A very good friend of mine, a writer (most of them are), is soon going to have her three-bedroom detached house to herself and is considering letting out two of the rooms – a single and a double – to other writers on a day-by-day basis for writers looking to get away for a day or for longer to finish that overdue novel. It would be self-catering most likely although she will provide tea, coffee, cereal etc. so it can be a ‘home from home’ (including the family pet!).
Because I teach creative writing (locally and online), I could help make it a small retreat with organised sessions (perhaps more so in the summer) but for now, I would just be an ‘escape’.
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If you were thinking of escaping (in this case to Northamptonshire, c. mid England), what would you look for?
Her house is set in a quiet location overlooking a green and golf-course with very little traffic, usually plenty of parking and a ten-minute walk to shops and a very large park, and the obligatory plenty of pubs in the area… although far enough away not to be a nuisance at curfew time. Each bedroom has a desk, hanging space (wardrobe in the double), quality beds and nice views. The rooms don’t have en-suite facilities but a lovely bathroom (with power shower) at the end of the landing and downstairs w/c. To the back of the house is a reasonable-sized, relaxing garden with tables and chairs, and a small garden at the front.
- How much would you pay per night for the single?
- How much would you pay per night for the double?
- Would you be interested in somewhere like this?
- What else would you want included?
- Any other comments…
Please leave a comment below. Thank you.
Morgen 'with an E' Bailey 
Good plan. I have a couple rooms myself, including an en suite, but we have two dogs. There is a garage and a screened back porch, etc.
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People would want a meal or two, I think, or a nearby restaurant, but most people would probably not want to explore; however, some might. And they’d want fairly cheap. (I would.)
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And some people might like a trade.
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For a target market of impoverished writers I would look at between £20 and 30 per night per person or maybe 30 for single and 40 for double. Any more and writers could just stay in a local budget hotel when they need to lock themselves away.
A workshop / retreat with Morgen and friends running courses or workshops .. that is a different thing entirely. It’ll never make a fortune because a house can’t hold enough visitors but that would trip into £50-70 for the days courses plus optional accommodation at the rates above.
All those prices based on what I am happy to pay for a night away and/or a day of workshops.
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Your friend would never get any writing done herself!
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That is quite possible, Charlie. Although she’s hoping to get some done while the other writers are. And, as you know, most of us need an extra income.
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What a fantastic, and quite generous idea. A lot of creative people just need the time away, to recoup.
What about; access to books for research & grammar, e.g: dictionaries etc…or maps showing local, green spaces. Sometimes, we just need an hour in nature to find our mojo again. Maybe; info on the local library, I know some UK libraries allow temporary membership. Perhaps even brochures on local touristy spots, some writers are looking for new locales for their work.
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I like that, thank you, jwollife. Great suggestions. I love a welcome pack when I get to a hotel so this venue shouldn’t be different. There are three libraries within a 20-minute walk, one of which is in an old theatre so a lovely building. And yes, I’m pretty sure they have temporary membership.
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3 libraries….my ideal holiday spot. I love being inside them, and always have several memberships on the go at once. Good Luck to your friend, you’ll have to keep us informed 🙂
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Thank you. I will.
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