Which, as everyone knows is a much better way of saying retreat.

I took one of those this past week, getting away from floors that need swept, laundry that needs washed, dried, folded, put away (then dirtied and the circle of life continues) weeds that need pulled... all the things that make up daily life.

And getting away from all that is something I highly recommend for writers. I used to think that if I took a writing retreat, I would laze about, act like I'm in a coffee commercial while I sit on the deck of a cabin, watch cable (because I don't have it at home), take long walks in the woods while pretending that I'm in some sort of medication commercial, and other such things that wouldn't bulk the word count in any way.

But the pleasant thing about retreating is that there's no guilt. You don't have to sit in front of your laptop and immediately think about the dishes, laundry, garden, floors, and the multitude of other things that reality imposes upon us. Without the excuse of responsibility (and that's what we like to call it instead of procrastination) you can really make some strides in your writing.

I passed the 30k mark on GIVEN TO THE SEA this week, and that was a great feeling. So if you get the chance, definitely run away.