Susan Rich is a veteran of many writing retreats and served on the selection committee for Hedgebrook Writers’ Retreat. If you are interested in finding a writer’s retreat to spend some time away from home in an environment conducive to writing and sharing your work with other artists in residence, you’ll be interested in poet and essayist Susan Rich’s thoughts on a special retreat she took and on writing an effective application for any selection committee to get to know you and your writing project, whether it is in-progress or a concept.

Part I – Anam Cara – A Very Special Place

Anam Cara (soul friend in Irish) is located in the southwest of Ireland, outside Cork and its residency program deserves much more attention than it has had in the United States. In Ireland, writers know it well and I met several Irish writers who have been coming regularly since the retreat opened more than 10 years ago.

While I was there, I met writers from Denmark, England, Ireland, and the US — in half the cases, the writers were returning for their second or seventh visit. In fact, more than half a dozen writers have moved to the tiny village of Eyeries after first discovering the place through a stay at Anam Cara. One of the coolest things about the stay is that you become part of village life in a faraway corner of West Cork. A fisherman may bring a salmon just caught that morning for evening dinner or you may arrange for a visit with Mary — the village oracle. Unlike any other residency I know, Anam Cara was born out of  a vision of one woman. Sue-Booth Forbes who has worked as an editor at Oxford University Press and originally hails from Utah, came to Ireland with the express purpose of creating a retreat for writers. In the 12+ years the residency has operated, Sue has helped dozens of writers — supporting them with professional editorial advice and in a myriad of quiet ways behind the scenes.

The residency houses only five residents at a time — and the very reasonable fee includes all meals and amenities. There are over three acres to wander through and two gorgeous walks to the sea — which is visible through four of the bedroom windows. The house itself looks out over the Beara Sea as well as on an array of mountains and cow fields.

There are three bars in town, one teashop (which is also a family’s front room) and two shops. Small as the area is, a good Internet connection throughout the residency will keep you connected to the outside world –otherwise you will have slipped into a time warp where cheese comes from the local cheesemaker and walking is the preferred means of transportation–very conducive to writing.

If the weather cooperates you can swim in the river behind the house or in the sea. A wonderful article on the entire experience mentions that Anam Cara was listed as the #6 retreat destination (not just writing retreats) by the Irish Times.

I have Anam Cara on my mind a lot these days; it’s a place to which I’ll return this summer August 4-11 to teach Speaking Pictures: A Poetry Workshop Concerning Art.

Part II: Nine things to Remember When Applying to a Writing Residency

1. Be a dreamer and a realist. Which artist residency would you most like to visit? Apply. But don’t pack your bags quite yet. An analogous process might be applying to colleges. Aim high, medium, and outside the box.

2.Create cohesion in your application. You need a narrative line to be remembered. It is not true what many residencies state about “send your best work.” Send a writing sample that allows for easy identification in terns of content or style. You might be “the Spanish fire survivor” or “the sonneteer.”

3. Timing matters. If you apply during the fall and winter months, you will have a much higher chance of being accepted to the residency of your choice. Residencies receive the brunt of their applications for the summer months. Apply in winter and your chances of acceptance will sky rocket!

4. Keep it organized. Start a computer file of which residencies you are considering and a list of application dates. Many residencies have two deadlines a year when you can apply – some, like Hedgebrook, just one. A place on your computer that has your applications, work sample, and deadline dates will allow you to track what works and what needs tweaking.

5. Keep it fun. Remember the license plate game from childhood? Why not try for residencies in states you’ve never been? My residency at the Ucross Foundation was my first time meeting cowboys and seeing tumbleweed. New landscapes = new writing.

6. Talk, talk, talk. Seek out people who are former residents. Ask lots of questions. For example: Is there an evacuation plan in case of fire? (I was at a residency in Spain that burned in the wildfires while I was there). Once you’ve been accepted, most residencies are happy to put you in touch with former residents.

7. Use some of the zillion Internet resources at your fingertips. There’s Mira’s List. The organization of artist residencies has a book and an Internet site. You may have to pay a little for using the site with ease; I am a fan of the physical book, myself.

8. All residencies are not created equal. Do you work better with others or in total isolation. Will you flourish in the country or the city? Is a separate space to write in necessary (sometimes only the visual artists get studios – best to check)? How flexible are you with what you eat? Are you able to deal with community living? How about the daily practice of an off-key saxophonist? Know thyself! A good article on this subject is at Artist Communities.

9. Don’t get discouraged. Juried panels tend to change every year or two. This means that prior rejection has little to do with what next season’s judges will choose. Many writers apply one, two, or three times to the same residency.

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A wise friend of mine once said, “When you are a writer, everything is about writing.” That means vacations, too. Be sure to check Shaw Guides for information on retreats in your area or further from home. Listings go by time of year and geographical location. and become active in Writing It Real’s ongoing thread about retreat listings. Be sure to add the ones you’ve been on or know about.