by Katja Rammer
The Germany/Austria chapter's Fall Retreat took place from the 19th to 21st
of October at Rhoen Residence hotel near Fulda. We chose this location
because it's smack in the middle of Germany. With members all over the
country, we wanted to provide a place where everyone
could make it there in a reasonable time.
The retreat didn't include any faculty this year. Instead, we focused on a calm and inspiring ambiance for the members to work on personal WIPs. In the end, seven members signed up for the retreat, five writers and two illustrators. This made for a neat little group.
The retreat didn't include any faculty this year. Instead, we focused on a calm and inspiring ambiance for the members to work on personal WIPs. In the end, seven members signed up for the retreat, five writers and two illustrators. This made for a neat little group.
The schedule included a get-together dinner on Friday night since
most of us had not yet met one another. Some members met up early and
acquainted themselves prior to dinner, arriving early to take full
advantage of the weekend.
For Saturday we had a conference room set up with work desks for
all attendees. We went there after a joint Breakfast and set to work.
The arrangement including lunch on Saturday and another Breakfast on
Sunday. And even afterward we went for some more
work. Courtesy of the hotel, we were allowed to use the same conference
room we had the day before on Sunday until noon.
The retreat's goal was to provide time for the attendees to work
with a focus on their projects. This is why we deliberately avoided
pre-scheduled talks, discussions, or activities. This promoted the
feeling of an uninterrupted, quiet writing time and
enabled members to dive deep into their WIPs. We used the coffee and
lunch breaks to get to know each other. During breakfast and dinner they was
plenty of time for chatter and discussion - often about craft issues as
well as tips and tricks from PAL members.
We all left the location having made significant progress on our
WIPs. On top of that, we got to meet some splendid people and had a brilliant
time.
Here are a few members and their personal recollection of the event:
Patti:
For me, the retreat came at the perfect time. I had just received
revision notes from my agent on my WIP and wow - did I have a lot of
work to do! At first, I was wary of working in a room with others
because I’m usually quite sensitive to noise and distraction,
but turns out I loved it and was extremely productive. It was so
heartening to look up from my book and see six other people all busy
working. Really put fire underneath me to not slack off. This weekend
was one of the most productive I’ve ever had. I managed
to edit 84 pages over three days and get a good grasp of how to handle
the rest.
But of course, that was only one part of the weekend. Going to a
SCBWI event is like coming home. Being with other creatives and talking
about life, publishing and everything in between was both relaxing and
inspiring. And I’d be remiss to not mention
the awe I feel for every single person there and their work. It was a
fantastic weekend and a repeat cannot happen soon enough.
Many, many thanks to our new RA Katja, who took an idea and made the weekend much better than I ever could have!
Lily:
I looked forward to the retreat as a great opportunity to spend
time with other writers, but what surprised me was the amount of work I
actually managed to do. There’s something magical in being in a room
with several creative heads doing creative work
together. Something clicks in the brain, and the juices start flowing.
It was a very productive, inspiring, and fun weekend. We have to do it
again!
Michael:
I fully enjoyed the company of a small group of competent fellow
writers and illustrators in a relaxed and at the same time very
professional atmosphere in a nice hotel near Fulda. The group spent
productive hours working quietly in the "conference room"
or in the hotel room. In the breaks, we had interesting conversations
where we exchanged tips and tricks of the trade and learned from each
other.
We met for dinner, lunch, and breakfast for more personal talks and had a really nice evening walk on our second day.
I would surely register again for another retreat with this SCBWI
group – or another – next year, as this form of get-together proved
itself to me to be worth both the money (hotel) and the time spent
together in this focused environment.
Outlook for the future:
Since the reception of the event was positive throughout all
attendees, plans for a similar event are already underway. Details will
come to you via the monthly SCBWI newsletter. I hope to see you there!
Katja
