profile

Audrey Hughey, Author and Planner Creator

πŸ’» Writing Retreat at home or away? 🌳

Published 5 months agoΒ β€’Β 4 min read

Do you prefer to retreat away or at home?

😊 No matter what you prefer, our small, welcoming community has something that fits your needs and preferences for writing retreats this spring! 🌸

In-Person Writing Retreat - April

What: Spring Writing Retreat at Natural Bridge, VA

  • We had a retreat at the Natural Bridge Historic Hotel and Conference Center back in 2019, and I returned there in December for a small writing weekend with a friend. Now, we're going back as a group again!
  • If you'd like to join us this year, hit reply and let me know so we can determine if it's a good fit. Each member is vetted by me so we can ensure that we have a group that is warm, welcoming, encouraging, and positive.
  • While you don't have to have toxic positivity as a personality trait, it's really important that our retreaters aren't overly negative either. I excel at cultivating an uplifting, inspiring atmosphere because these things matter. You won't find nihilism at my retreats.
  • Our retreat is a welcoming space for thoughtful, respectful writers who value kindness, inclusion, and community. We do not tolerate hate speech, harassment, bullying, or discriminatory behavior. Participants are expected to treat one another with respect so that everyone can focus on writing, creativity, and meaningful connection.

When: April 22 - 26

  • Wednesday evening through Sunday morning

Deadline for Joining: Thursday, March 19th

Where: Natural Bridge Historic Hotel and Conference Center

  • We're keeping this group small, and instead of a classroom-style conference room, we'll have tables set up in the Tyler house for our retreat. It has a full kitchen with a full-size fridge, and it will be available for use. (No shellfish!) This will feel much more like going to a house with friends - a relaxed, warm, and inviting atmosphere.

Schedule: You don't *have* to arrive on Wednesday evening, and we can hold anything you need at the house until check-in time.

  • Thursday - Saturday
  • 9 am - 11:30 am: Guided writing sprints. We'll sprint. In between sprints, we'll share our progress and excerpts as desired.
  • 1:30 am - 1:30 pm: Lunch and inspiration time. Take this time to eat with us in the house's kitchen or in your room, and to explore the park. The path in the Natural Bridge State Park follows a lovely winding river under the bridge, and to interesting spots like the Salt Peter Cave, Monacan Indian Village, and Leo Falls. It's the perfect break to enjoy the spring weather, get inspired, and enjoy some physical reinvigoration before we sit down to write again.
  • 1:30 pm - 5 pm: We're going to WRITE!!!! Guided sprints, prompts (verbal, audio, visual), and we'll take a few breaks to stretch and discuss author life, your 2026 goals, and planning for writing.
  • 5 pm - 8 pm: Chill at the house and keep writing, write in your room, go to dinner at the hotel's restaurant, etc. It's the most flexible time. All retreaters will be welcome to stay in the house and write/hang out/make dinner until 8 pm (Audrey's bedtime 🀣 )
  • Sunday: After breakfast, we'll get our last writing sprints in, complete a group writing exercise to say farewell, then commence checkout so everyone can start their drive home.

Does this sound like something you'd love? And if you can't join us this year, is this something you might want to join us for in the future?

⭐️ Remember: If you'd like to join us in-person, hit reply and let me know.

The 2026 Virtual Spring Writing Retreat: March 27 - 29

What: Our annual virtual writing retreat!

  • We've been holding our annual spring writing retreats for nearly a decade now, and we went virtual after COVID. Although the pandemic ended, we kept the virtual format because it allowed so many more people from all over the country and the world to join us. We learned the importance of accessibility, and as more attendees were able to join us, our sense of community and meaning only grew deeper.
  • As with our in-person retreat, our virtual retreat is also a welcoming space for thoughtful, respectful writers who value kindness, inclusion, and community. We do not tolerate hate speech, harassment, bullying, or discriminatory behavior. Participants are expected to treat one another with respect so that everyone can focus on writing, creativity, and meaningful connection.

When: March 27 - 29

  • Friday morning through Sunday morning

Deadline to Join: March 26th, 11:59 pm

Where: Online, completely virtual!

  • Through our course website, sessions on Zoom, sprints on our Discord channel (during non-official sprint times), and we have a Facebook group we can coordinate through for timely issues and ease of access.

Schedule (All times listed in US EDT):

  • 9 am - 12 pm: Welcome and introductions on Day 1, then guided writing sprints with prompts and exercises.
  • 12 pm - 1:30 pm: Lunch and free sprints. We'll have a room open so people can come back and keep working on their manuscripts during/after lunch.
  • 1:30 pm - 2:30 pm: Class Block 1
  • 2:45 pm - 3:45 pm: Class Block 2
  • 4 pm - 5 pm: Class Block 3
  • Sunday: At the end of the day, we'll share the progress we made over the weekend, write testimonials, and draw for prizes for participants.

And the best part? With the virtual retreat, all the classes are recorded, so you can keep watching and rewatching throughout the year whenever you need inspiration or a writing boost! You get lifetime replay, which is also helpful if you need to miss some classes during the retreat. But that's the beauty of our virtual retreat: It's so flexible without you having to worry about missing out on anything. 😊

Final Note: Someone let me know that checkout looked a little wonky, so I was able to go in and fix it. The form no longer asks for a phone number (I don't currently do any text marketing, and don't plan to at this point), and the retreat ticket is clearer now.

As a thank you to her and an apology to those who may have hesitated because of this, I'm offering a discount of 25% off until Thursday.

Just enter the code VIRTUAL25 at checkout.

What do you think of this format?

Which retreat type do you prefer?

What do you wish you could find in a writing retreat?

See you next week!

PO Box 2204, Martinsburg, WV 25402
​Unsubscribe Β· Preferences​

Audrey Hughey, Author and Planner Creator

Planners and Fiction

Audrey Hughey designs planners, writes fiction, and works diligently to help her fellow authors. Although she currently writes horror and thrillers, she’s as eclectic in her writing as in her reading. When she’s not submerged in the worlds of fiction and planning, she’s caring for her family, enjoying nature, or finding more ways to bring a little more light into the world.

Read more from Audrey Hughey, Author and Planner Creator

Hey Reader, Have you felt tired lately? I don't mean just a little tired. I mean, like, weary tired. The kind you feel in your bones. The kind that saps away your mental energy too. It can come from being overworked, overstimulated, and overburdened. Add it to sleep debt and a lack of (real) breaks, and life can feel more difficult than it needs to. And all of these factors piled on your back can drag down your motivation and sense of progress. One missed day of writing can easily become two,...

about 2 months agoΒ β€’Β 7 min read

Hey, writing friend! πŸ‘‹ Today, I wanted to share a little more about (and a few excerpts directly from) my Summer Break Writing Survival Kit. And I want you to know that this is helpful for parents, grandparents, and even for writers who aren't taking care of kids all summer. There are tools for everyone, and I spent many, many weeks pouring myself into every piece. I wrote these workbooks directly in my documents--and in scraps of notebooks to be transcribed once I got back to my computer....

about 2 months agoΒ β€’Β 3 min read

How do parents keep writing during summer break? If you're a parent, you know that this can be a struggle. According to my experiences and those of many of my friends, it's a bit different when you're working outside the home all summer. Without a vacation, it can feel like nothing changes. For those who stay home or work from home, it can feel like a huge struggle, a battle even, to figure out how to balance all the things. So I've spent the last four weeks creating my brand new Summer Break...

2 months agoΒ β€’Β 2 min read