October is busy. If you do half term or have an autumn break, you are going to need it. Everybody you said you’d do something for wants it now. All the things you signed up for are suddenly happening. And those “by the end of the year” deadlines start looming on the horizon like little stormclouds. But they will get closer. You still need to write. And you can find the time, together.
I found writing that paragraph therapeutic. Here are some places to help you write.
Checking in online could be enough. The Facebook group “I’m writing though I don’t have time” (for Finnish academics) is fantastic. Every workday you can pop in and say what you’re writing.
You might want company online and you’ve got a few more hours, or even a day. Tohtoriverkosto’s next online writing retreat in Finnish is on 25 November. There’s still a couple of places left. This is the fourth time we are writing together, and the group is great. If you’re doing or have a PhD and speak Finnish, you should join the network!
If you’ve got a day, you might need to get offline and into a different space. One of the loveliest places to do that is Kirjailijatalo, the Writers’ House in Jyväskylä. And our next day retreat there is on 18 November. If you don’t live locally, come up the night before or stay the night after, we’d love to have you. Get a feel for previous writing retreats at Kirjailijatalo (pictured above) to help you decide.
When you need two whole days to get your teeth into a project you’ve been putting off. A bit of luxury can make that easier, and your favourite venue so far for that is Valo Hotel & Work Helsinki (where we wrote in August and we loved the spa!). We are back at Valo on 1 and 2 December. Come for one day or both.
All my writing retreats are bilingual, in Finnish and English (unless a group wants one language). But of course you can write in any language you like. At any retreat, people are usually writing in half a dozen. There are some scholarships so every writer can come; if you need one, or have any other questions let me know.
If you can’t make those dates, we are still writing every Wednesday morning on Zoom. And we are planning to write again at Säynätsalo Town Hall in the new year. Join our mailing list and you’ll be the first to hear about it…
new retreat dates – seuraavat retriitit
Ridge Writing Retreats 