October Writing Retreat

You are invited to join me for a four day writing retreat in October on Vashon Island. We will gather at Lavender Hill Farm, pictured above.

I am so excited to be facilitating what promises to be a magical writing time for us all. This will be the fourth time for an October writing retreat at this house. The previous times were with a group of bloggers whose lives have taken us in different directions, leaving the house available for this new adventure.

Since my training as an A.W.A. facilitator over two years ago, offering a retreat like this has been a dream. The power of offering prompts in a completely safe environment where only positive feedback is offered for tender first draft writing is tangible. The writing that results, regardless of where the writers are in terms of experience, never fails to amaze. Doing all of that in this beautiful house on a sleepy Puget Sound island in the fall will only deepen the experience.

My friend, Sandi, an original member of our blogger group, will join us as the chef and as a fellow writer. Her food and her nurturing heart are guaranteed to be highlights of our time together.

There is only room for six additional writers. All the details of the retreat can be found in the tab above. If the possibility of discovering, or reviving, or challenging your writer self in this setting appeals to you, and the time seems perfect, please contact me.

Why Writing Your Story Matters

"Writing is a way not only to metabolize life, but to alchemize it as well. It is a way to transform what happens to us into our own experience." Julia Cameron

I read a lot of Julia Cameron's work, and these words touched me so much I copied them on a sticky note and stuck them inside the book of another favorite writing teacher, Pat Schneider. It's the idea of transformation that resonates with me, and that I've experienced first hand in the writing of my story. There's something about giving the past shape and substance in the form of story that releases any emotional hold it previously had, which in turn frees up space for living freely in each present moment as it occurs.

Another of my favorite writer/teachers, Anne Lamott, explains it this way, "The great writers keep writing about the cold dark place within, the water under a frozen lake or the secluded, camouflaged hole. The light they shine on this hole, this pit, helps us cut away or step around the brush and brambles; then we can dance around the rim of the abyss, holler into it, measure it, throw rocks in it, and still not fall in. It can no longer swallow us up. And we can get on with things."

"The more personal your writing, the more universal the story." I don't remember where I heard this the first time, but the wisdom in these words gives larger meaning to why we write memoir. Our experiences, told with as much emotional truth and vulnerability as possible, help others to know they're not alone, and ultimately add light and healing to the world.

"What would happen if one woman told the truth about her life? The world would split open." Denise Levertov

What more worthy endeavor could there be than transforming the world, splitting it wide open, by exploring and sharing the depths of your story? Isn't is worth the risk of revealing your heart to find freedom, light and love far beyond imagining? Won't you join me?