June 4-11, 2022 Sol's Cliff House, Bar Harbor, Maine
Outside on the terrace or inside your private room or at the large dining room table, in the cozy living room, the library, or a special nook in this impressive retreat house, built in 1914 by New York lawyer-turned-novelist Arthur Train—one of the last surviving “summer cottages” of Bar Harbor’s gilded-era golden age—you'll have ample time to do what you wish. This is your time to apply what you’re learning in the way that works best for you: write, revise, journal, reflect, think, plan, write some more. All of what you do during your writing time will inform your Writing Contract, the tool we'll build together that you’ll take home to ensure you will finish your novel.
Come on up to "Joan's Tower" for your private coaching session. I’m here for you, so we’ll plan our session according to what you most need. Got a character who needs further development? We’ll bring her to life. Feeling concerned about whether your writing is really any good? We’ll turn that concern around so fast you’ll forget you ever worried about it. Need to find time in your schedule to focus on your novel? We won’t just find time, we’ll create it! Whatever will help you finish your novel, we’ll tackle it together.
One afternoon, we'll have a dedicated craft workshop on a topic TBD based on the group's needs, facilitated by local author and writing teacher, Cynthia Underwood Thayer. Thayer's first novel, Strong for Potatoes, published by St. Martin's Press, won the Rep's Choice Award, was named best new fiction by Ingram Books, and was a Barnes & Noble Discover book. Her second novel, A Certain Slant of Light, was also published by St. Martin's Press. The condensed version was published by Reader's Digest in English, Portuguese, Danish, and Swedish. Algonquin Books published A Brief Lunacy in hardcover, and Random House published the paperback the following year. All three books were named BookSense books.
You’ll have several opportunities to gather together as a group and talk about various aspects of craft and anything else that's on your mind related to your work. We’ll all put on our best thinking caps and respond with constructive observations, suggestions, questions, celebrations, resources and whatever other ideas we believe will help. You'll also have opportunities to read from your own work if you wish—the retreat provides a secure environment in which you can read a brief excerpt from your novel-in-progress and hear readings by your retreat companions.
Before you leave, we'll gather as a group and each writer will create their own personalized Writing Contract. This contract will help set you up for post-retreat success. Capitalize on your momentum from this week and finish your novel!
All you have to do is eat when you’re hungry . . . no need to decide what to make for a meal, no cooking, no cleanup. Isn’t it time someone catered to you? Our own personal chef will make us nourishing and scrumptious food that will leave you feeling both energetic and pampered! Fair warning . . . you might not want to go home.
Creativity takes energy, and energy needs to be rejuvenated; this week is all about what you need to be your best creative self. Walk with new friends out the door to local trails down to the water or hike the nearby trails at Acadia National Park, stroll into Bar Harbor for a visit to the bookstore, take a nap in your room or out on the patio overlooking the water, read a book from the retreat house library . . . whatever works to support you!
Give yourself the gift of time to finish your novel.