It is time...

"It is time..."

The famous line from Rafiki to Simba, in The Lion King, when the young cub is ready to grow up, face challenges and take on responsibility. 

I feel this--I have been feeling it--for some time now.

It is time for something new, and I am excited to share that not unlike a birth announcement, I am revealing something precious and dear, the product of love, hard work and a tiny spark of magic. 

A friend described this event as the perfect Venn diagram overlap of all my passions and skills. 

Welcome to the Summer Writing Retreat at Bryn Athyn College. 

This 4 day/night immersion experience combines the most desirable elements of both writing conferences and retreats.

WRITING The writing instruction includes professional, workshop-style manuscript evaluation, multi-genre master classes with incredibly talented guest authors, guided writing sessions and an industry agent/editor/publicist Q&A panel and pitch session.

RETREAT With single room residences in one of four charming stone cottages, the retreat incorporates daily yoga for all levels, evening meditation, fresh fare, local wine and beer tastings, hiking excursions in the Pennypack Nature Preserve, tours of the local Glencairn Museum and gothic Bryn Athyn Cathedral, and an evening jazz outing.

To see the specifc agenda for the weekend, plus our fabulous instructor bios, click: SWR AGENDA

To learn more about how to be part of this, click: SWR APPLICATION

In the process of inviting authors to come teach master classes, I pitched it as my fantasy summer camp--combining writing, learning, publishing, nature, summer's bucolic long days and majestic nights, exercise, mindfulness, fresh food, music and wine. Most important was that there be an element of community and camarederie, of inspring ourselves to sharpen our craft's tools, together, while feeding the often-isolated writer's spirit. Every single author I asked to participate said, "I'm in--either this year or next or the one after that, I am in." 

Back to that Venn diagram overlap. I said the only thing that would make this complete for all my passions to exist together in the same place is if we could all ride up on horseback. We'll see what can be arranged.