The magic of a mini writing retreat
Using PTO for paid time on my novel, another goal-setting weekend, Doomsday preppers, and garden 'gramming.
Two Fridays ago, I took a day of PTO. Turned on my OOO message, set the palm tree emoji as my Slack status (our internal code for “vacation”), and left my work laptop in my backpack.
I wasn’t traveling, and I wasn’t ill. I simply needed a day to focus on my novel, and I’m lucky enough to have the resources to take one. So I did!
In general, I’m a champion of working on your passion projects when you can, for as long as you’re able. That’s why most of my writing takes place during the week, between the early hours of 6 and 7, and why I consider 45 uninterrupted minutes a great day of writing. (A mere 422 words a day got me to my first draft!)
But there comes a point, especially when revising a novel, when you need to look at the whole thing at once. To start on page one and read it, preferably out loud, to hear how it flows, where it sticks, if there’s enough momentum from scene to scene, chapter to chapter. Does the subplot feel like part of the larger story, or an annoying interruption? Have I laid the groundwork in earlier scenes for the finale at the end? Are themes echoed, are threads taut? Am I excited to turn the page and keep reading?
While you can absolutely write a draft in small chunks of time, this kind of revision is harder to do piecemeal. If I had the time and money, if I’d planned better, this would be the perfect moment to attend a residency and spend anywhere from a week to a month doing nothing but writing. (I still dream of returning to the Weymouth Center—one day!)
This time, a residency wasn’t in the cards. And so: a day off from work, to spend as much time with my book as possible. To read it like a novel rather than a project. To see the whole thing at once.
On my writing day, I began at 8:30 am, after I’d gone to the gym and had breakfast and started a load of laundry. I read, revised, and wrote until 4:30 pm, with a few breaks here and there. (Lunch, more laundry, a short walk around the block with the dog while I tried to figure out a particularly tricky transition.)
Once, when I was training for a marathon, I used a vacation day to run twenty miles. It took me just over four hours and I cried when I was finally done. By the time I got to the end of my writing day, I felt the same kind of exhaustion and accomplishment as I did after that day of running (but luckily, no crying).
The only problem was that I didn’t make it through the whole book—I only had time to read and revise the first 100 pages, about a third of the way through. I considered taking another day or two of PTO, but work is actually pretty busy right now, and I don’t really want to spend all my vacation days at my desk. I’m dedicated to my art, but I’m also human.
And so I’ll return to my morning writing sessions, to my precious 45-minutes a day, and be grateful for the time I have. I’ll hope the momentum from my revision marathon will be enough to carry me to the end, and I’ll keep some PTO in my back pocket, just in case.
Snack Break
As we kick off Q2, my goal setting club met this past weekend to review, celebrate, and recalibrate. Emma drove down from Charlotte, Kat got a sitter, and we spent a rainy Wilmington afternoon planning our most ambitious and fulfilling lives yet. (Hence why this newsletter is a day late—we were busy!) It’s shaping up to be a pretty exciting year for everyone, so it was really fun to brainstorm and think through our goals together. And of course, all that goal setting makes a girl hungry, so we also enjoyed an incredible dinner at Benny’s Big Time Pizzeria, because one of my life goals is to eat pizza as often as possible. Let’s just say I’m crushing it. 🍕
Relatable Recommendations
Reading: The Survivalists for book club, which I “chose.” (When it’s your turn to host, you send 3-4 options to the group and we vote. I like this system because it feels less like an assignment, and I love getting bonus recommendations every month.) So far it’s off to promising start (romance and Doomsday preppers—great combination!) I’ll report back once I’m done.
Watching: I loved this short video that shows the creative process behind designing a book cover. We also finished the new season of Party Down, which felt slightly less nihilistic than the first two.
Spending: As little as possible! After the beating my budget took during Q1, I’m trying to make April a “low spend” month, which feels more achievable than a “no spend” month. Fancy dinner out with friends? Totally fine. Yet another lunch break buying weird snacks and flower pots in Marshalls? Please don’t.
Growing: Nine baby chicks that are quickly outgrowing the brooder in our shed. A bumper crop of blackberries. Tiny seedlings under a grow light. Orange blossoms. New queen bees. The Front Yard Farm is busy!
Coffee Club Contributions
Thank you to Emily MRE and Mary TA for supporting this newsletter! I drank many coffees during my writing day and thought of you every time I got a refill.
Want to treat me to a ☕️ and support So Relatable? 💛 💃 🙌
Venmo: @Christine-Hennessey or PayPal Me.
Can’t afford a contribution? You can also click the ♡ below, forward this to a friend, or share the link on social media. Every little bit helps!
Such a great reminder that we don't have to take a bunch of time off—or even leave the house—to get the writing done!
Thanks so much for the transparency in writing on your novel, while also juggling normal life busyness.