September Sense of Place Writing Retreat
Ground yourself in a nourishing community of writers.
Take your ideas to the next level.
September 16-20, 2021
Imagine the leaves starting to turn, a fire in the woodstove, and a soulful circle of people dedicated to their writing.
Fall brings with it a sense of nostalgia and reflection. Maybe it's memories of new pencils and books or walking to school in that September light. Or maybe it's an internal rhythm that means it's time to taking stock preparing for what's ahead.
For me, it's the cool nights and spicy scents that always seem to stir my creativity and are my most productive time to write. I know this about myself, and always want to steal away to a writers retreat this time of year.
Join me and a small group of kindred spirits at this beautiful old farmhouse in September. The farm belongs to friends of mine who rent out this house as an AirB&B. It's located in my town of Colrain, MA, and will be a fabulous place to gather and write.
Imagine carving out the time to stick with your good ideas and shape them into the stories you're meant to tell.
Life is full of interruptions. But during this retreat, everything will be geared towards nurturing and nourishing you and your writing. This will be your only focus.
Join Us!
Limited to 8 participants
Dates and times
Thursday, September 16th, 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm
Friday, September 17th, 10 am to 8:00 pm
Saturday, September 18th, 10 am to 8 pm
Sunday, September 19th, 10 am to 8 pm
Monday, September, 19th, 9:30 am to 11:00 am
Immerse yourself 4 days of reflection, writing, inspiration and community.
Each day features a stimulating routine — getting centered, getting present, freewriting to generate fresh ideas, and deep-dive sessions to craft your writing and hone your skills.
What's different about this retreat is that you will have the time not just to generate ideas, but to stick with your ideas through a revision process that will truly take your writing to the next level.
And you'll have essential time for writing as well as walks and enjoying being with great people in a beautiful setting. And optional time for will be time for ping-pong and a little concert too!
If you want to:
- Generate fresh ideas, or polish a project and get supportive feedback
- Discover themes of ideas and stories inside that you can "braid" together.
- Experience an incredible community of other writers and seekers.
- Fuel your creativity through prompts and ideas.
- Benefit from focused writing time but also from open space for pleasure and play.
Then this is for you.
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 also in-the-field practices and optional offerings to enrich your life and your sense of place.
Garnered from decades of experience as a recording artist and touring songwriter, creative workshop facilitator, and professional development trainer.
My proven framework of powerful prompts and practices will help you find and craft your writing.
I can't wait to share with you.
WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING:
"You've given me a whole new way of thinking about place.. living in a place where I really don’t feel connected, this process has really helped me come to terms with it, and how that’s okay. I can write about that."
Christina Campell, Professor and Blogger
"I highly recommend Erica Wheeler and her writing classes! I have had a great deal of experience writing academic articles and chapters, which in turn meant I had little to no opportunities for descriptive or creative writing. I have not written this much or as easily in my 30+ years in academia. The classes are supportive and keep us actively writing, but also allow us to go at our own pace and take on as much or as little that meets our schedules.”
Jeanne Stanley, Ph.D., Psychologist and Graduate School Consultant
http://www.watershedservices.biz
"I took Erica's class to get back to a regular writing schedule and pick up on writing that I had sidelined a long time ago. Erica creates a warm and inviting space for participants to develop their writing without fear of judgment. It gave me permission to use my voice and lean in more to creating a scene through vivid details. I learned to write much more expressively because of it! "
Shae McWilliams
"This is a wonderful place to explore oneself through investigative writing.Working with Erica over this past year has moved my writing in directions that I never thought possible. My writing has developed much farther than working alone. It has helped me find my writing voice, and helped my ideas coalesce into a set of connected essays. I find that Erica has a sort of magic to her teaching, where she is more of a guide than a teacher who can pick up on what the class and each individual needs in the way of direction. It is a writing journey with others, and they are the best travel companions!
Julia Clebsch, Naturalist and Park Ranger
"I heartily recommend this class as a place to find your voice and improve and expand your skills. It is appropriate for those with vague goals as well as those with works in progress. Practice blending history, personal experience, theme and descriptions really led to some good solid pieces. Through Erica's focused individual guidance, we were each treated like writers instead of students."
Beth Arrowsmith, Educator and Photographer
"This group has inspired me in my writing over the past year and offered a sanctuary of inspiration. As an expert writing guide, Erica ensures that we all move forward on our unique writing journeys and don’t lose our way. 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.”
Sheila Harrington, Executive Director, New York Public Welfare Association
"l had 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!"
