Writing Connections

In this week’s episode of Your Writing Retreat Connection I’ll be talking about what to do if you want to host a writing retreat but you don’t want to do it alone or you want to add a speaker or workshop leader for a specific craft topic.  Show Link: Connect with a Writing Retreat Instructor ------------------------ Connect with me online: On Instagram @writing_connections_podcast or @laura_isa_wa...

First, if You've made the decision to carve out time for yourself and your writing, congratulations! Now, how do you find a writing retreat that will inspire, motivate, and support you to tell your best story? Take the following into consideration and you'll be well on your way to finding the writing retreat that works for you and your writing goals. 1. The first thing to think about is...

I was thrilled to talk to this week’s guest, award-winning author and writing retreat leader, David Rocklin. We covered a variety of topics around planning and leading writing retreats, how David helps writers bring out their stories - including ones they didn’t realize were there. I love the way he leads his writing retreats and puts the needs of the writers first. David also shared where the ins...

I love talking with writers about their experiences attending a writing retreat so I was thrilled to have Liz Redston on as a guest.  Liz and I chatted about her experiences at the Weekend Writing Retreat, the importance of giving yourself space to write and how the writing retreat helped her see that she had developed a workable process for her writing. I also really appreciated that Liz shared h...

If you want to reach more writers, have you considered a Facebook ad to send them to your retreat link? Writers are actively looking for resources that can help them finish their novel, become better at their craft, or get feedback on their work.  But there is so much information out there it can be hard to rise above the noise and have writers find out about your writing retreat. So in this week’...

This week I talked with Amanda Le Rougetel, a writer, editor & community educator who recently co-hosted her first writing retreat. I'm really excited for you to hear this episode because Amanda made so many great points from a writing perspective as well as a writing retreat perspective.  I think you’ll relate to her thoughts on 'identity as writer' and how she started thinking...

If you've been looking for a writers residency, you'll love this episode! I chatted with Tammy Letherer, an award-winning author, writing coach, and developmental editor for Atmosphere Press, about the Beach Glass Writers Residency she offers. I thought it was cool how Tammy offers a bespoke experience for her writing residency guests with trips to the writers museum, local writing event...

I had the absolute pleasure to talk with Kathryn Kay, a book coach and author who offers workshops, one on one coaching, and writing retreats. We talked about why she decided to add a writing residency in Santa Barbara, California to the programs she offers writers as well as her upcoming Tuscany Writing Retreats. We also had a great conversation about various ways to market and promote a writing...

I really enjoyed my conversation with Nafisah Cabrera-Estévez, who is a writer, community builder, writing retreat host and book coach. And, at one time, even owned a bookstore. We chatted about the community she's building as co-founder of the Muslim Writers Salon as well as the supportive and nurturing writing retreats she's been holding this year. Nafisah also gave us all the details...

If you're sending emails to your subscribers about your writing retreat and still aren't getting many registrations or applications, you don't have to sit and wonder why any longer. In this solo episode, I walk you through how to check your email marketing data to to pinpoint why your email messages aren't working to fill your retreat spots. Once you know where the issues are,...

This was a fun interview with Sue Anderson, founder of Entrepreneur’s Gone Wild, and owner of a retreat center she and her husband are building in the Smoky Mountains in Tennessee. We chatted about how she's helping entrepreneurs and creatives use nature to improve their overall mental and physical health. Her retreat center,  Idyllwild Woods sounds like an amazing place to hold a writing ret...

Have you ever planned a writing retreat and not gotten as many registrations as you'd hoped?  It can be frustrating, especially if you can't figure out why people aren't signing up. In this solo episode, I talk about how to pinpoint problems with your writing retreat information and registration pages using your website's data analytics. Once you know where the issues are, you...

My guest this week is Michael Neece, author of "In Kind: Consciously Craft a Meaningful Life and Career." When he was on the show last year, we talked about how a writing retreat helped him solidify his ideas for the book, so I was thrilled to talk to him now that the book has been published. Michael shared a lot of great information on the writing process that I think you’ll find very h...

In this solo episode I talked about a survey I did with Amy Goldmacher to see what challenges people have when thinking about planning and hosting a writing retreat. I went over the questions we asked and summarized the answers. We've also put this information on a webpage that you can find here: Writing Retreat Survey Results . There's a place for comments under the content on the page...

In this episode, Amy Goldmacher and I talked about the challenges and rewards with planning and hosting a writing retreat. Amy, who is also an award-winning author and Author Accelerator Certified Book Coach, helps nonfiction authors transform book ideas into killer book proposals.  Show Links: Your 5-Step DIY Writing Retreat Planner (affiliate link) Use coupon code 20OFFSEASON2 until Sept 30 to g...

Season 1 has ended and we're going on hiatus for the summer. We'll be back in September, 2024 with new episodes. I'll be scheduling interviews for Season 2, so if you're a writing retreat host, a writer who has had a good experience at a writing retreat, or a retreat venue owner/manager, I'd love to chat with you. Fill out this Your Writing Retreat Connection  Podcast Inte...

If you're a suspense, thriller, or mystery writer, this episode is for you! I had a great chat with Kerry Savage and Samantha Skal, co-hosts of the Shadows and Secrets Writing Retreat in Salem, Massachusetts. We also talked about how being Author Accelerator Certified Book Coaches gives them more tools to help their retreat guests. And you don't want to miss the webinars they host each m...

Are you a book coach looking for ways to deepen your connection with your clients or add another service to your business? In this episode I talk about why book coaches should consider hosting writing retreats. Note: I mention the Author Accelerator Certified Book Coaching program in this episode because so many of their certified book coaches have added their retreats to the Writing Retreat Direc...

In this episode, author and writing retreat host Meg Dunley shared her writing retreat success story. After hosting just one writing retreat, she booked a venue for 6 more in 2025 - and filled them all! Please note that there are some audio issues during this interview. We were 15 hours apart on the other side of the world from each other so the connection wasn't great. But Meg shares so much...

In this episode I chatted with Alicia Cintron, who calls herself a traveling scholarpreneur. She has a PhD and worked in higher education on the tenure track before she decided that path wasn't for her. We talked about how she's been traveling the world for the past three years helping fellow academics communitcate their research to a wider audience. She also shared all the details about...

Once you're home after your writing retreat is over, it's time to reflect on a few things. In this episode I share the top three points to think about: figuring out your profit or loss, what went right and what didn't, and deciding whether or not to host another writing retreat. Show Links: Here's the link to get the checklist that goes with this episode: Post Writing Retreat R...

If you're a writer who's experienced creative anxiety, I think you're going to really appreciate this interview with award-winning author and writing retreat host, Lauren Carter. We chatted about how she combines her deep knowledge of writing craft with tools to help writers navigate through perfectionism and anxiety. She also shared details about the three writing retreats she&apos...

If you've hosted a writing retreat before, you've experienced first hand how much writers can accomplish when they have dedicated writing time, free of outside distractions. If you want to help your guests stay motivated and inspired after your writing retreat is over, in this episode  I share some ways you can support writers when they return home to real life.   -----------------------...

I absolutely loved talking with Kelli Watson about all the ways she and her business partner, Greg Justice, are helping writers realize their dreams of having a published book. We chatted about how she and Greg formed Scriptor Publishing Group, the virtual writing retreats they started during the pandemic, and so much more!  Her writing retreat in Ireland sounds absolutely amazing and she doesn&ap...

 This week's guest is Bonnie Wolkenstein, a clicnical psychologist, writer, and writing retreat host. Her plans for a year-long writing sabbatical in different locations were derailed when the pandemic struck while she was at her first location, Guanajuato, Mexico.  We talked about how she took advantage of new opportunities, how she uses her skills and expertise to guide writers during her r...