more changes of clothing than I normally would. I did not want to spend time finding laundromats when I could be writing or coaxing handwashing to dry when I was staying one night. I made sure that I could get to the start location easily—adding a few hours of writing time to the retreat and setting the tone that I was here with a purpose.

If you have never done a walking tour before, do some training in walking longer distances. In the shoes or boots you plan to take. Consider staying two nights in the start location. Spend that first day getting used to navigating: learning to spot signage, read paper or online maps, understand the style of written directions or guidebooks. If it is a foreign country, get an e-sim card or pay the roaming fees to ensure that you have data on the trail. Read all the material sent to you by the tour operator and load any recommended apps on your phone in advance. Know the local emergency call number. This translates to less stress on the trail, more mental room for deep thoughts or the joy of walking.

Be prepared for different weather and trail conditions. Make sure your day pack is big enough for a raincoat and extra layers, but don’t overfill it. I use dry bags (like for a canoe or kayak trip) to compartmentalize pack contents and especially keep the precious notebooks dry. Be open to the unexpected. The terrible experience of the lamb led to a draft submission for literary magazines.

I am starting to plan my walking writing retreat for next year. It will be in the Dordogne Valley in southwestern France. I will explore a trail that meanders with the river, passing through golden limestone villages, under high cliffs, around castles, through walnut groves. There are many hotels with desks in the rooms to choose from. The food will be excellent. And I will write.

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(Turning Your Career Into a Book (with Alexandra Gater))

In the season finale of “Writer’s Digest Presents,” editor-in-chief Amy Jones and literary agent Jessica Berg talk about why writers should consider writing retreats, what you can expect from the Writer’s Digest Writing Retreat in Tuscany this spring, and more. Scroll to the bottom of this page for more information on the retreat.

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About the Writer’s Digest Writing Retreat: Tuscany 2026

Escape to the peaceful Tuscan countryside to spend a week dedicated to making time for writing, improving your craft, and learning from publishing professionals, all while enjoying a taste of Italy!

Tour Dates

April 7 – April 14, 2026

Tour Includes

• 2 nights in Florence 
• 5 nights on a nature reserve in the hills of Tuscany, an 1,100-acre organic farm, Tenuta di Spannocchia 
• All breakfasts, 5 dinners, and 5 lunches 
• Coach transportation to and from Spannocchia 
• Farm tour, a pasta making class, and a day trip to Siena 
• Friendly and knowledgeable local tour guide 
• Dedicated writing time, instruction, and 1-1 coaching in the scenic Tuscan countryside

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This live webinar is for writers who suspect their idea might be good… but also might be missing the sharp, irresistible edge that gets agents and editors to stop scrolling. Together, we’ll break down what “high-concept” actually means (hint: it’s not just hype), explore how to elevate your existing premise, and pressure-test your logline until it can hold up in any pitch room.

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Writer’s Digest University is pleased to present a one-of-a-kind online event for romantasy writers! On July 19, 2025, our WDU Romantasy Writing Virtual Conference will provide expert insights from romantasy authors. Spend the day learning techniques for honing your craft from four different published romantasy authors

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Your Story #136: Now Open For Entries!

Write the opening line to a story based on this photo prompt. You can be poignant, funny, witty, etc.; it is, after all, your story.

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Join Us In England!

Writer’s Digest is heading across the pond to England with literary agent, Amy Collins this September! This unique trip is part literary tour and part retreat with an experienced literary agent and Writer’s Digest editor. Get inspired in the land of literary giants like Shakespeare and Dickens, Austen and the Brontës, Smith and Ishiguro. Pack your bags and favorite writing notebook for a trip of a lifetime. Space is limited.

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How do you write what you know? By writing fiction based on your life. This doesn’t mean writing memoir or simply changing the names of the people in your life: It could be a passing comment you hear at the bus stop, or someone’s missing shoe you notice in the street, or it could even just be a feeling from a time in your life..the list goes on and on!

In this episode of “Writer’s Digest Presents,” editor Michael Woodson sits down with author and literary agent Jessica Berg about how to write fiction based on your life, how you can find inspiration everywhere, how to mine your life for story ideas in real time, and more.

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Write the opening line to a story based on this photo prompt. You can be poignant, funny, witty, etc.; it is, after all, your story.

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Matty Dalrymple, author of Taking the Short Tack: Creating Income and Connecting with Readers Using Short Fiction, shares how to unlock the potential of short fiction.

Walk away with practical strategies to turn short fiction into a powerful tool for building your author brand and income.

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Why You Should Attend Writer’s Digest’s Writing Retreat in England

Writer’s Digest is headed to London and Bath for the writing retreat of a lifetime! Join WD managing editor Moriah Richard and Amy Collins of Talcott Notch Literary Agency September 12–20, 2025, for an English getaway to inspire your stories, learn from writers, and finish that manuscript!

Listen as Moriah and Amy C. are joined by WD editor-in-chief Amy Jones to discuss the itinerary, what to expect, what to look forward to, and more!

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Writer’s Digest Annual Conference offers everything you need to advance your writing career creatively and professionally. Gain invaluable tips to improve your craft, explore publishing options and learn how to establish a sustainable career—all while being inspired by successful authors and your fellow attendees. It’s all brought to you by Writer’s Digest, the experts at nurturing and developing writers at every stage of their career for over 100 years.

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Listen to the WD Editors Explain Why You Should Attend the Writing Retreat in England!

Writer’s Digest is headed to London and Bath for the writing retreat of a lifetime! Join WD managing editor Moriah Richard and Amy Collins of Talcott Notch Literary Agency September 12–20, 2025, for an English getaway to inspire your stories, learn from writers, and finish that manuscript!

Listen as Moriah and Amy C. are joined by WD editor-in-chief Amy Jones to discuss the itinerary, what to expect, what to look forward to, and more!

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But it can also risk stalling pace with navel-gazing interiority, slip into head hopping, or leave readers feeling ungrounded. Deep third requires a deep understanding of character and a deft handling of direct perspective.

In this 90-minute live webinar, we’ll look at what sets deep third apart from other points of view and how to most effectively use the great power it offers authors to allow readers deep into a character’s direct experience. And we’ll look at plentiful specific published examples to see what makes deep third work to open a window into your characters’ direct experience while serving the story and moving it forward.

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ENTER NOW!  Writer’s Digest’s oldest and most popular competition, the Annual Writing Competition, is currently accepting entries. Winners of the 94th Annual competition will be announced in the Nov/Dec 2025 issue of Writer’s Digest. Deadline: May 5, 2025

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(4 Lessons Learned Writing a Braided Narrative.)

Guilt bubbled up as I drove, and I tried to shove the feelings down. I’d never felt so frivolous and yet so desperate to get away at the same time. There was no reason I couldn’t finish this book at home, and yet, I hadn’t. Writing retreats had seemed like a luxury for “real writers” until a friend convinced me to think of it more as an investment in the work. I begrudgingly carved out time and booked a trip. 

Fast forward to my drive home from the airport days later. The manuscript was completed. The writing retreat had been transformative in ways I hadn’t envisioned. My friend had provided sage advice, and I could finally move on to the next stage of my writing journey. 

Questions When Considering Writing Retreats

For so many of us, taking time away from a regular routine can seem overwhelming. As I discovered, it can turn out to be the opposite, fueling your writing with artistic gasoline. Here are a few questions to ask yourself as you consider whether a writing retreat might be for you:

• Could you use focused time away from my usual writing spaces? Writers can get so tied to their writing routines that they lose a bit of creative energy. Entering a new space which is designed for nothing but inspiration can be invigorating. 
• Are you in need of feedback from others? Writing can be such a solitary undertaking, and often without regular input. The most accomplished writers will tell you their work isn’t done in a vacuum.  Criticism and praise are valuable tools to propel your writing, and it’s one thing that can be accomplished through a writing retreat.  Many retreats include workshops specific to your piece. This alone can be worth the investment of time and money to attend.
• Have you been struggling to finish a project? This was me. A manuscript that languished, 80% completed for a year. It would’ve stayed that way had I not been nudged to get away and focus on the ending. What I came home with wasn’t perfect, but it was enough of a foundation that I could massage it and come up with an ending that I loved. 
• Have you been struggling to START a project? Writers with a reservoir of ideas are often good candidates for retreats, as well. For them, it’s not completing a project that’s daunting, but starting it. Dedicating several days to beginning a work will be a contribution to the entire work.
• Is it important to have more movement in your day? Exploring a new location for a few days fosters the need to move, to walk, to discover. Even if you’re in an environment that has nothing to do with your subject matter (think writing a sci fi novel at a beach retreat), chances are you’ll have time outside to move and think, then bring those thoughts back to the keyboard. 

Writing Retreat Options to Consider

Once you’ve decided you might be interested in a retreat, start thinking about the options. Here are a few things to look at while you consider a writing retreat:

• A place you’ve always wanted to visit. Perhaps someplace you’d like to explore further at a later date if it appeals to you over the course of a few days. It can be local…within your community or it may require a passport and a plane flight.
• A structure that works for you. Perhaps it’s regimented sessions and deadlines built into the retreat. For others, something more freeform works best.
• If it’s your first retreat, try something no longer than four full days of writing. This will allow you to be productive without getting completely burned out. The right number of participants. Would you do better on your own at a solitary retreat or with a large group? A bedroom of your own or a shared space? 
• Find something that includes transportation, most/all meals, and lodging. That way, there’s no need for you to plan anything beyond getting yourself there.

Far from being a luxury, a writing retreat may be just what you need to jumpstart that piece you’ve been noodling for so long. 

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In this live webinar, you’ll learn not only how to research agents and publishers using a variety of online resources, but also how to evaluate fit and reputation, so that you don’t unwittingly end up with a schmagent or a publisher that’s really a self-publishing service.

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DEADLINE: MAY 1, 2025

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Join Writer’s Digest In England!

Writer’s Digest is heading across the pond to England with literary agent, Amy Collins this September! This unique trip is part literary tour and part retreat with an experienced literary agent and Writer’s Digest editor. Get inspired in the land of literary giants like Shakespeare and Dickens, Austen and the Brontës, Smith and Ishiguro. Pack your bags and favorite writing notebook for a trip of a lifetime. Space is limited.

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