Announcing the Inaugural Nantucket Writing & Rejuvenation Retreat!
Speaking of upcoming inaugurations, this one's fun -- so come join me!
Happy holidays! I just got back from a writing retreat at Kripalu with Dani Shapiro, New York Times bestselling author of both fiction and memoir. This retreat is something I’d wanted to do for eleven years but never found the time for. And then time kept passing by, as it always does, and I thought: if not now, when?
And so I gifted myself the retreat after securing a two-book deal with MIRA in September, and I’m so so glad that I did. The weekend was filled with connection and purpose and feel-good vibes. Everyone left re-energized and ready to write - and live - with more intention and joy.
There is nothing better than time away that brings you back home with a renewed sense of self. So today, I am suggesting that you retreat.
Retreat with me to Nantucket, that is!
Retreat is an interesting word. Its primary definition is to withdraw to a quiet or secluded place, or to pull back, both of which have negative connotations. But think about the re part of the word, a prefix which means once more, afresh, anew. Synonyms for retreat include restore, refuge, and haven. Ah! A fresh haven in a quiet, secluded place! Pull back so that you can rejoin the world with a stronger spirit and a stronger sense of yourself, your community, and the importance of your art.
And so, I’m CALLING ALL WRITERS! Whether you’ve been published or not, whether you are working on a memoir or a historical novel or even that newfangled genre known as romantasy, I’d like to invite you to join me in an exciting, new endeavor.
My friends Mary Bergman (director of the Nantucket Preservation Trust), Holly Finigan (author, entrepreneur and meditation advocate), and I have combined our writing expertise with our knowledge of and love for Nantucket and created The Nantucket Writers Workshop. And we are kicking things off big-time with the first-ever Nantucket Writing & Rejuvenation Retreat, partnering with The Nantucket Hotel.
When it is:
Three-nights, Thursday, March 20th - Sunday, March 23rd, 2025.
What it is:
(Taken directly from the Nantucket Hotel’s website): The Nantucket Writing & Rejuvenation Retreat brings together The Nantucket Writers Workshop and The Nantucket Hotel for a first of its kind island retreat. Over three days, a select few attendees will engage in creative spaces that allow time for reflection and connection. Writers will be helped to hone their craft, generate new pages, and tap into the power of their stories in a supportive environment. Together, we will create new rituals that enhance the creative process by engaging your mind, body, and spirit while also giving you plenty of time to write.
Attendees will combine their workshop experience with relaxation and luxury at The Nantucket Hotel & Club. Attendees will stay at the hotel and participate in the Club’s yoga classes and curated food and beverage experiences. The Nantucket Hotel & Club will serve as the home base for the weekend, allowing everyone to create close connections with each other.
On Friday and Saturday, after our morning rejuvenation at the hotel, attendees will be transported to a luxury island estate that will serve as our writing retreat headquarters. Here, Holly, Mary and I (and maybe a guest speaker or two! Stay tuned!) will lead small-group sessions that jumpstart our writing with mini-lessons and writing warm-ups that help us get into that great state of flow where we are ready to write.
Learn new ways of looking at your work, get unstuck and solve some problems with structure, plot, or characterization, and then spend several hours each day writing in solitude. Days will conclude with a group share, where participants can gather around the outdoor fire pit and read their work aloud or summarize what they accomplished and what they hope to do next.
How amazing is that?
And both the hotel and the retreat compound are incredibly bananas. That’s how nice they are. And prices are reasonable-ish! I swear.
Think of it like a girls trip and gather some friends together and book one of the suites we have in our block of hotel rooms. (They are really sweet suites! With 3-4 bedrooms, a living room, kitchenette, and several full bathrooms! It’s fancy Nantucket offered at a great rate. Think Affordable Luxury!) Or, if you are feeling adventurous, come by yourself and still sign up for a suite, and meet some great like-minded new friends. Or, if you prefer privacy, sign up for your own room.
You can find out much more about the whole shebang, including prices and a more detailed list of activities, by clicking on The Nantucket Hotel’s Writing & Rejuvenation event page.
Why I am doing this:
As a writer, I have gone on several retreats, both solo ones and in groups. I always find them to be really helpful in terms of my work, and also for a mental and emotional re-set. People really crave a re-set right now. We also crave community.
Also, you know how, when you book a trip, it’s like you have a little something fun to look forward to? This is perfect for that. Plan something special for yourself in 2025.
Recently, I was invited to my friend’s ski house (ski haus?) for a writing retreat in Vermont with a few other members of my writing workshop. We wrote, and took hikes, and hot tubbed, and read tarot cards, and talked about our writing, receiving support and encouragement. It was just what I needed.
Trust me: this is just what you need. And if you’ve ever thought to yourself, how much fun would it be to visit Nantucket with Julie, now’s your chance. (And the answer is very fun.)
How to sign up:
Please look at the Nantucket Hotel’s website for full pricing. There are several options, for those coming from off-island who want to do the whole experience and those who have their own housing on Nantucket and just want to join us for the writing portion. There is also a “stay-and-play” package for those on-island who want to partake in some of the hotel’s rejuvenation experiences, too!
This is a two-pronged sign up: 1. book your hotel room by contacting me directly, either by responding to this post or emailing me at jgerstenblatt@gmail.com. (You can also reach out to our workshop email listed on the hotel website, but that goes to me, too!) I will help you arrange a spot in a suite or a single, and then the hotel will reach out to you to book the correct room. 2. use this Eventbrite link to sign up for the writing workshop portion of the event.
Make this the year when you start that project - or finish it. As a novelist who had her debut at 52, I know that anything - at any stage of life - is possible. Let’s do this.
I really hope to see you on Nantucket in 2025.
xo
Julie
My gosh this sounds like fun. Unfortunately I can't go anywhere, I gotta feed my dog and walk my wife. Or the other way around : ) Keep us up to date and have fun Julie