Get inspired and hone your craft with the support of other writers, in an idyllic, inspiring environment.
We host daylong workshops and women’s writing retreats designed to nourish and support your creative process.
The Freedom Writers Workshop: Weekend retreat for women
Take the next step towards writing your nonfiction book.
August 8-10 | Freedom, Maine
Join us in Freedom for an immersive weekend of writing and book concept development in the inspiring company of creative women.
If you have a book idea that won’t let you go—or one you’ve already started writing but need support to unfold—this is the perfect opportunity to drop in, get inspired and get moving! You’ll leave this weekend creatively energized and armed with the clarity and guidance you need to take your next steps on the journey from concept to creation. Both aspiring and established authors are welcome. Whether you’re just writing for yourself or you’re exploring the various paths to publication, you’ll find support and inspiration here.
We’ll roll our sleeves up and get to work in four nurturing, in-depth workshops focused on book concept development, nonfiction writing, book proposals and publication. You’ll enjoy meals lovingly prepared with ingredients from local small farms; walk the contemplation paths through private woods, gardens and wildflower meadows; and enjoy daily yoga and meditation in a restored 1850s dairy barn. Retreat participants will also have access to a private sauna, hot tub and cold plunge.
Your hosts are Carolyn Gregoire—an author, editor and “book doula” who has helped dozens of writers turn their ideas into published nonfiction books—and Alden Wicker, an award-winning author, investigative journalist and essayist. We bring a passion for supporting women writers along with over 30 years of combined experience as professional writers, with bylines in the New York Times, TIME Magazine, New York Magazine, Scientific American, Wired, Harvard Business Review, and many other publications.
This retreat includes:
Glamping accommodations in luxury bell tents
3 fresh, farm-to-tables meals a day, plus snacks, tea, and coffee
4 immersive, expert-led workshops on nonfiction writing, book concept development, book proposals and publication
30-minute private one-on-one consultation
Daily yoga & meditation
Community support
Access to private sauna, hot tub & cold plunge
Free time for rest, writing & rejuvenation
Early Bird Pricing: $975 (by June 15)
Regular Pricing: $1,150
Hosts
Carolyn Gregoire is a writer, editor and “book doula” whose work explores the inner lives of humans. Her book Wired to Create: Unravelling the Mysteries of the Creative Mind (Penguin), written with psychologist Scott Barry Kaufman, is an exploration of the “messy minds” of highly creative people. She is also the creator of the Webby Award-winning CREATIVE TYPES personality test, which has been taken over 15 million times by creators around the world. Formerly a senior writer for the Huffington Post and editor for Tricycle: The Buddhist Review, her work has also been featured in Scientific American, TIME, Harvard Business Review, Psychology Today, Yoga Journal, and other publications. As a writing coach and book collaborator, she has helped dozens of authors navigate the creative process to bring their ideas to life.
Alden Wicker is an investigative journalist and author of To Dye For: How Toxic Fashion Is Making Us Sick — and How We Can Fight Back (Putnam), which won the Society for Environmental Journalists Rachel Carson Book Award. She writes about healthy fashion and homes for her platform, EcoCult, (now on Substack) and contributes to publications such as The New York Times, BBC, Wired, Vox, Vogue, and more. She’s made expert appearances on NPR’s Fresh Air, the BBC, and NBC to speak on consumer sustainability and health. She lives in southern Vermont, where she heads up communications for the biodiversity nonprofit Vermont Center for Ecostudies.
Schedule
Friday
11am-12:30pm: Arrivals & check-in
1:00pm: Opening lunch
2:30-4:30pm: Workshop
4:30pm Free time
6:30pm: Dinner
8pm: Fire circle
Saturday
8am: Yoga & Meditation
9:30am: Breakfast
10:30-12:30: Morning workshop
12:30: Lunch
1:30-3:30pm: Free time
3:30-5:30pm: Afternoon workshop
6pm: Dinner
7pm: Spa evening (sauna, hot tub, cold plunge)
Sunday
8am: Yoga
9am: Breakfast
10-11:30am: Workshop
11:30-1pm: Free time & consultations
1pm: Closing lunch
2-3pm: Departures