I Spent Twenty Years Co-Writing With Jane Goodall — Here's What I Learned About Making Time to Write

I have been working with writers as an editor, guide, and coach for decades, and here is one thing I am certain of. Everyone finds it challenging to find time to write.

Even Jane Found It Hard

As many of you know, I had a twenty-year, four-book collaboration with Jane Goodall. Even with legally binding contracts and deadlines, she constantly struggled to find time to write — and she had a good excuse, traveling the world 300 days a year (true fact) trying to save the planet and encourage us to have hope. We got the books done anyway, by scheduling retreats together: three to five days where we’d hunker down and figure things out, then ride that momentum afterward in snippets of time until the next one. Without those retreats, those books would never have happened — and we had publishing contracts pushing us.

Jane and me on a retreat at a friend’s house in Boulder, CO, working on Seeds of Hope.

If you’re like most writers, you likely don’t have the external pressure that makes things happen: no agent waiting for your copy, no editor or publisher chomping at the bit, no hard deadline except the one you set for yourself, which makes it even harder to sustain focus and figure out what’s really trying to come through.

Why a Retreat Helps

Almost every writer — bestseller or beginner — needs a real chunk of time to just write, to dive into their own creativity and swim for a while. Ideas lead to better ideas, leading to eureka moments, leading to an understanding of where this is going and what needs to happen. It’s called being in the flow. It is heavenly, and necessary.

Of course you can build your own DIY retreat. Borrow a friend’s cabin, rent an Airbnb home or a hotel room. I’ve done all of these things. But I decided to build something specifically for writers — where the logistics are handled, the days have real structure, and you're not doing the hard work of figuring it all out alone.

Join Me in Provence This Fall — September 27-October 3.

More details: gailhudsoncoaching.com/provence-retreat

I built this retreat around what I’ve needed and countless other writers have told me they need — time to find insight, creativity, clarity, and most important, real momentum to carry home. It includes an experienced guide to support you in knowing your voice and understanding your project. All meals taken care of. A private room with your own bath. A lot of built-in flow time.

My extra touches: daily yoga and a heated pool, because movement matters for us writers who want to stay healthy. And the freedom to walk to a nearby, quintessential Provence village — duck into an antique shop or a small atelier, jot notes in your journal at an outdoor café table, and soak in the kind of inspiration this region is made for. Vive la writer's life.

Learn more and reserve your spot here: gailhudsoncoaching.com/provence-retreat

There is still a room available. If this is for you, or for someone you know who’d benefit from the focus and creative company this retreat offers, please reach out. You can simply reply here — I read everything.

With love,
Gail