Beach Writing Retreat in North Carolina

WRITING CLASSES TAUGHT BY INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS

Classes are subject to change to give you the best experience

2023 SCHEDULE

Saturday, November 11,

 2023

Arrival time: 2:00 p.m.

3:00-4:15 p.m. How to Free Your Inner Writer--Self-Care Must-Haves

• Introduction and networking opportunity
• Discover what's blocking you and how to release
• Free your mind to relaxing music to let go of stress and to set the tone for the retreat
• Writing activities to free your muse
• A challenge to start good habits for the time-management class

 5:30 p.m. Devour-Worthy Dinner

8:00 p.m. Hot fresh cookies served while you relax

The rest of the evening: Write, Hot Tub, Make Friends, Relax

Sunday, November 12, 2023

8:00-9:00 a.m. Continental Breakfast

10:00-11:15 a.m.

YOUR DAY BEGINS THE NIGHT BEFORE--taught by Lori Hayes: 

Set yourself up for success by starting the night before. Learn skills to help you achieve your desired goals. This class is full of proven steps to not only help you relax and sleep better, but to help you get words on the page to finish your beloved book. 

12:00-1:00 p.m. Lucious Lunch

1:30-2:45 p.m.

KEYS TO STAYING ON TRACK--taught by Jennifer Delamere

What challenges do you face as you pursue your goal of writing? Whether they are internal (fears, concerns, distractions), external (family and work responsibilities, finding time to write), or issues related to the nuts-and-bolts of writing, they do not have to be insurmountable. We’ll look at some of the most common problems and cover a variety of ways to tackle each one.

3:00-5:00 p.m. Downtime to write, network, play pool, or walk on the beach

5:00-6:00 p.m. Devour-Worthy Dinner

8:00 p.m. Hot fresh cookies served while you relax

The rest of the evening: Write, Hot Tub, Make Friends, Relax

Monday, November 13, 2023

8:00-9:00 a.m. Continental Breakfast

10:00-11:15 a.m.

How to Craft Dynamic Dialogue--taught by Jennifer Delamere: 

Poor use of dialogue in your manuscript can turn off your reader fast. It needs to ring true, or your reader will often set your book down. Learn how to wield dialogue to strengthen your voice and that of your characters.

Using examples from novels and film, we’ll cover the ways dialogue can:

• Convey information and avoid the need for info dumps (without being obvious about it)
• Move the plot forward
• Create memorable characters
• Show relationships between the characters
•  Convey mood and emotions and set the pace

We will also cover basic conventions for writing dialogue and discuss the nuances that make this subject more than a list of do’s and don’t’s.

12:00-1:00 Lucious Lunch

1:30-2:45 p.m.

THREE SECRETS TO LIVING YOUR EXTRAORDINARY LIFE--taught by Cindy Patterson:

• Learn to write your own story. Every morning is a new opportunity to start your day. How do you want to show up in your life?
• You are only one thought and one action from making your own dreams come true
• Rip out the pages of your own fiction that do not serve you

3:00-5:00 p.m. Downtime to write, network, play pool, or walk on the beach

5:00-6:00 p.m. Devour-Worthy Dinner

8:00 p.m. Hot fresh cookies served while you relax

The rest of the evening: Write, Hot Tub, Make Friends, Relax

Tuesday, November 14, 2023

8:00-9:00 a.m. Continental Breakfast

10:00-11:15 a.m.

Marketing Madness--taught by Lori Hayes: 

Dig into book releases, social media, and interviews to begin selling yourself, and even your book, before it is published. Lori has learned valuable tricks of the trade for getting your book out there before release day and after.

12:00-1:00

Lucious Lunch

1:30-2:45 p.m.

Theme - more than the heart and soul, it's the backbone of your story

Taught by surprise guest speaker: Cynthia Cooke, USA Today Bestselling author

Does your theme sound like a cliche? - There's no place like home. Home is where the heart is. All is fair in love and war? If so, you've come to the right place!Theme is the magic sauce that brings characters to life and makes stories resonate with readers. Learn how to use theme in each act, each scene, to transform your stories and your characters, and to turn your book into a bestseller readers will think about long after they reach The End.

3:00-5:00 p.m. Downtime to write, network, play pool, or walk on the beach

5:00-6:00 p.m. Devour-Worthy Dinner

8:00 p.m. Hot fresh cookies while you relax

The rest of the evening: Write, Hot Tub, Make Friends, Relax

Wednesday, November 15, 2023

8:00-9:00 a.m. Continental Breakfast

10:00-11:15 a.m.

TIME MANAGEMENT FOR THE BUSY WRITER--taught by Lori Hayes: 

Are you busy juggling family responsibilities, working full time, cooking meals after a long day? Do you wonder how you are supposed to write your passion project too? Lori has found a way to get it all done and to win writing awards too. Learn from a seasoned author. You will learn proven techniques to manage your time effectively to accomplish all you wish while also taking good care of yourself. 

12:00-1:00 Lucious Lunch

3:30 p.m. A warm goodbye until we meet again