Summer stretches gloriously before us. If you’re in Finland, the holidays are well underway. You won’t expect to hear from your colleagues again for the rest of this month. And if you’re elsewhere in Europe, you still have time to get yourself to Helsinki for 18 and 19 August.
Why come to Helsinki?
To join us at Valo Hotel & Work Helsinki for two days writing.
Writers recommended this venue because the coworking space is flexible, light and spacious. And it has everything you want from a hotel: great food, green key sustainable status, and a fabulous rooftop spa. If you’re local, join us for the day, but stay over to immerse yourself in your project – and the pool.
Why an in-person writing retreat?
Online works great for many. I love the online writing retreats I do. But not everyone has a room of their own to write in undisturbed. Even if you have one, writing in companionable silence in the same room and chatting in the breaks can work wonders. Have someone else take care of all the logistics – meals, breaks, enough time for rest and exercise. For just 48 hours, let the people back home or in the office take care of the rest. In the last couple of years, we’ve missed this. We need it. It works.
Why 18 and 19 August?
Because by that point, if you’ve set any writing goals for the summer, I bet you will feel you’re running out of time. 1 September is that “back to school” date in a lot of places. Schools will be back by mid-August in Finland, but universities won’t – yet. We all need proper time off from our writing, and from reading anything related to it. We need to plan that rest in. But it might be easier to switch off if you know when you’re going to turn your writer’s lights back on. Being in a dedicated space with others who have made the same time commitment can help you get back to writing.
Why book this writing retreat now?
Having this date in my diary has already helped me clear the decks for summer. Insanely, I have three book chapters on the go. This is my own fault but I can cope, by writing together little and often. I host weekly online cowriting sessions for anyone who’s been on my retreats. They keep me – us – going. Members of our group have turned from faces on Zoom to close friends. But sometimes you need more than an hour at a time to check in and work through a tricky patch in a particular text. It helps to have two whole days in the diary well in advance. Two days only for writing. Nothing else.
It’d be a pleasure to write with you.
All photos are my own, from my test run of Valo Hotel & Work this spring. You can see why I’m looking forward to going back!
Ridge Writing Retreats 
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