A Writer’s Dream…

“If only I could manage, without annoyance to my family, to get imprisoned for 10 years, without hard labour, and with the use of books and writing materials, it would be simply delightful!”

— Lewis Carroll

All writers dream of having the time and the space to write. But you don’t have to just dream. Consider applying for a residency at one of the many artists colonies across the country or around the world.

When I first heard about artists’ colonies, I imagined that to be awarded a stay at one, you had to have published a book, and you needed to know the secret handshake to get into the clubhouse. The one I didn’t know.

In spite of the fact that I do not have a book published (yet) and am certainly not privy to any handshake, I’ve been lucky enough to be awarded two residencies: one at The Studios of Key West, and one at Virginia Center for the Creative Arts. Both were magical and productive, but they were very different experiences. TSKW is small, usually only one artist at a time, while VCCA has 20-25 artists in residence at any given time. TSKW is free, but you are responsible for your own food. VCCA has a small daily fee, but food is included. As different as they are, though, both gave me that most precious gift: the freedom to think of nothing but my interior world for weeks at a time.

When you have that freedom, amazing things happen. You take risks. You dream plot points during naps. You live and breathe your characters until the outside world becomes a little fuzzy, more like a dream world than your fictional one. You get more writing done in a week than you normally get done in a month.

For anyone interested in a residency, I recommend you do some research. Decide exactly what kind of experience you are looking for, and which residencies meet your needs. A couple of things you may want to consider:

Do you want to meet other artists, or do you prefer to be by yourself most of the time?
Is location important to you? Do you work better by the ocean, or in the mountains? Do you need to be close to home or further away to relax? Are you afraid of being in an isolated location?
Is it more important that someone prepares your meals, or that you determine your own meal choices and schedule?
What is your minimum comfort level? (Some residencies are in cabins heated only by wood stoves.)
How long do you want to be away?

There are many artists’ colonies out there. A good place for information is the Poets & Writers website, www.pw.org. They have listings of residencies and their application deadlines, as well as links to the websites so you can find out more about them. Another great resource is the Alliance of Artists Communities, www.artistcommunities.org. In addition to the info on their website, they put out a directory of residencies which can be purchased on Amazon.

The application process can be time consuming, and there are often application fees. Be prepared to be rejected, but don’t take it personally. There are many more applicants than spaces available. For example, last year Hedgebrook received over 800 applications for something like 40 slots. But it’s well worth the effort, and as in all of the writing life, persistence will eventually pay off.

I’m far from an expert, but I’ll be happy to answer any questions you might have about starting the process. Just ask away in the comments, or email me.

A Love Letter to Key West

On the last night of my three week residency at The Studios of Key West, I reflect back on that first day, when, bone tired from missed connections and a four hour shuttle ride, I arrived to find that almost immediately I was in love. It might have been the smell of flowers in the air, or the ocean breeze, or it could have been the wonderful staff of TSKW waiting to greet me. Or maybe it was the umbrella of the mango tree dripping with fruit, its branches filling the sky above my little house. Or the house itself, with its spiral staircase and deck up in the midst of the mangos. Or the geckos that raced across the sculpture garden outside my door.

My love affair with this magical island started that night. But as love does, the more I got to know Key West, the more my affection grew. Key West, I love you for your Victorian architecture, for your rich history and your diverse culture, for your food, and your sunsets and your beaches. I love that I can get a Cuban coffee, walk next door for a French pastry, then head another block down for conch fritters.

But mostly I love your people, the welcoming, non-judgmental, creative and varied people who call this magical island their home. The people who show up for gallery openings and readings and fundraisers for the arts. The people who work hard all day and still have the energy to go salsa dancing half the night. Who welcomed this traveler and took her in, took her to Louis’ Backyard and to the Green Parrot, took her dancing and gave her space to create.

I’ll miss you, Conch Republic, but I’ll be back, I swear. And we’ll go dancing on the beach at sunset.

Hemingway slept (and wrote and drank) here

During my last week in Key West, I’ve been trying to do some of the touristy things I haven’t bothered with before: conch train ride, shipwrecker’s museum, that sort of thing. Today I spent several hours wandering through the Hemingway House. I hadn’t planned on going . I’ve been on a tight budget and it seemed silly to pay $20. But as things so often seem to happen in Key West, a new friend down here arranged for me to get in, and this morning I hopped on my bike and rode over.

And I am so glad I did. Not only did I get to see original furniture and a well-preserved house, but the tour guide was a wealth of Hemingway facts and gossip. I learned a great deal about Hemingway and his women, Hemingway and his cats, Hemingway and his pool, Hemingway and his writing. And I actually got a little chill peeking into the study where he wrote, geek that I am.

So now I’ve seen where he worked, I’ve seen where he slept, and I’ve seen where he drank. You really can’t go anywhere in Key West without running into some reference to him.

There are many other writers and artists’ that have made Key West home, at least for a while. Tennessee Williams, Elizabeth Bishop, Shel Silverstein, and currently Judy Blume. Even Robert Frost wrote here in the winters. But Hemingway is the name you most often hear associated with Key West. And the name tourists associate with the island. Which sometimes causes debate among the locals. One night some people I met got into a great discussion over whether Hemingway was as talented a writer as Tennessee Williams. It was a fun and lively argument, and the men were well read and knowledgeable, much more knowledgeable than I am about either Hemingway or Williams. As things became more and more heated, I mostly listened. My horse ain’t in that race, as one of the guys said.

I don’t remember if anyone conceded victory, but listening to the smart, passionate arguments on either side, I thought, what a wonderful town, where the late night fighting is about the virtues of one (dead) writer over another. Where but in Key West?