Don’t you wish you had some time of your own? If you’re like me your last ‘holiday’ was spent doing 101 tasks around the house, juggling the demands of half a dozen family members and ‘catching up’ on a backlog of work. With all that done I finally settled down to do the writing I had planned and looked forward to for so long. There was only one problem: my holiday was over. “I should have gone away,” I said and promised myself that my next writing break would be just that.

Whether you call it a writing holiday, writing break, writing getaway or even a writing safari, you will be getting the same thing: an opportunity to work on your writing while someone else worries about the boring stuff like cooking and cleaning.

Some getaways offer intensive residential courses led by tutors across a host of writing disciplines. Others provide a variety of ‘arty’ pursuits, including writing, packaged as part of a luxurious pampering experience. So what’s important when considering which one to choose?

Kicking back or knuckling down?

Be honest about the needs of your body, soul and mind. Courses can be exhausting, so be prepared to put in some work. If you really just want a rest with a bit of writing on the side, then perhaps these aren’t for you. On the other hand, if you want to develop your writing skills and are using this getaway as a springboard to publication one day, then too many non-writing activities can be a distraction. Not to mention all of those bottles of wine!

Doing the grand tour

If you would like to couple your writing holiday with a tour of a beautiful part of the world, then many getaways provide you with this.

Social networking

Most getaways offer you an opportunity to balance spending time on your own and developing relationships with other people. However, some holidays are more group-focused than others. Friendships that develop on these sorts of courses may very well continue after the holiday ends, but it’s not everyone’s cup of tea.

Food for thought

Lots of writing getaways market themselves on the food they provide. Writing is of course a sensory activity, and for me this is an essential part of the experience. But it may not be for you. Some holidays provide full board, others don’t, and this of course will be reflected in the cost.

Choose your tutors

Check out the credentials of the tutors. Do they cover the genre you are interested in? Do they have a track record in helping writers achieve their potential? Remember, not all published writers have the ability to release creativity in others.

Know your experience levels

Writing getaways cover all experience levels. Some specialise in writing for beginners, others for more advanced practitioners. You may be frustrated if you go on a course below your skill level or disheartened if you’re a beginner and end up with a bunch of nearly-published authors.

For a list of some of the writing holidays currently on offer visit The Crafty Writer

A good travel article is shaped like a good short story, with a clear beginning, middle and end.
(Don George, The Lonely Planet Guide to Travel Writing)

• not necessarily in chronological order
• may be structured around a theme or a narrative
• thematic pieces are less chronological

The beginning (1st half of 1/3)

• The doorway to the story
• Sets the story’s scene
• Where we are
• Why we’re there
• The quest / challenge ahead of us
• The theme of the piece
• The ‘characters’ who will accompany us or we will encounter
• Must ‘hook’ reader
• Set ‘active questions’ – tempts reader to want to know more
• May jump straight into the action – medias res (in the middle of things)
• The writer sometimes only finds the beginning at the end!

The middle (2/3 of story)

• The long and winding road
• Destination is brought alive for the reader
• The writer’s experience is a filter / conduit for the reader to vicariously experience the place – use all the senses!
• If thematic structure used: ascending series of examples reaching overriding point
• If narrative: chronological series of anecdotal incidents that embody the angle you have chosen (eg the delights of Cantonese cooking)
• Choose incidents that bring the point / angle to life.
• Keeping with the short story analogy, the middle should rise in tension to a dramatic / thematic climax.

The end

• Bring the focus of the story to a satisfying conclusion
• The aftermath of the climax
• A reflection on the inner experience; lessons learnt etc
• A summing up of whether or not goals / expectations have been achieved or met.
• Tie the story back to its beginning
• Deliver your reader back to the world.

You can read more travel writing tips, including potential markets at The Crafty Writer.