Heres a letter our retreat director, Connie May Fowler, sent to some folks who expressed interest in coming to the retreat. Take a look . . . perhaps youll join us, too! Greetings! I wanted to add a personal note as a follow-up to the recent email you received about the VCFA Novel Retreat next May. Weve been emphasizing that the VCFA Novel Retreat provides participants with concentrated time to write and fine-tune their novels, which is true. But there are a couple of aspects about the VCFA retreat that tend to be overlooked. Not only are we one of the few writing retreats in the world that focuses solely on the novel, we are also one of only a handful that offer what the best conferences provide: craft discussions, readings, and one-on-one consultations with the faculty. Additionally, each participant is assigned their own faculty advisor with whom they will work throughout that week in May. I know this is a crazy time of the year. The holidays are upon us and so is AWP. But the VCFA Novel Retreat presents a rare opportunity to work with a dedicated group of fellow writers, have your own dedicated writing space, and focus your time as you see fit: writing all the time or a blend of writing, discussions, and advisor consultations. Youll also have complete access to the VCFA library. Le Petite Gourmet, a locally-sourced food favorite, will cater your meals. And Montpelier itself offers a plethora of shopping, dining, and nature-based activities for those times when you might want to push yourself away from your writing desk. I have been to retreats at critical points in my writing life -- times when I could least afford to do so. What I found is that because of the amount of writing I produced, the retreat format was invaluable. Indeed, it has become a crucial aspect of my writing process. The VCFA Novel Retreat is designed by a writer for writers. Imagine . . . springtime in Vermont, finding yourself among like-minded souls who have gathered for one purpose: to write their books. Art is created; community is forged. For me, this rare retreat is a dream come true. Perhaps it will be for you, too. Please feel free to email me with any questions. I so hope youll join me. Warmly, Connie
Posted on: Thu, 07 Nov 2013 19:21:34 +0000