Workshops

Boot Camp for Writers Retreat Weekend – 2023

Friday, September 29th to Sunday, October 1st 

The Center at Mariandale, 299 North Highland Avenue, Ossining, NY 10562

Register at Mariandale Center

Come join us on a weekend retreat to focus on the craft of writing without the distractions of everyday life.

Here are a few of the ways the weekend will unfold:

Opportunities:

♦ Write about life’s small, quiet moments or big, public events

♦ Learn new writing techniques

♦ Laugh (and cry) with fellow writers

♦ Share your spiritual and writing journey.

Get creative. Join this fun community!

♦ Be inspired with creative prompts

♦ Experiment with imagery, setting, and story

♦ Recharge with a walk above the Hudson River

♦ Share your work-in-progress with fellow writers during our Saturday evening salon.

By the end of the weekend, you’ll:

♦ Complete several pieces of new writing

♦ Find mutual support for your creativity

♦ Discover the next steps to jumpstart your writing life

This exciting new retreat is perfect for the enthusiastic or reluctant writer!

Writing is good for the soul. Make time for your writing life. Pack comfortable clothes. Bring a laptop or notebook.

Date/Time: Friday, Sept. 29, at 5pm through Sunday, Oct. 1 at 1pm

Presenter: Mary Beth Coudal

Fee: $285 (all inclusive)

Mary Beth Coudal is an award-winning writer, stand-up comic, and fine artist. Her essays have appeared in the New York Times, Salon.com, and Self magazine. Ten years ago, inspired by her friend and mentor Dan Wakefield, she began teaching “The Story of Your Life” workshops. She is currently a New York City English high school teacher. She loves coffee, comedy, and a good book on a rainy day.

CLOSED – Spa Day for the Soul

April 2, 2022 
1 to 4 pm 

Stallings United Methodist Church, Matthews, NC

College Essay Tutoring

Soul collage We help students write and revise their college essays.

We start by brainstorming ideas about topics. Then, we work on your first draft. You are telling your unique story – complete with description, imagery, and emotion.

In subsequent drafts (usually two to five) we winnow the essay’s focus and tighten up the writing. Unnecessary words are jettisoned to make room for big ideas. You begin to structure those ideas to make the essay’s purpose clear. For each draft, we provide gentle but direct feedback about structure, style, and language.

In a small group setting (usually, two to five students) we learn from each other, laugh together and take the stress out of personal essay writing. The college application does not have to be a chore.

The college admissions team wants to meet you through your essay. Your reader wants to find out who you are. What motivates you? What is your passion? How are you different?

Do not leave your best words unwritten.

Saturdays throughout the spring and summer. 

$115/hour (group)

$185/hour (individual)

Meet via zoom or in person (with all precautions taken).

Register here.

CLOSED – Adirondack Writing & Arts Retreat

October 9-12, 2020 — Westport, New York

You’ve got a story.

You’ve got an image — poetic or literal — abstract or naturalistic.

You’ve done some amazing travel.

You’ve come from an extraordinary family.

You’re going to share a big insight from a small encounter.

You need to capture daily life in these crazy political times.

Whatever the reason for a retreat, this 3-night retreat is a good place to start.

Register at: Adirondack Writing Weekend.

This workshop is a place to ask questions and try out some writing, reading, painting, noticing, and paying attention.

Questions we ask might be: What is memory? How do you add details from your experiences and to your work? We’ll tease out some answers and help you take the first step to finding the language of your life.

Adirondack Writing Retreat

CLOSED — Write to Heal 

We will create hope, healing, and a new vision for a safe, fair society, in which all people can thrive without fear of harassment and assault. Memoir and non-fiction writing exercises will be interspersed with mind-body exercises such as yoga and energy medicine to support participants through the process of turning their difficult stories into art.

This workshop series is ideal for writers of any level who would like to be part of a supportive network of people involved in the important work of speaking out about, healing from and preventing sexual violence.

Biweekly, Sunday mornings — 10 am to noon — in January and February

Week 1 (January 13): What I Want To Say

Week 2 (January 27): Telling My True Story

Week 3 (February 10): Using My Story as Fuel for Personal Growth

Week 4 (February 24): Using My Story to Help Heal Rape Culture

The workshop will culminate with an optional public reading and/or a published collection.

Register below

A portion of the proceeds from this workshop will be donated to RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network), the nation’s largest anti-sexual violence organization.

Mary Beth Coudal is a writer, teacher and founder of the Writers Boot Camp. Sheryl Burpee Dluginski is a writer, mind-body fitness instructor and founder of Generations Fitness and the Creating Health Studio.