
The second annual Young Women Writers Retreat at Glen Eyrie (Colorado Springs) was A. Mazing. Twenty aspiring authors between the ages of 18 and 40 gathered for a weekend of writing, learning, crafting, laughing, crying, and sharing with vulnerability. While all the gals you see here went home with the start of a Delicious Plan, I left with my own plate full of new ideas and renewed inspiration. In fact, I almost felt guilty about taking that honorarium check. Almost. I have to support my dreaming habit somehow …
Seriously, I was nudged to –
- * Create new ways to help writers whose creative space has to be mobile (the Barnes and Noble, coffee shop, break room at their day job authors (kudos to Esther)
- * Fine-tune the index card approach to plot development (thanks to Kate B. and Hannah)
- * Practice ‘faux-ligraphy’ so I can do cool graphics (thank you, Kate P.)
- * Do more retreats (for which I’m grateful to every woman there)
One of the most specific results was a new look at our blog. It’s barely been born and I’m already doing a makeover! But that’s the creative process, right? Here’s the new deal:
MONDAYS – (okay, I know today’s Tuesday, but it took me a minute …) We’ll showcase your work, spotlight authors via guest posts and talk about upcoming events.
WEDNESDAYS – our full post. Tomorrow we’ll focus on Writing Spaces, so if you have a picture of yours you still have today to email that to me. Click here to email
FRIDAYS – a call for what I’d love to have from you for the next week’s post
Since this is this week’s Monday (bear with me), let’s talk more about the whole retreat idea. It’s the best. A chance to find your tribe and stay connected. A way to learn writing techniques in an intensive format. Personalized mentoring. Opportunities to experiment and actually do what writers do, which is write. A chance to dream unencumbered. What writer doesn’t need that from time to time? I need that.
Other published authors sponsor retreats; I’m not the only game in town, and if you know of others, absolutely share those in a comment. If you ARE interested in the next Doorways retreat, here’s the info:
Dates: 4:00 p.m. Friday, October 19- 2:00 p.m. Sunday, October 21, 2018
Location: Montgomery Bell State Park, Burns, Tennessee (near Nashville). To see this gorgeous place, go to the MB website. It will be particularly stunning in the fall. (And
each room in the lodge has a balcony and view of Acorn Lake. Just sayin’.)
Cost: $500, which includes the retreat itself, two nights in the lodge and 6 meals
To Register: To reserve your room at the lodge for $206.56, call the front desk: (615) 797-3101 and give them our group number, which is 9102.
To register for the retreat, the remaining $293.44, you’ll pay me directly via PayPal (nnrue@att.net), or by check to Nancy Rue, 201 Jenkins Road, Lebanon,
TN 37087. A $50 nonrefundable deposit reserves your spot. You’ll receive a $50 discount by paying your balance by September 19, 2018. We’ll need your full
amount

by October 1, 2018 unless you make prior arrangements with me .
Preparation for the Retreat:
- As soon as you register I will send a profile of sorts for you to fill out and I’ll request a 1200-word writing sample. This can be an excerpt from a larger work or a complete piece in itself. Don’t freak out, break into hives, etc. Your feedback will be gentle, positive and full of praise and suggestions. I do not use a red pen …
- Based on the responses to those two things, I will assess what the overall needs of the group are and determine the topics of my talks and workshops. This is all about YOU.

What to Expect at the Retreat:
- In terms of individual work, I will give you personal assignments to work on during the blocks of time when I meet with attendees one on one. Again, that’s based on the writing sample and the answers on the profile form.
- YOU WILL RECEIVE A WRITTEN CRITIQUE (WITH MARGIN COMMENTS) OF YOUR 1200-WORD EXCERPT
- The talks (that’s me doing the talking) will be on Dream Discovery and Life-Living. The workshops (that’s me guiding you through hands-on activities) will cover Story Shaping (the writing itself) and Career Crafting (the writerly life)
- I’ll provide you with an entire packet of materials that cover even more than we’re able to get to in our sessions.
- Here’s a tentative schedule, minus the specific topics:
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2018
4:00 – 5:00 NANCY: Welcome! Introduction to how we’ll work/Introduction to each other
5:00-6:00 YOU: Individual Assignment
6:00-7:00 US: Dinner
7:00-8:00 NANCY: A Dream Discovery Talk
8:00-9:00 YOU: Individual Assignment
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2018
8:00-8:30 Breakfast
8:45-9:30 NANCY: A Story-Shaping Workshop
9:30-11:30 YOU: Individual Assignments
NANCY: One-on-ones
11:30-11:50 US: sharing and Q&A
12:00-12:50 US: Lunch
1:00-1:45 NANCY: A Story-Shaping Workshop
1:45-3:50 YOU: Individual Assignments
NANCY: One-on-ones – see schedule
3:50-4:50 NANCY: A Career-Crafting Workshop
4:50-6:00 YOU: Free time to write, ponder, rest your mind or create
There will be some One-on-Ones during this time if necessary
6:00-7:00 US: dinner
7:15-8:30 US: A Life-Living Talk/Workshop
8:30 until … YOU: Enjoy each other (Nancy will be sleeping!)
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2018 
8:00-8:30 Breakfast
8:45-9:30 NANCY: a Life-Living/Career Crafting Talk
9:30-10:45 YOU: Individual Assignments
NANCY: One-on-ones – see schedule
10:45-12:00 NANCY: Final Story-Shaping Workshop
12:00-2:00 US: Box Lunch/ What To Do Next & the Possible Formation of an On-Going Community
That all sounds very business-like and serious and tasky, right? While it IS thorough and we pack a great deal in, we do it all in a playful, encouraging, creative way. We will laugh (and if you don’t snort, why even laugh at all?) and cry (snorting allowed here too) and write and create crafty stuff and feel safe. We will be women writers together – and hopefully that will continue long after you leave Montgomery Bell behind.
Just writing all this makes me wish it was happening next week ...When it DOES happen, I hope many of you will join us. In the meantime, I'm glad you're here. If you want to comment, will you tell us what group of writers supports you, nudges you, lets you dream? And if you don't have one ... well, here you are.
Yes.
Blessings, Nancy Rue