Writers in the Mountains (WIM) announces its 2023 Literary Retreat in the Catskills, Friday through Sunday, Nov. 3 – 5, 2023. The event is open to both resident writers and locals who can attend the day’s programs and activities without having to book a room. Local writers are encouraged to participate as they are an integral part of the Writers in the Mountains’ literary community year-round.
The Literary Retreat is Writers in the Mountains’ first in-person post-pandemic event, an opportunity for our community to regroup and reinvigorate much needed literary pursuits. The weekend-long event will offer writers, both resident and local, a stimulating and cozy environment to get together, discuss ideas, improve craft, and build a better writing practice while at the same time bond with fellow writers, make lifelong friendships, and pursue future collaborations. Writers may choose to stay at the Retreat or only attend the day’s programs and activities. The Retreat will offer five different workshops over the span of three days led by accomplished writers and educators. It will also host a Journal Room / Private Writing under the guidance of an experienced instructor and coach. All participants will have plenty of time to write, give and receive feedback, and read their works in an Open Mic format and also in a Student Celebratory Reading at the end of the program. WIM plans to curate and publish the works produced during the Retreat in a publication specially designed for this event. The readings will be recorded and posted online and on local TV Station, pending participants’ permission.
The workshops will include an introduction to the Amherst Method with Sharon Israel, which will help writers access their authentic voice and develop their style; Tell It Your Way: All-Genres Workshop with Thaddeus Rutkowski, where prompts will be used to generate new work on the spot, whether be prose (fiction and nonfiction) or poetry; Creating a Sense of Place and Time with Sheila Myers, where writers will learn about tools to use for finding information, maps and ephemeral material to use when writing about settings or time periods of the past; Modern Love with Elizabeth Koster, a creative writing workshop where writers will analyze The New York Times Modern Love column (including Tiny Love Stories), and generate and start to develop a story for future submissions; and Poetry Forms with William Duke, where poets will learn about major forms of poetry and discuss how forms came into being and why they continue to hold an important place in contemporary poetry. The Journal Room with Anique Sara Taylor will help writers mine new writing material, and imagery, gain clarity of thought, translate dreams, deepen creativity, and identify patterns.
The fees are as follows: six meals (vegetarian and vegan options) $225 / early bird $195; workshops $100 / early bird $85; private room $575 / early bird $490; shared room $375 / early bird $320. All participants are required to purchase the meals and workshops plan. To benefit from the early bird rates, register and pay by August 31. The refund policy is 75% by Sept. 1 and 50% by Oct. 1. To register, email writersinthemountains@gmail.com. The Board of Directors will award one or two scholarships to qualified writers. The scholarship application guidelines are posted on the website.
Writers in the Mountains is a not-for-profit organization with a mission to provide a nurturing environment for the practice, appreciation and sharing of creative writing. For more information, visit writersinthemountains.org.
