by Jonathan Rogers
In twenty-plus years of writing for a living, I have learned two things:
When I need to jump-start a project or get big chunks written, it's really helpful to get away and get significant time alone.
Significant time alone can pull me into a whirl-hole of self-absorption that makes it nearly impossible to jump-start a project or get big chunks written.
For me, it is the great paradox of the writing life, the need to be alone competing with the truth that the inside of your brain can be a neighborhood you don't want to be alone in.
You're there at your desk, trying to work out the next sentence, and before you know it, you're thinking about yourself instead: your failures, your ego, your word-count goal. You speculate on how you're going to feel when you make your goal. You get a jump-start on the self-loathing you'll feel if you fall short. You wonder what people are going to think when they read what you've written. You wonder if anybody will even read it. You question whether anything you've ever written was actually good. You buck yourself up, remembering that, yes, you've written plenty of good pieces–a few brilliant ones, in fact. Which makes you suspect that you've already used up all your brilliance. Then you ponder Edgar Allen Poe, who died penniless and alone in a Baltimore gutter. You'll never write as well as Edgar Allen Poe. In short, it takes about forty-five seconds to decide that you're the piece of garbage that the universe revolves around.
If you're going to be a writer, you need alone time. I think of it as going into a cave. I know I have to go into the cave. But I can only go there because I know there are people just outside the cave who are pulling for me, people who need the work that I can only do in the cave. Over at The Habit Membership, the online writers' community that I host, we talk a lot about giving one another a little more courage. Even if writing requires that you get alone, it's not really something you can do alone.
With all that in mind, we're putting together a writing getaway that is quite different from the twice-yearly "Habit Writers' Weekends" that we have hosted at the Rabbit Room's North Wind Manor. The Focus Retreat, presented by The Habit, will convene at the beautiful Scarritt-Bennett Center in Nashville, Tennessee, March 16-20, 2025 (that’s Sunday afternoon through Thursday afternoon).
The idea of this retreat is simple: you’ll have four days dedicated to focused work on your current work-in-progress, whether it’s fiction, nonfiction, or poetry. You'll have big chunks of time to write, punctuated by three check-ins a day (at breakfast, lunch, and dinner) plus evening events designed to keep the fountain of creativity flowing.
Four days away from your day-to-day responsibilities. Your only responsibility is to write.
We’ll provide:
A comfortable, modest single room with a bed and desk (you’ll share a bathroom with the writer next door).
Three meals daily in Scarritt-Bennett’s paneled dining room (except for two special dinners out.)
Evening events with Nashville writers and songwriters to spark your creativity.
Daily group activities to inspire and energize you.
A supportive community of writers sharing this creative journey.
Daily Schedule
Morning: Inspiration and Preparation
7:30 AM – Breakfast Together: Start the day with coffee, conversation, and camaraderie in the dining hall.
8:30 AM – Morning Group Check-In: After a few words of challenge and encouragement from me, you’ll share your writing goals for the day with your small group and draw inspiration from your fellow writers.
9:00 AM – Focused Writing Time: Settle into your dorm room or one of the beautiful Scarritt-Bennett campus spaces to dive deep into your work.
Afternoon: Quiet Progress
12:30 PM – Lunch Together: Take a break to recharge with a shared meal.
1:30 PM – Writing Workshops (Optional): Attend a brief teaching session or writing exercise led by me.
2:30 PM – Continued Writing Time: Spend the rest of the afternoon making progress on your project.
Evening: Connection and Reflection
6:00 PM – Dinner Together: Enjoy a delicious meal and connect with your fellow writers over the day’s progress, discussing the day’s challenges and victories.
7:30 PM – Evening Group Activity: Our evening activities will be designed to spur your creativity by connecting you to Nashville’s unique creative culture.
I’ll bring in local writer friends for conversation and a workshop or two (Katy Hutson Bowser, for instance, has already agreed to come share insights from a book she’s writing about play and creativity).
One night we’ll attend an in-the-round performance by Nashville songwriters.
Our last night together will be devoted to a read-aloud in which you’ll have the opportunity to share an excerpt from the piece you’ve been working on all week. (This is completely voluntary, of course; nobody will be required to read their work aloud!)
Special Highlights
An evening at North Wind Manor: One of our evenings will be spent by the fire(s) at the Rabbit Room's North Wind Manor.
Optional One-on-One Meetings: Throughout the retreat, you’ll have the opportunity to meet privately with me to discuss struggles, brainstorm ideas, or get some direction for your work.
The Community
You won’t be alone on this journey. You’ll be part of a supportive small group of like-minded writers who will check in with you throughout the day, offering accountability and encouragement.
This retreat is perfect for writers looking to:
Escape distractions and immerse themselves in their craft.
Find a balance between solitude and meaningful connection with other writers.
Reignite their passion for writing in a serene, supportive setting.
The price of the Focus Retreat is $1650, but if you register by December 9, the price is $1499. Half the payment is due at registration, and the remainder is due by February 1.
If you have questions about whether the Focus Retreat is a good fit for you, don’t hesitate to send me an email (jr@thehabit.co). If it’s helpful, I’d be glad to set up a short Zoom call to discuss.
Registration for the Focus Retreat is limited to 20 writers, so register early to secure your spot!
[Registration link]: https://thehabit.co/register/the-habit-focus-retreat-2025/