What happens on a writing residency?
I’m so glad you—and a hundred other people—asked. Although I've only had the opportunity to participate in one sponsored residency, here’s the lowdown on my writing placement courtesy of the Police Point Artist in Residence Program.
The program offers two- to four-week residencies to artists from various creative fields. You can read about the categories here. Out of nearly 200 applicants, I was fortunate enough to be selected and spent the entire fortnight all by myself. Yes, you heard it right—completely alone*. I don't think I've ever experienced solitude for such an extended period. Even when I backpacked through Europe in my early twenties, I rarely found myself without company.
The cottage was old, steeped in history, filled with creaky floorboards, and surrounded by very active wildlife (especially in the evenings).
The core idea behind this residency is to provide artists with the gift of time, offering them a dedicated space for creativity and artistic exploration. In the years I’ve devoted to writing, I have tried my best to write around sleeping babies and screaming toddlers, school bells and kids’ sports schedules. Like so many writers who are making a go of this while raising families or working other jobs, I have snatched moments when I can.
Uninterrupted time is perhaps the most vital component of a residency because an imperative part of the writing process is allowing ideas to percolate. You have to give your subconscious time to mull over things. It is very hard to do that in the normal rush of life. Naturally, as professional writers, we must learn to write to deadlines, but there is something to be said for the freedom to think, to wander, to saturate our brains in our stories, for them to marinate and take on the essence of what we are trying to say.
To create, to immerse, to schedule my day how I liked was something for which I will forever cherish. If the words didn’t come easily, I could sit on the beach with a book, renew my perspective, work through character development in my head, and then go back to the cottage and write, even if those words only came at ten pm after I’d watched The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills (hey, I had to give my brain a break from thinking every now and again!).
Given I am drawn to heavy topics that affect women, delving deeply into ordinary lives behind closed doors, I was exploring the idea of coercive control for this story. Most mornings I walked along the shore, contemplated my plot and listened to podcasts about the varied and often frightening experiences of women trapped in controlling relationships.
Tough view
Returning to the cottage, I would sit at my laptop and try my best to get words on the page. Over the two weeks I wrote one third of my novel. One third! An accomplishment I could never have achieved at home amidst the distractions of everyday life.
During my residency, I also had the privilege of interviewing kind and courageous women who were willing to share their experiences of toxic relationships. Additionally, in the spirit of giving back to the local community, I gave an author talk discussing my path to publication, which turned out to be a fun and engaging conversation.
One of the most significant benefits of this residency (aside from the time and the silence, oh my, the silence!) is that there is no cost for accommodation. I took care of my own cooking and cleaning. Other residencies, such as Varuna in the stunning Blue Mountains, provide accommodation, meals, and private writing spaces, however there is a fee attached. Additionally, you must cover your own travel expenses. Friends who have attended such residencies have shared that coming together in the evenings for an incredible meal (cooked by someone else!) is a fantastic way to meet fellow authors and build lasting connections that extend beyond the residency. Maybe one day I’ll get to Varuna too!
While numerous residencies exist across Australia and internationally, the competition can be fierce, and the conditions are sometimes restrictive. Minimum timeframes or expensive travel costs often prevent many people from participating. Going away for two weeks or longer was something I could never have managed when my children were younger. Family and caregiver responsibilities, along with other jobs, can be significant barriers for many aspiring artists.
Our self-organised writing residency group
In this sense, organising your own residency or retreat with other writers may be another option. I’ve done it twice with the same group. Holding it locally, over a weekend, made it manageable with other commitments and we shared the cost of the accommodation and also the cooking.
After my glorious two weeks (more pics here), I returned home and hit the ground running. Not in writing but trying to get on top of all of the life admin I’d neglected while I was away. I must admit, I didn't touch the manuscript for an entire month. It took a while to regain momentum as I had to reacquaint myself with the characters and the story. However, I have just completed the full draft of that story. Woohoo! It still requires a significant amount of work, but without the substantial head start I gained during the residency, I have no doubt that I would still be struggling through the saggy middle (while approving school excursions, folding washing, driving kids to sports and waiting on hold to banks). Ahh, memories of silence and bliss seem so long ago now.
KOx
*As it turns out, I wasn't entirely alone during my stay because the cottage is rumoured to be haunted. On my last night, I lay rigid in bed, wide awake and terrified, as I listened to the footsteps and creaks that echoed through the house. Of course, these sounds could easily be explained by the age of the cottage and the activities of nocturnal animals. However, with my vivid imagination, I probably didn't need the fuel from the locals who insisted that ghosts inhabited the cottage. Next time, I might consider taking a writer friend along to share the experience!
