Hey there, and welcome to “Nothing but the Words.” I hope your week and your writing are going exceptionally well.

In this episode, you’re going to discover why writer’s retreats are so popular among successful authors—and you’ll learn about an opportunity to attend a writer’s retreat with me.

Years ago, one of my writing mentors who led a paid workshop I participated in for several years won a prestigious award for her first novel.

The prize came with a significant monetary award, but it also came with an opportunity to go away and write in solitude.

When my mentor returned from that trip, she didn’t go on and on about all the money she’d won.

She went on and on about the joy and freedom of having expansive time and space to write.

She raved about how that writer’s retreat opened up space for her to get momentum on her next book.

If you happened to listen to the previous episode, then you know I interviewed my friend and colleague, book coach and author Anita Henderson about her latest book. You might also have caught some mention of an upcoming writing retreat. 

A couple of years ago, Anita and I designed a writing retreat for ourselves and one other author.

(Technically, two other authors because her husband joined us, and he too is an author, but he kindly spent his time making sure we were all taken care of and well fed.)

That trial run allowed us to test the waters and see what works best on a writer’s retreat.

And now we’re offering you the opportunity to go on a writer’s retreat with us.

We’ve locked in all the details, and we haven’t overlooked a thing.

First of all, we’re hosting the Rest, Restore, and Write Retreat on Amelia Island, in Florida from November 11th to November 15th, when the average daily temperature is 73 degrees.

If you want more information about it or to apply for your spot, find it at CandiceLDavis.com/retreat

We’ve chosen a traditional bed and breakfast so every participant has their own private, comfortable room and bathroom. If you join us, you and can retreat to their own space when the spirit moves you, and you never have to worry about getting dressed to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night.

It’s a beautiful space, and Anita, my co-host for the retreat, has actually stayed there, so we have an insider’s point of view.

Food can make or break your stay, we know, and she gave the breakfast at Williams House, our venue, two thumbs up. In addition, the owner can meet any dietary restrictions our guests have. If you’re like me and your eating style is specific, this is a huge deal.

The property offers porches and balconies and the kinds of nooks you can lose track of time in while you’re writing your book.

And you easily walk or bike to the downtown area to visit cute shops and restaurants.

It’s pretty much a perfect spot for a writing retreat.

For this first retreat, we’re inviting deep-thinking women writers to join us.

I’ve coached lots of men, and I enjoy working with them, but for this retreat, we really wanted to gather a group of women for a few reasons.

It may not look like it when you pick up your favorite books, but women continue to be underrepresented in publishing.

As my client Lamar Tyler wrote in one of his first books—maybe the very first one—the gatekeepers are gone.

You don’t need a publisher to grant you permission to write and publish your book.

But women still, on average, get smaller advances than men for their books.

Women are still underrepresented in  way too many book categories.

And women are still embarrassingly underrepresented on the bestseller lists.

Some of my clients publish independently, but others go the traditional route, and I want them to have the best possible chance to succeed.

I’m committed to the success of all my coaching clients, and I want to see women thrive at the same level as men in this field.

Anita and I also realize there’s a certain sisterhood vibe created when women support women, and that’s what we’re looking for on this retreat.

So a beautiful location with great food, and women collaborating for success.

My husband is a professor at a college in Atlanta, and they kick off every new year with a faculty retreat.

I tease him relentlessly because the retreat typically takes place on campus, the same location where these hard-working professors go to work every day.

That’s not a retreat by my definition, which brings us to reason #1 why successful authors go on writer’s retreats and you should too.

Reason #1: A new space and a distraction-free environment to spark your creativity

Getting away from your everyday environment, escaping the usual demands on your time, and putting yourself in a new physical and mental space are all essential to any retreat.

There’s nothing wrong with creating a retreat right in your own home—or in the case of my husband’s college, right where you work. I’ve done it myself.

But a new space provides new opportunities to tap into your creativity and focus on your writing.

Much of writing is thinking, and that can become very difficult to do in the noisiness of the world we live in.

Uninterrupted time to write is a necessity, but if your life is filled with work and caring for kids or aging parents and running a business and social obligations and volunteer commitments, and all the other obligations of being a human in community with other humans, escaping to a retreat can sometimes be the only way you’ll ever finish your book.

Reason #2 why success authors attend writing retreats and you should too -  creative energy flows and grows from the company you’ll keep

I got two neuroscience coaching certificates over the last few years, and I really geeked out on what I learned about creativity and productivity.

Neuroscience studies have shown us that you’ll often be more productive if you work in an environment where you can see other people being productive—even if you don’t talk with those people.

Spending time writing with other writers inspires you to write.

Just being in the presence of other people who are focused and making progress, makes it much easier for you to focus and make progress.

At the Rest, Restore, and Write Retreat, you’ll have the opportunity to escape to a space where you write in complete solitude or to sit down in a quiet, shared space and get to work.

It’s completely up to you.

Reas0n #3 why successful authors attend writer’s retreats and you should too – feedback from professionals

Progress isn’t really progress if you’re headed in the wrong direction.

And even if you’re writing exactly what you should be writing, you’re too close to your work to see where the strengths lie and where you have opportunities for improvement.

That’s the kind of feedback I paid for from my mentors, and it’s the kind of feedback available to you on this retreat.

At the end of each day of writing, you’ll have an opportunity to share some of your pages with the group or with one or both of your book coaches for feedback.

This is totally optional, but it’s an incredible chance to get real time feedback on where you should go deeper in your writing, what you might want to cut, how the writing flows, or whatever else comes up in the session.

You don’t have to get feedback on your pages, but it’s a powerful experience when you do.

And reason #4 why successful authors participate in writer’s retreats and you should too -the support and guidance of experienced professional

The best writing retreats are led by knowledgeable, experienced people who care about your success.

In this case that would be us, book coaches Anita Henderson and Candice L. Davis.

We’ll be there to provide one-on-one coaching.

We’ve each worked in publishing, in various capacities, for almost two decades.

And we’ve coached dozens and dozens of authors to write and publish exceptional books that make a real and positive impact on their communities.

Speaking just for myself, I’ve coached authors to write books that have sold 10s of 1000s of copies, with or without a traditional book deal. And I’ve coached authors to write book proposals that landed six-figure advances.

In my past life as a ghostwriter, I also wrote more than 30 books for my clients, some traditionally published and others independently published.

Some writer’s retreats offer seminars or classes. That can be great especially for very new writers who still need to master some of the basics.

But we really want you to have the time and energy to write rather than sit in a class.

Throughout the day, you won’t ever have to sit in feeling.

At the Rest, Restore, and Write Retreat, Anita and I will be available for private coaching each day. You don’t have to get coached by us, but we’ll be there for you if you need us.

It’s our job to make sure you don’t lose time to writer’s block, imposter syndrome, confusion, or a lack of a plan.

If you decide you want to attend the retreat, you’ll notice we ask you to fill out a brief application.

Why? Because we care deeply about the environment we’re creating and the value you can get from it.

This retreat is appropriate for fiction writers, poets, and nonfiction writers of most kinds, including memoirists, and authors of personal development and professional development books.

The application is there just in case someone is writing an obscure kind of book we don’t think we can support them with and also to weed out any material that might violate any of our policies, such as our inclusion policy.

If you’re listening to this episode, and you’re excited about the possibility of stepping away from the busyness of everyday life and work and really focusing on your book, visit CandiceLDavis.com/retreat (The link is in your episode notes on your podcast player.)

We’ve already filled the first spaces. They went to writers we know are thinking deeply about their books and who are frankly a joy to spend time with.

It doesn’t matter if you’re at the beginning of the writing process or doing a final polish on your manuscript, the Rest, Restore, and Write Retreat will provide you the time, space, and support to make incredible progress. 

If you want to write a book proposal before the end of the year . . .

If you want to finally map out a solid plan for your book and get started writing the chapters . . .

If you want the support of experienced book coaches who coach their clients to get results and a small group of women with similar goals  . . .

You belong at the Rest, Restore, and Write Retreat. Find out more and secure your spot at CandiceLDavis.com/retreat

That’s all for this week’s episode, friend.

Thanks for listening to “Nothing but the Words.” I’m your book coach, Candice L. Davis, and I’ll see you next time.

We do know what we’re doing, and we’ll be available for private coaching sessions every day.