Playwright Adam Meisner reflects on his Hideout residency
/We’ve had a great spring season of writers, creatives, and wellness practitioners at The Hideout, including Toronto-based Adam Meisner. Adam is the author of For Both Resting and Breeding, a fantastic play that was recently nominated for a Lambda Literary Award in LGBTQ+ Drama. He joined us this spring to work on a new novel project, and graciously agreed to share some tips for folks thinking of their own creative residency.
Tell us a bit about the project you worked on during your week at The Hideout.
I came to The Hideout to work on a queer historical novel set in nineteenth-century New Brunswick. I’m superstitious about saying too much about a project before it’s out in the world, so I won’t go into detail about it here—but a large part of it takes place on an island, and it felt fitting to work on the piece on Prince Edward Island. (I actually began writing the piece last summer at a residency on Toronto Island, so islands have been as central to the writing process as they are to the text.)
I completed a first draft of the novel in January of this year, but the ending didn’t feel quite right to me, so I spent my Hideout week rewriting the last third. I came with notes for what I wanted to put down on the page, but as I wrote, and went for walks, and reflected on the work, something else (and much better than I had planned) emerged.
What did you enjoy most about your residency week at The Hideout?
The setting of the residency was ideal for concentrated, inspired writing. I enjoyed the views of the fields outside while I worked; the deck and gardens for regular fresh-air breaks; and the nearby path around Lords Pond to reflect on the work and to clear my mind at day’s end. I also enjoyed exploring nearby parks and local businesses when I needed a change of scenery.
Why are residencies and retreats so vital for writers and creatives?
To my mind, residencies are vital for concentrated work that is not possible elsewhere in life. Writing becomes the focus at a residency rather than one of many things I need to squeeze into my week (if I can squeeze it in). For me, residencies are where I often undertake some larger portion of a project that requires a greater degree of focus than I can get from an hour or two of occasional work—generating new pages, for example, or editing a manuscript.
Any tips for folks thinking about applying for a residency?
I like to go into a residency with a plan that is ambitious but manageable. I try to stick to that plan (so as not to follow a whim of an idea that might lead nowhere). At the same time, I like to remain open to the possibility that the residency will push me in a new, unintended direction. I also like to set an intention for personal care for a residency so that writing doesn’t overtake me and leave me exhausted at the end. For me, this means taking regular breaks, getting up from my chair for activity (walks, runs, and yoga for me), napping when tired, and always making a nice meal for myself at the end of the day as a reward.
Adam Meisner writes plays, fiction and poetry and works in arts and culture policy. In 2023, Scirocco Drama published Adam’s play For Both Resting and Breeding, and the publication was nominated for a Lambda Literary Award for LGBTQ+ Drama in 2024. Adam’s other writing has appeared in various literary journals, including The Ex-Puritan, Copper Nickel, and Ninth Letter. Adam’s short theatre piece “Instructions for the Invocation of Your Queer Ancestors” was published in This is Beyond: A Time Capsule of Queer Experience from Playwrights Canada Press in 2024. Adam lives between Ottawa and Toronto.
