Screenwriting : Retreats - worth the cost or a waste of money? by Laura J Hickman

Save your money. What do you need to learn? What do you hope to gain? If the retreat isn't offering any of this, why do it? You're time is better spent doing some on line learning, and I highly recommend John Truby. Hands down one of the best to learn storytelling / structure from.

I’ve never been to a retreat, though I wouldn’t mind going to one one day. For now though I’m perfectly fine just taking time off of work and writing in my room lol

Might be a good way to meet some people - or hone in on your craft. What's it hurt...would be my thoughts.

If a retreat offers connections to industry reps, they could be worthwhile for anyone who has that kind of money.

I've gone to a few "location" workshops but didn't get much out of them. The only one where I did had producer David Foster (not the music guy - this one produced THE MASK OF ZORRO with Antonio B and Catherine ZJ) as a panel speaker. Tellingly, he kind of kept to himself while the other panelists spent a lot of time hyping the event, promoting their own projects, encouraging the attendees to submit everywhere, and buy their products. When David finally spoke, his opening comments were abrupt but truthful: "With all due respect to my colleagues, many of you in this room, despite your best efforts, are not prepared to pitch your material. Ninety-five percent of you will fail ..." The audience around me erupted with cries of disdain. To me, this was a breath of fresh air: I found myself suddenly listening intensely. He proceeded to explain that scriptwriting was a hard business where even pros face rejection daily, and the sooner we acknowledged it as a craft to be learned and mastered, the better. He also delivered another bombshell: "Don't waste my time." Essentially, research everyone you plan to pitch to. If they have a history of making action films, don't pitch them romantic comedies. There's more, but let's just say many attendees were peeved at this straight-talking man for exposing them as amateurs (which they were.) I was an amateur, too, hence my scheduled meeting with him kicked my anxiety into high gear. I had NOT done my homework, so I just admitted that upfront when we met. He appreciated my honesty and spent the remainder of our allotted time suggesting books and classes to help me bone up on the basics (this was a while back, so the internet opportunities for learning were few.) BOTTOM LINE: I don't think it's necessary to go to a destination workshop, but you may get lucky like I did, and have someone correct and inspire you. If anyone on this site knows Mr. Foster, please let him know his harsh but necessary advice made me into a better writer :)

The answer is it depends.... Yes, very expensive, but if you can swing it the connections can move your career. A writer I co-wrote a script with took it to Rocaberti last year. Her mentor was the writer-producer who developed THE KING'S SPEECH and she is now attached to the project and taking it out for financing. The "depends" part is that the project has to be one that the connections love enough to spend a few years with. And that is the rub with any connection in the industry, retreat or not.

You probably could put together one much cheaper and local. One of the best retreats I did was with my writer's group and a fantastic author and teacher. (We didn't pay her because she was a friend. But you could pay one.) We rented a cabin in Big Bear Lake for three days, all brought food to share, and each person did an in-depth description of their book idea. We spent several hours charting the plot, using white board paper and sticky notes. The next day, we all critiqued about ten pages of each person's work in progress.

Hey Laura J Hickman Great question! Your attitude about retreats being a way to "learn more and get excited about writing" is exactly the right mindset - they're not magic bullets for career advancement, but they can be incredibly valuable for the right reasons.

Retreats can be worth it when they provide:

-- Focused writing time away from daily distractions

-- Structured feedback from experienced professionals

-- Networking with serious writers at your level or above

-- Renewed creative energy and motivation

-- Specific skill development you can't get elsewhere

Red flags to watch for:

-- Vague promises about industry connections or guaranteed outcomes

-- No clear curriculum or teaching credentials listed

-- Heavy focus on luxury location rather than writing development

-- Limited information about actual instructors or their credentials

Regarding Rocaberti specifically: I'd suggest researching:

-- Who are the actual instructors and what are their industry credits?

-- What's the daily schedule of workshops vs. free time?

-- Are there past participant testimonials with specific outcomes?

-- What's included vs. what costs extra?

The "fantasy band camp" concern is valid - some retreats sell the experience more than the education.

Laura J Hickman I concur with our colleagues - it's primarily an ROI of expectation vs. cost, but a personal one. My personal suggestion would be to ask yourself honestly, how much money are you willing to spend for a nice productive and fulfilling vacation that COULD turn into something more? Compare that answer to the cost of the retreat.

Rocaberti offers a scholarship, which is free to enter (though you'd have to handle airfare/travel if you don't live in Spain.) I don't know if we can link URLs in comments, so I'll refrain just in case, but it's easy to find on the web.

My favorite comment in this thread is from Stephanie O'Leary because when David Foster said "95% of you won't make it", he wasn't talking to Stephanie. The fact that Stephanie tuned in more intently with an eagerness to learn rather than be overwhelmed by rejection tells me all I need to know. Good stuff.

I'm still a novice but if you can afford it (or win a scholarship/contest to get it), I would guess nearly any exposure to real industry execs is a good thing.

Rejection is par for the course in this business it seems, but "persistence rewards talent", and sometimes it only takes one who falls in love with your project to champion it to greater heights.

They can work, or they can be a complete waste of money. It's about what you put into it. If you just want to hang out with a bunch of writers talking about various forms of writers' block, no need to spend time and money at a retreat. Depends upon you and the specific components of a given retreat. What are you looking for?

As a Mentor/Teacher at Rocaberti a few years ago, I can vouch for the quality of the experience, the credentials of the Mentors, the generally very productive week for the Writers, and the value of actual industry connections that stretch on after the Retreat, including many "wins" and project pick-ups. Plus an amazing experience in a castle in France -- hard to beat that. // You all raise valid questions, observations, and comments. One of the most valuable is the concentration of your attentions and efforts while on 'retreat'. We could only got internet reception on one area of the estate grounds, and that isolation seemed to help lots of us hold focus much better. // If it's in your development budget and the Mentor/Teachers meet your criteria for professional experience and expertise, and it's a place you'd like to visit -- I'd say Go For It! And as mentioned above, some Retreats do offer scholarships so be sure to check that out, too. // All Good Fortune to you all with your writings!

I recommend Stowe Story Labs. I've attended twice (once in Palm Springs and once in Ireland) and find Stowe makes you part of the family. The mentors are always hit or miss in any retreat, but overall the caliber of writer's attending and what Stowe offers far surpasses the cost.