Our writer’s magazines would have us think “Writer’s Retreats” are sacred moments in time. Something we need to apply for, like residencies or arts grants. And sure, some of them are. The ones that serve really great food and come clean your rooms for you. But I don’t really need all that—I can make my own food and tidy my own rooms. I just need a quiet place to escape my family for a few days. Where I can work for hours and hours on end without feeling guilty about all the things I’m ignoring.
And I need a place to cook and somewhere 
to go for a walk. But I’m not allthat picky. I don’t need Shangri-La, and I don’t need epic recreational potential. I’m mostly going to sit on the sofa with my laptop.
Given this low set of standards, I’ve been entirely successful at finding my own retreat spots. It’s not hard, or expensive, to find a cabin in a beautiful spot–as long as I’m willing to rent something during the months when no one else wants them. Which is easy enough when everyone else wants to ski or bike or fish or snowmobile. Which activities are doable in either winter or summer—but not so much in the in-between seasons.
The innkeepers call these “off-season.” This is the in-season for writers! Writers don’t care about the snow conditions or the fishing season—we just want an affordable place to hole up and write. And for me I want a kitchen so I can cook—on my own schedule—whenever I’m ready for a break.
So here’s what’s worked for me. I locate a place that rents cabins—I’m partial to cabins—and then I email or call and ask if they’ll give me a good rate for renting in the off-season. Up here in Vermont, the off-season in the fall is called “stick season” –roughly the month of November, when the leaves are gone but the snow hasn’t begun to fall. In spring we call it “mud season,” and it’s roughly the month of April.
All across the north, these are great months for DIY writing retreats! The innkeepers are grateful for the business, and writers can get great deals. If you’re someone who wants to do a retreat with your friends, then try for a larger house through AirBNB or VRBO—but stick to the months that are off-season and you’ll get much better deals.
I expect there are similar but different months in the south, when the tourist trade slacks off and you can get a deal for a retreat. Perhaps the scorching months of mid-summer? As long as there’s enough breeze for you to be able to write, it could work. It’s worth asking!