Sense of Place Creative Writing Deep Dive Retreat 

Four days of writing, inspiration, and community. Each day features a stimulating and restorative routine — getting centered, getting present, freewriting to generate fresh ideas, and deep-dive writing to hone your skills. On two evenings we'll gather to share, read and celebrate.

You will be given suggested practices to continue writing on your own each day, and instructions for in-the-field excursions that will add to your story memory bank.

The retreat will immerse you in a creative framework that ensures you get centered in your own creative process and flow.

Book this time for yourself as a virtual retreat in your own home or go all out and book a retreat somewhere with wifi. You and take us with you and ensure you get your writing done.

Wherever you retreat, committing the time and space to gather together with us will create a container to get you into your creative zone, overcome obstacles and make a huge step forward.

I know how hard it is sometimes to get below the surface and discover the stories inside you. But when you take the time to try, it will take your writing to a whole other level.

Imagine 4 days to meet yourself completely as a creative writer.

Pre-retreat, you'll get guidance on how to remove external barriers to create a container for your writing time, even at home.

During our time together, you'll get the tools and support you need to move past internal stuck spots.

Throughout the retreat, there will be a rhythm of working together, then working on your own, and then coming back together to share or check in. There will be recommended in-the-field practices and plenty of time for fresh ideas and inspiration to emerge along the way.

Working as a group will help you settle in and gain the focus and safety you need to take risks and grow. This 4-day retreat will finally give you the time to work on something to the point where you know when it feels like you're finally getting the heart of the matter, saying what you want to say in the way you want to say it.

By working through the Sense of Place Writing Framework you will:

• Nourish your inner writer
• Breakthrough stuck spots
• Gain prompts and practices to hone your writing skills
• Generate fresh ideas, or polish a project and get supportive feedback
• Discover themes and patterns you can braid into stories
• Experience the incredible community of other writers and seekers
• Fuel your creativity in unexpected ways

From decades of experience as a recording artist and touring songwriter, creative workshop facilitator, and professional development trainer, I have developed a proven framework of powerful prompts and practices to help you find and craft your writing that I can't wait to share with you.

This method has been honed from working with the public and the staff of museums, historic sites, and the National Park Service across the country. 

One thing I know for sure is this: Everyone has stories of place and belonging, waiting to be remembered and revealed.

Using your sense of place as a creative entry point always surprises people with how it helps you write easily and with increased clarity, depth and meaning.

 As your unique descriptive details emerge, so does your voice as a writer. Even if you don't think you're a writer at the start.

“It wasn’t until I found “Sense of Place” that I felt truly at home in a writing class. Erica is a mentor who inspires writers to experiment with their craft and to explore new territories. I haven’t had this much fun writing in a long time.” Shelia H.

"I highly recommend Erica Wheeler and her writing classes! I have not written this much or as easily in my 30+ years in academia." Jeanne S.

"This is a wonderful place to explore oneself through investigative writing. It’s moved me in directions that I might not have thought of before. And I have now come to understand how a sense of place can be physical, internal, historical, sensory, past, and present. Place is very personal.”  Julia C.

“I have never taken another writing class, so this was a new experience. I had never thought of myself as a poet, but Erica stating that the rhythm of one of my pieces sounded like poetry opened my eyes. I valued the opportunity to do writing in class and was always surprised when short pieces I wrote turned out to be good." Andy S.

Consider this as your own writer's residency.

It's time for just you and your muse, nourished by the support of others on the path. And this time, nothing else will get in the way because you'll have what you need to set things up in a way that works for you.

And if life does get in the way, all sessions will be recorded so you can come back to them.

Author Grace Paley wrote “You write from what you know, but you write into what you don’t know.”  Come discover what you really have to say with us.