4th Annual Word Compass Retreat for Writers 
Registration is OPEN!! 2019_Word_Compass_Fall_Retreat_Registration2.docx
November 7 - 10, 2019   

with: AnnMarie Rowland - Retreat Organizer and Instigator of Fun Stuff 

        Rob Ritchie - Novelist, Singer-songwriter, Very Funny Man 

This is the fourth year for this small, family-style retreat in the tip of Michigan's Mitten. The first year was an experiment that worked. The second year felt a little bit like a family reunion where your favorite relatives brought their best friends.
On the last day I asked what would make the retreat better (always looking for ways to make good things even better!) and the response was to extend the retreat by a day to allow more time for writing, more time for sleeping in, more time for laughing with friends, more time for cavorting with the muse, more time to Just Be. And so it has become, and is. It seems to just get better as we learn to trust our own voices and each other's ears.
Word Compass is a true retreat setting for adults who are passionate about the written word and are looking for an opportunity to spend a weekend with a group of like-minded people.

If you're thinking that you're not "a serious enough writer" to give a weekend to your craft, consider this:
Golfers slip away for weekends with their friends to play.
Quilters go to retreats (sometimes several retreats a year!) to find uninterrupted sewing time. 
Hunters take a week or two in the fall to head up north with their buddies.
Even KIDS go to camp. (Basketball, band, football, track, music, dance, art...)
Why not YOU?

It doesn't matter whether you have a whole stack of published work or are just toying with the idea of dipping your pen into the inkwell. We'll have great workshops to jump-start your creativity and get your pen moving.
But the focus of this retreat is getting away to recharge. We chose a lovely log home in the tip of Michigan's Mitten, close to I-75 for convenience, but tucked away just enough to feel secluded. This retreat gives attendees comfort, quality, and a relaxed atmosphere at a very affordable cost.  

Because we have the whole facility, we don't have to "get dressed" for anything. PJs all day? ok. 
Sweats and slippers? Sure.
It's up to you.

Of course, if you want to go for a walk, venture out to the nearby clubhouse to use the pool, nip into Gaylord to the book store or the chocolate shop, you can. 

Every retreat develops its own shape as the people who are there mingle, sharing meals and stories, talking about life and the writing life, and opening themselves to creativity.

Here are some things I know will happen at this retreat:

Rob Ritchie is, once again, coming down from Georgian Bay in Ontario to stretch our minds. Forget about writing outside of the box. Rob burns the box altogether and throws the ashes on the garden. He knows a lot about a few things and a bit about a lot of things, and he's probably written about most of it, either in song or story; what with his satchel packed with two published novels (likely three by retreat time!), a pile of songs, and decades of experiences as a touring musician. His 3rd novel is, at last,  in print, and he'll have it with him!

There will be music.
There will be good meals, including wine. Enjoy home-cooked meals, cooked on-site from fresh ingredients (locally produced as available) and served family-style. Come hungry! We do our best to accommodate specific dietary needs, but if you have an extreme sensitivity, we MUST know, and you might bring some "safe" snacks.

The rest is up to you. November in northern Michigan is perfect for sinking into your writing. Spend a few days immersed in it, cozy with friends in a log cabin. It doesn't matter what you write. You don't even have to write if you don't want to. Draw. Paint. Read. Daydream. This is YOUR retreat.

$325 per person, inclusive. The cost of the house went up...sorry for the increase.
TO REGISTER - Print and complete the registration form (see link at the top of the page) and mail it to the address indicated. You may pay using a check or CC info with your registration, or by using the PayPal link below.



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