The Daily Flow Of The 2022 Writing Retreat
Sunrise:
Wake up to the sunrise over the ocean. It’s truly spectacular!
Wake up to the sunrise over the ocean. It’s truly spectacular!
Breakfast: 8:15-9:00 am
Blueberry muffins, fresh fruit or berries, oatmeal, yogurt, eggs and bacon, fruit juice, sometimes pancakes, a great selection of teas, and freshly-ground coffee prepared by our fabulous chef, Cas Dowden.
Blueberry muffins, fresh fruit or berries, oatmeal, yogurt, eggs and bacon, fruit juice, sometimes pancakes, a great selection of teas, and freshly-ground coffee prepared by our fabulous chef, Cas Dowden.
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Morning Session: 9:15-12:30
We use prompts, images and various other writing exercises I’ve developed, all of which are designed to stimulate your imagination, open to new characters, and develop your stories. Writing together is a surprisingly empowering experience that has an inspiring energy from which we all benefit. With everyone scribbling away, your imagination feels free, worry fades and you write, write, write. Everyday, you'll have this experience! After writing for up to 60 minutes, we read and critique our stories. Since most of the writing is first draft, critiquing often takes the form of “What If?” and "What I'd like to know is..." as well as other powerful critiquing tools..Morning Session: 9:15-12:30 We open our Circle each morning by honoring our creativity and the path we walk as creative women and fiction writers. We do so with simple, impromptu expressions of the truth of where we are at any given moment. Are you feeling wildly creative? Brimming with new ideas? Or stuck? Perhaps Lonely? No matter, the Circle holds you and makes your feelings okay. And this is part of the magic of our Circle as it grows and holds us all in its tapestry of brilliantly colored threads. You are safe in the Circle. You can banish doubt and fears. |
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And the Muse is suddenly so vital, so real. You feel her embrace that encourages you to fly free. The Muse and the deepening power of creative sisterhood. You feel their embrace. You experience the writer in you in all her unabashed, glorious, spacious, wise, funny, dark beauty.
We write each morning for up to an hour. I offer prompts, images, and various writing exercises I’ve developed, all of which are designed to stimulate your imagination, open to new characters, and develop your stories. Writing together encourages the imagination to take off! With everyone scribbling away, worry fades and you write, write, write.
After writing for 30-60 minutes, we read and critique our writing. Since most of the writing is first draft, critiquing often takes the form of “What If?” and "What I'd like to know is..." as well as other powerful critiquing tools. Critiquing itself is a talent that I teach you.
We write each morning for up to an hour. I offer prompts, images, and various writing exercises I’ve developed, all of which are designed to stimulate your imagination, open to new characters, and develop your stories. Writing together encourages the imagination to take off! With everyone scribbling away, worry fades and you write, write, write.
After writing for 30-60 minutes, we read and critique our writing. Since most of the writing is first draft, critiquing often takes the form of “What If?” and "What I'd like to know is..." as well as other powerful critiquing tools. Critiquing itself is a talent that I teach you.
** Be sure to read this if you have not worked with Emily yet. Good Critiquing Always Inspires. It Never Deflates.**
Lunch and Personal Time: After lunch until 2:30 or 3:00 depending on our plans.
Cas provides us with a variety of choices for lunch that keeps us guessing each day… what wonders will await us after we’re finished with our Morning Session?
Cas provides us with a variety of choices for lunch that keeps us guessing each day… what wonders will await us after we’re finished with our Morning Session?
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After lunch, we have two-and-a-half hours of personal time:
2. Drive to the top of Cadillac Mountain. 3. Drive through Acadia with stops along the way. 5. Explore the town, shop, indulge in a must-have Bar Harbor ice cream cone. |
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Taking off on the Naturalist Cruise in 2019!
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Afternoon Session: 3:30-6:00 pm
Some days we write more on our stories, we read and critique, and some afternoons I come up with a surprise creative experience!
Some days we write more on our stories, we read and critique, and some afternoons I come up with a surprise creative experience!
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Dinner: 5:30-7:15
Dinners are always one of the highlights of the retreat! I send out a menu that Chef Cas and I have developed. You choose from such delicious entrees such as lobster, to steak, fish, chicken, inventive vegetarian dishes, pasta, and more! Cas is great at accommodating special dietary needs, such as gluten-free, vegetarian, low-salt, shellfish allergy, etc. |
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After dinner, we come together in casual evening gatherings for open readings (up to 20 minutes). This can be something you’ve written in the past or on the retreat. The open readings are for our listening pleasure and are always a highlight of the retreat. I always have some surprise events for an evening Circle or two!
Listening to open readings at an earlier retreat.
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The Night:
When the evening session is over, take time to immerse yourself in the magic of the Maine starlit skies and moonlight ocean. |
