Sense of Place Deep Dive Creative Writing Retreat 

Four days of writing, inspiration, and community. Each day features a stimulating routine — getting centered, getting present, freewriting to generate fresh ideas, and deep dive writing to hone your skills. There will be short readings and discussions to cover aspects of style and form. You will be given suggested practices to continue writing on your own each day, and instructions for in-the-field excursions that will add to your story memory bank.

Everything I've ever created, from a collection of songs or essays, to a full training, has gone through this creative process:

Awareness, Reflection, Integration, Expression.

It takes time and courage to go through this process. This retreat will take you through a framework that ensures you come away centered in your own creative process and flow.

You can do this virtual experience at home as a “staycation,” or book a retreat somewhere and take us with you. However you retreat, committing the time and space will create a container to get you into your creative zone, overcome obstacles and make a huge step forward.

I know how hard it is sometimes to get below the surface and discover the stories inside you. But when you take the time to try, it will take your writing to a whole other level.

Imagine 4 days to meet yourself completely as a creative writer.

Before the retreat, you'll get guidance on how to remove external barriers to create a container for your writing time, even at home. During our time together, you'll get the tools and support you need to move past internal stuck spots. Working as a group will help you settle in and gain the focus and safety you need to take risks and grow. You'll be given the time to work on something to the point where you know when it feels like you're finally getting the heart of the matter, saying what you want to say in the way you want to say it.

By working through this framework throughout the retreat you will:

• Nourish your inner writer
• Breakthrough stuck spots
• Gain prompts and practices to hone your writing skills
• Generate fresh ideas, or polish a project and get supportive feedback
• Discover themes and patterns you can braid into stories
• Experience the incredible community of other writers and seekers
• Fuel your creativity in unexpected ways

Throughout the retreat, there will be a rhythm of working together, then working on your own, and then coming back together to share or check-in. There will be recommened in-the-field practices and plenty of time for fresh ideas and inspiration to emerge along the way.

Why write from a Sense of Place? One thing I know for sure from working with the public and the staff of museums, historic sites, and the National Park Service across the country is this:  Everyone has stories of place and belonging, waiting to be remembered and revealed.

Starting with your senses, stories, and memories about places opens a gateway of creativity in everyone I've encountered. Finding these stories helps people see the writer they really are inside.

Using sense of place writing as a creative entry point helps you write easily and with increased clarity, depth and meaning. Descriptive, unique details emerge as does your voice as a writer.

And from decades of experience as a recording artist and touring songwriter, creative workshop facilitator, and professional development trainer, I have developed a proven framework of powerful prompts and practices to help you find and craft your writing that I can't wait to share with you.

“It wasn’t until I found “Sense of Place” that I felt truly at home in a writing class. Erica is a mentor who inspires writers to experiment with their craft and to explore new territories. I haven’t had this much fun writing in a long time.” Shelia H.

"I highly recommend Erica Wheeler and her writing classes! I have not written this much or as easily in my 30+ years in academia." Jeanne S.

"This is a wonderful place to explore oneself through investigative writing. It’s moved me in directions that I might not have thought of before. And I have now come to understand how a sense of place can be physical, internal, historical, sensory, past, and present. Place is very personal.”  Julia C.

“I have never taken another writing class, so this was a new experience. I had never thought of myself as a poet, but Erica stating that the rhythm of one of my pieces sounded like poetry opened my eyes. I valued the opportunity to do writing in class and was always surprised when short pieces I wrote turned out to be good." Andy S.

Consider this as your own writer's residency.

It's time for just you and your muse, nourished by the support of others on the path. And this time, nothing else will get in the way because you'll have what you need to set things up in a way that works for you.

And if life does get in the way, all sessions will be recorded so you can come back to them.

Author Grace Paley wrote “You write from what you know, but you write into what you don’t know.”  Come discover what you really have to say with us.