WINTER CREATIVE WRITING RETREAT AT ZIGBONE FARM
January 12-17, 2024
A Facilitated Writing Retreat in a Relaxed and Supportive Atmosphere
Join us January, 12-17, 2024 for our second annual Winter Creative Writing Retreat at ZigBone Farm Retreat Center, a sustainably built, light-filled, artistic space near the Catoctin Mountains, where people gather to celebrate, teach and learn.
Set on 100 acres and encompassing a series of mountain pastures segregated by old stone hedgerows, the farm provides the perfect place for a writer's retreat. All of the buildings - ZigBone Lodge, the Spring House and the Meeting Hall - were constructed with craft timber framing using salvaged and local natural material such as re-purposed old barn beams and wood siding, straw bales for insulation and clay plaster hand-made from the farm's earth.
Spend five art-filled days gathered around a wood stove with hot chocolate, mulled wine, and like-minded writers as we build community and unearth our best artistic selves.
- Relax in cozy writing nooks and on comfy sofas.
- Gather each day to discuss the craft elements of creative writing such as structure, dialogue and voice.
- Join in generative writing exercises and prompts/ to get your creative juices flowing.
- Take advantage of hours and hours of silence to work on your creative projects throughout the day.
- Enjoy homemade meals served family style, prepared with produce from ZigBone and area farms, and local beer and wine
- Gather together at dinner to discuss your day´s work and experience.
Diana’s craft teachings, suggested readings, and how she inspires and invites group interaction created a safe, warm space where we writers shared and learned. Diana's teachings and whiteboard notes, the readings and read-aloud selections, perfectly curated, all demonstrated how well-crafted depictions of setting, character, dialogue, scenes, and summary make for fine writing. Diana's one-on-one writing session felt like a therapy session wrapped in a warm blanket of breathtaking advice. Breakthroughs, newly crystallized awareness, and directions for the next part of my writing journey are the gifts I carried home. Diana's generosity of spirit and sharing and kindness bonded all attendees in an other-worldly way. I/we felt embraced by this writers’ haven. Thanks cannot convey the gratitude I feel..”
---Patti Steckler
I am just beginning to explore my writing life, and I have not published anything. Is this retreat right for me?
Absolutely! The Zigbone Winter Creative Writing Retreat is for anyone committed to the act of writing, regardless of publication or submission history. Our goal is to create a nurturing, warm, positive space where creative writers can find solitude and support for their work, regardless of experience.
I am a well-established writer who has published frequently. Is this retreat right for me?
Yes! While the morning craft workshops might feel like review, we also do warm-up exercises and read published works that might help spark something new for you. All workshops are optional, so if you choose, you can use the entire time to work independently. The evening gatherings are useful for everyone as this time can be used to discuss a particular craft problem, process triumphs or setbacks, or read some of you brand new material.
Absolutely! The Zigbone Winter Creative Writing Retreat is for anyone committed to the act of writing, regardless of publication or submission history. Our goal is to create a nurturing, warm, positive space where creative writers can find solitude and support for their work, regardless of experience.
I am a well-established writer who has published frequently. Is this retreat right for me?
Yes! While the morning craft workshops might feel like review, we also do warm-up exercises and read published works that might help spark something new for you. All workshops are optional, so if you choose, you can use the entire time to work independently. The evening gatherings are useful for everyone as this time can be used to discuss a particular craft problem, process triumphs or setbacks, or read some of you brand new material.
Diana has taught me to trust my voice and encouraged me to move beyond my comfort zone. She possesses a terrific mix of sensitivity and challenge and does not shy away from talking about what is missing. She helps you to develop those areas--be it dialogue, character, plot – in a clear, smart and inspired way so your story will soar. Diana is dedicated to each student’s process and the seriousness with which she engages in her teaching fosters trust right from the get go. I feel more playful and devoted to my writing and the stories that are taking shape. My work with her is life giving and priceless. --Anne E. Wild-Rocheleau, PhD
What is included in the Winter Creative Writing Retreat at Zigbone Farm?
How much does the retreat cost?
Click here more information on lodging and prices.
- Morning generative writing sessions
- Afternoon craft workshops
- Free writing time
- One-on-one consults with the writing facilitator
- Breakfast and lunch, buffet style, and sit-down dinner, featuring local food.
- Access to fruit, snacks, coffee and tea throughout the day.
- Full use of the house, including cozy corners and nooks to curl up with your pen and/or laptop
How much does the retreat cost?
Click here more information on lodging and prices.
