30 Comments

I'm sorry I missed the original tweet, as I'm a big proponent of DIY residencies. Some context: As a genre writer, I work at a relatively fast pace. The one (one!) time I applied for one of the Big Time residencies, I was struck by the fact that the WIP, of which I currently had maybe 30 pages, would be almost done should I be lucky enough to get one of the fellowships. (I didn't make it past the first cut.) The primary thing I need in a DIY residency is time alone. Because I am EXTREMELY LUCKY AND EXTREMELY PRIVILEGED, I happen to have a second home to which I can escape. But because I have a child, it's not easy to carve out 4-6 days alone. At any rate, once I get those 4-6 days alone, usually in New Orleans (I know, poor me, but it's actually bizarre to go to New Orleans to work one's ass off). I have a schedule that's calibrated to my metabolism. That's the key thing, something I tell writing students all the time: You must figure out what works for you. Up early, procure coffee, work steadily through the morning. Break at mid-day for food and exercise. (Exercise is key to my ability to write, that's just me.) Another long session late afternoon until dinner. NO socializing. When I did residencies in New Orleans pre-pandemic, I usually ate at the bar of a neighborhood restaurant. On my latest residency, a four-day push when I managed to be alone at my home in Baltimore, I made simple meals twice a day -- a late morning meal that was heavy on protein and greens, basic dinners that I prepared or picked up. By the way, because I realized that some writers are simply never going to be right for residencies, I have, in fact, sponsored other writers over the years, offering up my Baltimore office, which is around the corner from my home. By my count, there have been six Lippman fellows so far and some darn good work has been produced, directly or indirectly.

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I am new to your newsletter and wanted to let you know that I enjoyed this article. It touched home for me. Before the pandemic, I fell and broke two fingers which prevented me from typing. After a few weeks, I discovered that I could hold a pen and write semi-comfortably that way. I set aside my novella and keyboard and instead picked up a journal and fountain pen. I designated a 3 hour time slot during week days before my husband came home from work to write. I shut off my phone so that my husband couldn't call...until it finally came home to him that I was working and couldn't be disturbed except for DIRE emergencies. There I sat with my favorite coffee drink and composed a complete book of poetry. It was nominated twice for an award, once in 2020 and in 2021.

Reading your article, I realize that I was following your recommendations to create a container for writing. While I only traveled around the corner from my home, getting away from distractions and knowing that I was going to the coffeehouse to write helped me focus.

I've since healed and can type again. Due to the poetry book, I'm more known as a poet than a novelist. Now that we can go to public places again, I'm thinking another coffeehouse retreat might be in the cards this summer. :) Time for a new poetry collection to emerge....

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I loved this article as I love to read about writer's processes. I wish you the best of luck!!! This sounds like a great plan.

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My approach to finishing a doctoral dissertation was a little different. I tend to focus better when there is activity around me and I’m there but invisible; so a quiet container sounded dreadful as a concept. Instead, I went to Las Vegas of all places and wrote sitting at a poolside bar for a long weekend. I then completed it while at a friend’s beach house in South Carolina, with my bride and her cousins downstairs. Some people find it hard to concentrate in quite, distraction-free environments. Perhaps it’s mild ADD, I don’t know. But it took me far too long to learn this about myself. Good luck!

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Apr 11, 2022Liked by Summer Brennan

The thing that I took away from the Twitter thread was the ‘new pyjamas’. I went down the rabbit hole of searching for something like the ‘archetypal men’s pyjama’ and ended up on the Marks &Spencer (of course!) in the U.K. Not sure if I’m brave enough to wear check cotton with blue piping on the collar and pocket 😳

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Apr 11, 2022Liked by Summer Brennan

Thank you for this post! It came as if it was delivered directly to me! I will plan this too!

I have been to many camps, and also writing apartments or spaces. Camps where you get a task to write on or such is fun and stretches your muscles! I came home with several good things.

I find it hard to write all alone in the woods (tried and got mostly depressed...). Did not work! It was also hard to do it in the middle of Montmartre where I stayed for 14 days. First time in Paris kind of took focus.... but gave stuff to write about later.

In a cafe in the middle of New York (10 days, different cafés) worked fine. Surrounded by people but also encapsulated in my work.

It's hard at home with a small child and family. As you write, those chores draw attention.

A separate work space is preferable if possible! So, access to people (strangers or other writers) but with own space to create works best for me.

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Apr 11, 2022Liked by Summer Brennan

What a terrific, timely post! Thank you! In early Covid when my planned, paid retreat was canceled, a friend offered her empty condo in Boston. I slept on the couch, next to the big dining room table, and learned I'm able to write 12-15 hours a day when freed from job, home, meal-making, etc. Isolation suited me, which was a real surprise. Now am contemplating w/a friend renting a cabin somewhere remote for a week. But fear my weird compulsion to be "social" when others are around would undermine my efforts…

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I spent 10 weeks in Panama this winter. I stayed at an AirBnB owned by a friend, a place I've visited many times and stayed at before. While there I spent mornings writing, and afternoons I took care of some paying work (thought minimally), socialized with other residents, visited friends, and either walked on the beach or joined friends at the pool for informal aqua aerobics. I prepared my own breakfasts and all but the occasional lunch, and I had dinner out about 3x/week.

I didn't do as much writing as I had planned, but what I did do was high quality. And it was more affordable than you might think.

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This was so helpful! After reading this I feel positively amped for my first at-home-residency. My hubby goes away for 4 days soon, this will be perfect. Just yesterday as I cleaning the house for 3 hours while my writing gnawed away at me like a jealous hound, I was plotting and planning running away 😂 I’m so glad I don’t have to do that now (and so will hubby be!) Thanks 🙏

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As I enter the last stretch of writing my MA thesis and feel similarly like bread left out in the rain, this was exceptionally welcome, wise advice ❤️

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Jul 21, 2022Liked by Summer Brennan

Reading this very, very late, but it's coming at a perfect time. I'm seriously attempting to write a novel for the first time in years and I could use a DIY residency. It may be as DIY as just doing it at home, but this is a fantastic approach to it. Thank you.

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Apr 19, 2022Liked by Summer Brennan

Good luck. Hope you're feeling better.

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Apr 12, 2022Liked by Summer Brennan

Good luck, Summer. Looking forward to hearing how it goes. I’m taking your advice and planning mine, but will need make do with the dirty socks other. Perhaps I can learn to write in the park now that the weather’s warming :)

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Apr 12, 2022Liked by Summer Brennan

Good luck!

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Apr 11, 2022Liked by Summer Brennan

Hoping your DIY writing residency provides a nourishing time for producing progress and helps you re-establish an optimal writing routine! You've really given me some tips to consider for my own situation. Thank you for writing this post.

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Apr 11, 2022Liked by Summer Brennan

Not jealous of the basket, honestly. But great topic to offer up and discuss!

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