Hold an annual retreat. This can be a weekend, a long weekend, or a week. Try to pick a place away from your usual setting. Mid to late winter is a great time for a retreat, since many people need to give their spirits a boost about that time of year. Your retreat can be productive (focusing on your work), and it can be fun (focusing on letting loose a little)! Have a Halloween party. Have your members write a Halloween story (either on their own or with the help of a group theme), and have them come in costume as one of their characters bearing an appropriate snack. Host a Novels Day (or Writing Day, or Poetry Day, or whatever). Pick a quiet place, and all sit together and write (this is very inspiring, and it forces you to actually work on your writing, instead of avoiding it, which most writers tend to do!). You might start the day by meeting for breakfast and discussing any writing blocks or problems with your work. Use One Meeting for Writing Exercises Only Take one meeting and set it aside for writing exercises. Stretching your mind by using writing exercises can prime you for your own work. All 6' Ferret Web Pages © 1996, 2002, 2008, The 6' Ferret Writers' Group. Please see our Usage Guidelines before reprinting any information from this site.