Women Writers' Winter Retreat

www.homesteadhousebb.com


FOR WOMEN ONLY!

 

The 3rd Annual Women Writers’ Winter Retreat

 

Write, Read & Relax

in Historic Downtown Willoughby

 

 

When:  Friday, February 27, 2009 – Sunday, March 1, 2009

 

Where:  The Homestead House Bed & Breakfast, 38111 West Spaulding Street, Willoughby, Ohio

 

Time to be Inspired. Time to Write. Time for Yourself …

 

Event Coordinator, Deanna Adams, invites you to a winter weekend filled with motivation, education, and creation.

 

Whatever kind of writer you are - fiction, nonfiction, poet, or creative writer – you’ll have the opportunity to learn, write, and rejuvenate in an atmosphere of camaraderie and warmth during the coldest time of the year.

 

This writers’ event will give you the excuse you need to take time for yourself and your craft - while meeting others who share your love for the written word.

 

Aside from the workshops, you’ll have plenty of free time to write, read, shop, and explore this quaint historic town – or simply do nothing but absorb the knowledge and support of fellow writers.

 

Reservations are on a first-come, first-serve basis. Those wishing to stay in this unique Victorian-style Bed & Breakfast should register early to ensure your spot and choose your room (accommodations include Jacuzzis, fireplaces, and home-cooked breakfasts).

 

Join us and release your writing spirit!

 

 

Women Writers’ Winter Retreat: 

Write, Read & Relax

in Historic Downtown Willoughby

Event Schedule

 

Friday:

 

4:30-6:00 p.m. – Registration, Refreshments, Networking

 

6:00-7:00 p.m. – Dinner, Beverages, Wine & Dessert

 

7:15-8:00 p.m.Keynote Speaker: Plain Dealer writer, Joanna Connors - "A Survivor's Journey: Writing to Understand and to Heal."

 

Free Time – Write, Rest, or Enjoy the Nightlife in Downtown Willoughby.

 

Saturday: 

 

9:30-10:00 a.m. – Registration/Coffee

 

10:00-11:30 a.m.Session: “Writing Your Characters – Real and Fictional” with

Paula McLain

 

11:30-Noon - Free Time - Read, Write, Relax

 

Noon-1:00 p.m. Lunch - On Us!

 

1:00-2:30 p.m.Session: “The Art of Promoting You and Your Work” with Nancy

Christie

 

2:304:00 p.m.Free Time - Read, Write, Nap, or Shop

 

4:00-5:00 p.m. Refreshments, Networking

 

5:00-6:00 p.m. Dinner  - On Us!

 

6:00-8:00 p.m.Open Mic (Participants’ reading of works)

 

Free Time – Go Out, Write, Read, Sleep

 

Sunday:

10:30 – 11:15 a.m.Session:  “Writing about Your Life” with Deanna R. Adams

                        ‘Til Next Year  … Good Writing!

Registration Form

 

Deadline for Registration is February 13, 2009

NO REFUNDS AFTER DEADLINE

 

Send completed registration form with check or money order to:

 

Deanna R. Adams, Coordinator

P.O. Box 356

Grand River, Ohio 44045-0356 

 

Or Charge by Phone: (440) 946–1902

If charge, please email registration form to Deanna at DeeNCR@aol.com

 

Complete Weekend Package: Includes Friday and Saturday overnight suite stay, Sunday session, all meals and workshops:

Single Room - $269

Shared Room - $199

 

Weekend Commute: $135 - all sessions and meals except for breakfast (B&B guests only)

 

Saturday Event only: $110 - 9:30 a.m.– 8:00 p.m., includes lunch and dinner

 

Full Name:

 

Address:

 

City& State:

 

Zip:

 

Phone:

 

Email:

 

*If sharing a room, please include name of roommate.

 

**Alternative lodging available at Lawnfield Inn & Suites, 8434 Mentor Avenue, at same special event price.

 

Questions? Please contact Deanna Adams at DeeNCR@aol.com or visit website: www.deannaadams.com

 

Our Presenters:

*Keynote Speaker, Joanna Connors, has worked at the Cleveland Plain Dealer since 1984, as theater critic, entertainment editor, film critic, columnist and feature/projects writer. She started her career at the Minneapolis Star as a copy editor, feature writer and film critic. When the afternoon Star and the morning Tribune became one paper in 1982, the publisher offered generous buyouts to the double-staffed newsroom. She took one, thinking she’d never, ever get that kind of offer again. She has freelanced for Redbook, Seventeen, Glamour and several other publications. She has two children and lives in Shaker Heights.

 

*Paula McLain was born in Fresno, California in 1965. After being abandoned by both parents, she and her two sisters became wards of the California Court System, moving in and out of various foster homes for the next fourteen years. When she aged out of the system, she supported herself by working as a nurses aid in a convalescent hospital, a pizza delivery girl, an auto-plant worker, a cocktail waitress—before discovering she could (and very much wanted to) write. She received her MFA in poetry in 1996, and has since received fellowships from the corporation of Yaddo, the MacDowell Colony, the Ucross Foundation, the Ohio Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts. Paula’s first book of poetry, Less of Her, published in 1999 from New Issues Press, won a publication grant from the Greenwall Fund of the Academy of American Poets. Her other books include a collection of poetry (Stumble, Gorgeous 2005), a memoir, Like Family: Growing Up In Other People’s Houses (Little, Brown 2003), and  novel, A Ticket to Ride (Ecco/HarperCollins, 2008). She teaches in the MFA Program in Poetry at New England College, and lives with her family in Cleveland.

 

*Nancy Christie is the author of the inspirational book, The Gifts of Change and a member of the American Society of Journalists and Authors. A professional journalist, her work appears in a wide range of magazines and on informational web sites. She is host of the weekly Internet radio show, “Take Charge of Your Life,” which airs on Tuesdays at 10 AM (EST) on the VoiceAmerica network. Nancy is also currently working on her second book. A resident of Ohio, she travels widely presenting writing and motivational workshops. Visit her sites at www.nancychristie.com and www.communityofchange.com.

*Deanna Adams is an author, freelance writer, essayist, writing instructor, and conference coordinator. Her articles and essays have appeared in the Cleveland Plain Dealer, Northern Ohio Live, Lake Erie Living, Today’s Family, Ohio Writer, and other publications. Her book, Rock ‘n’ Roll and the Cleveland Connection (Kent State University Press, 2002) was named a 2003 finalist for the Ohioana Award for nonfiction, and for excellence in research for the 2003 ARSC Awards (Association for Recorded Sound Collections). Her second book, Confessions of a Not-So-Good Catholic Girl” will be released in December 2008. Deanna’s Sunday morning presentation, “Writing About Your Life” will give you concrete tips on how to tell your true stories using scenes, character development and dialogue. It all begins with recharging your memory!


(click on picture for larger image)

1st  annual WWWR

 

 

It's cold outside but warm here in the Homestead House

 

Women Writers Get to Know Each Other


2nd annual WWWR

Erin O'Brien Gives the Friday Night Keynote Address

 

Saturday - Classes and Discussion

 

Saturday - Time to Write

 

Sunday Morning - Friends Say Goodbye till next year

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