Writing & Wellness Retreat
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August 11-15, 2025
Stepping Stone Retreat Center
320 Sawkill Road Kingston NY 12401
Room block link:
International Women’s Writing Guild
The link will expire in April 30th. A new block will open in May if needed.
View Property - https://lumen5.com/user/bestwestern/33195-bw-plus-kings-0y7lb/
Monday, August 11 - Arrival Day
Welcome Reception at the hotel restaurant/bar (Evening meet and greet)
Tuesday, August 12 - Thursday, August 14
8:30 AM - 10:00 AM & 10:30 AM - 12:00 PM:
4 workshops during each session, 8 daily
1:00 PM - 4:00 PM:
Friday, August 15 - Departures
Meals & Other Information
Complimentary Breakfast at the hotel.
Lunch (Tues, Wed, Thurs) at retreat center
Dinner (Tues, Thurs) at retreat center
Optional informal gatherings at the hotel restaurant/bar each evening for networking and fellowship.
Shuttle Service: Shuttle provided between the hotel and retreat center (1 mile away - you may also drive)
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Workshop preview below (more will be added)
Ancestor Spirit: The Well of Wellness - Dorothy Randall Gray
Dive into the ocean of the power and presence of those who came before you. Explore African, Native, Asian & planetary inspirations. Music, meditation, heart-centered handouts and sharing circles. Write in all genres. Your Soul is calling - pick up the phone!
The Wonder of Words: Writing for Your Life - Linda Leedy Schneider
Come, let go of control and find your creative flow. Be part of a supportive community and write in response to poetry and prompts with opportunities to read your work. Leave this workshop with lots of fresh writing, stronger in your craft, inspired, and eager to continue! All writers welcome!
Mythmaking and the Art of Memoir - Maureen Murdock
Explore memoir as a journey into personal mythic themes, with readings and writing prompts from authors like Joan Didion and Natasha Trethewey.
Putting Our Grandmothers on the Page: Poetry, Prose, Persona & Memoir - Kelly DuMar
This workshop explores the theme of grandmothers—whether ancestors, ourselves, or figures from literature—using prompts from photos, objects, and memory. Writers will create poetry, prose, persona, and memoir to express complex influences and explore revision and craft. Open to all levels.
How Pictures Heal: Creative Writing from Your Photo Stream - Kelly DuMar
Using personal photos, this workshop helps writers explore emotions, memories, and meaning through creative writing. Participants will craft stories and poems that capture the beauty, loss, and deeper connections within their images, with all levels welcome.
Linda Bergman: So You Think Your Life’s a Movie? is Linda Bergman’s screenplay class where you learn how to get to good story fast, learn the nuts and bolts of a script and see an Oscar winning film to prove what works and what doesn’t.
June Gould: Poetry - Our Lives in Brackets
Poetry with Myra Shapiro
Fiction Workshop, Lynne Barrett - Too much plot? None at all? Uncertain how to handle the past or strengthen your story? Characters who want their stories told, but how? Through examples, exercises, and discussion, we’ll explore how combinations of characters, use of place, conflict, and change build stories whether short, long, or novel-length. Aspects to explore will include scenic structure, active characters, complication, reversals, and narrative design, including point of view and presentation of time. It’s fine to bring your ideas, notes, drafts, the manuscript that’s been trying to get published, or a blank notebook waiting to be filled.
Afternoon Soul Collage - Judith Prest: Recharge your writing brain! Make SoulCollage (R) cards in the afternoon. Working with images will lead you to discover deep aspects of your story. SoulCollage is like "awake dreamwork", and collage-making is visual poetry. I believe that visual art enriches our writing!
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Please note registration is for retreat, workshops, and meals only. Rooms will be booked separately under an IWWG block below. Rooms must be booked by April 30 for early bird rate of $129 per night for a room with two queens. Nearby Kingston retreat center for workshops with shuttle services.
ROOM BLOCK LINK:
International Women’s Writing Guild
To help you with your guest accommodations needs, we have created a customized reservation link for your room discount. Please test the link so you understand how it works. Your guests can adjust the dates to the night or nights they need.
Reservations can also be made by calling the hotel directly 845 338 0400 and ask for the group by name.
The link will expire in April 30th. Please encourage your guests to make their reservations early. Individual reservations can be cancelled up to 24 hours prior to arrival. A new block will open in May if needed.
View Property - https://lumen5.com/user/bestwestern/33195-bw-plus-kings-0y7lb/
