Welcome to The 12-Hour Writers Retreat!
What’s the 12-Hour Writers Retreat?
It’s not easy to sneak away from daily life to attend a weeklong writers retreat. But might you sneak away for a day? Welcome to the 12-Hour Writers Retreat—a morning-to-night writing experience committed to supporting your work from idea to live reading! On Saturday, October 10, join 20 fellow writers for a fun (and food!) filled day at Forage. Enjoy guided writing exercises, unencumbered freewriting time, a supportive workshop, and a final show featuring you!
This retreat will be hosted by Matt Cashion author of How We Do Things Here. Click here to learn more about Matt. Scroll on to learn more!
Writers 21+ are encouraged to register.
About the Writer-In-Residence
Matt Cashion is the author of four books, including Last Words of the Holy Ghost (UNT Press), winner of the Katherine Anne Porter Prize. His novel Our 13th Divorce (Livingston Press) won the Edna Ferber Book Prize, and his most recent book, How We Do Things Here (Cornerstone Press), a collection of linked stories, was a finalist in the Flannery O’Connor Award for short fiction. A three-time winner of the Zona Gale award for short fiction, his short story, “Music Appreciation for Dead People,” won first prize in the 2023 Wisconsin People & Ideas fiction contest, judged by Debra Monroe. His nonfiction appears in The Sun, Cincinnati Review, in the anthology Hope is the Thing (U. Wisconsin Press) and his poetry appears in The Sun, Asheville Poetry Review, Fugue, Cold Mountain Review, and elsewhere. Born in the North Carolina mountains and raised in Coastal Georgia, he has worked as a reporter, bartender, piano mover, and convenience store clerk. He earned an MFA from the University of Oregon and teaches Creative Writing (going on 20 years) at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, where he also serves as faculty advisor for Steam Ticket Literary Journal.
About The Space
Nestled in the heart of downtown Eau Claire, Forage is a versatile event venue perfectly suited for our writers retreat. Complete with writing spaces, performance spaces, and a beer and wine bar, Forage will help us create the ideal conditions to help your writing thrive.
About The Experience
The Chippewa Valley Writers Guild strives to provide inclusive writing experiences for all writers of all levels and genres. Matt is excited to work with ALL writers of all genres—including fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and scriptwriting! Our goal is to provide an opportunity to inspire, instruct, and rejuvenate writers in a safe, communal space. We create, collaborate, and celebrate together!
Schedule for Oct. 10
9 :00 Arrive at Forage; welcome, Icebreakers
9:15 Writing Prompts w/ Matt Cashion
10:00 Freewriting Time/Optional Conferences w/ Matt Cashion and B.J. Hollars
12:00 Lunch
1:00 Freewriting Time/Optional Conferences w/ Matt Cashion and B.J. Hollars
3:00 Snack Break Social Hour
3:30 Mini-group workshops
4:30 Final revision/Reading guidelines established (4 minutes/reader)
5:00 Dinner
6:30 Show Prep
7:00 Showtime
9:00 Farewell
About The Food and Drink
Drinks: Complimentary coffee and tea will be provided throughout, and wine and beer will be served in the evening at your own expense.
Lunch and Dinner: Both our meals will be prepared on-site by Forage chefs.
Cost
$115.00 (includes coffee, tea, lunch and dinner from Forage, work space, writing prompts, and instruction courtesy of Matt Cashion and B.J. Hollars).
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