a life-changing women’s writing retreat
Join Jess Lourey, bestselling, award-winning, multi-genre author and retired writing professor along with writer, life coach, and seasoned retreat leader Allison Quaid on this week-long, all-inclusive women’s 2023 writing retreat held in Tuscany. Whatever your writing experience and goals, prepare for an alchemy of escapism, creativity, and renewal in magical Italy!
September 16-22, 2023
The Tuscan Region of Italy
Connect with your creativity.
Honor your courage.
Nourish your body.
Claim your voice.
This retreat gifts you the dedicated time, space, and guidance that your writing deserves. Jess has three decades of writing and teaching experience in addition to being a TEDx presenter, an Amazon Charts bestselling author, and a Psychology Today blogger. Allison is an experienced writing and life coach, a writer of healing fairy tales, and a spiritual intuitive. Together, they’re uniquely qualified to make you comfortable and to guide your writing to the next level, whether you are a beginning writer or have several projects under your belt.
Workshop Overview
During our week together, we’ll begin mornings with a delicious, healthy breakfast. Then, you’ll set your writing goal for the day. Jess and Allison will provide proven writing techniques designed to help you release writing blocks, organize your ideas, and find your motivation. You’ll uncover the heart of your creativity—whether you’re not yet sure what you want to write, or you’re working on a deeply personal memoir, a transformational self-help book, or a captivating short story or novel—so you have a true-north compass for your writing journey.
Your afternoon is set aside for rest, writing, and play! Nap, write on your own, research, explore our Tuscan home base, take an inspiring walk, lounge by the pool, daydream, call a taxi to a nearby town to shop or explore, sign up for a one-on-one with Jess or Allison for individualized guidance, enjoy a glass of sparkling wine on your patio, or form a supportive writing feedback group with two or three other women.
During the retreat, you’ll be shown how to:
Find the emotional heart of the story you need to tell
Discover the magic of connecting your writing to your experiences whether you’re crafting memoir, romance, mystery, self-help, women’s fiction, young adult, and anything in between.
Give shape to your stories
Connect with your voice and bring it onto the page
Create cinematic atmosphere in any project
Overcome blocks and make friends with time
(Re)discover the joy of writing
Find your path to publication, if that’s what you desire
This retreat is for women who want to:
Work with master instructors who value laughter, creativity, and community
Reconnect and re-center
Begin or advance a written project
Explore the world with a fun-loving community of creatives
Bond with interesting, joyful women
Honor, celebrate, and strengthen their intuition
Enjoy fresh and delicious local cuisine
Dedicate time for creativity but also for rest and play
Be cared for in a safe space
Laugh until their stomachs hurt!
We offer a nourishing mix of personalized instruction, relaxation, and community. Make 2023 the year you write that book!
This all-inclusive retreat is held at the stunning, serene Cignella villas in Tuscany. Registration includes:
All writing workshops and materials
A private bedroom and bathroom in a shared villa with a full kitchen and all sorts of cozy writing space
A 1 pm transfer from FCO in Rome on the first day of the retreat and a return transfer to Rome leaving at 9 am on the last day of the retreat (Driving and train instructions are here if you’re not able to make the private transfer, are flying into a different airport, or prefer to spend time exploring Tuscany before or after the retreat.)
Transfer to/from all the included activities (guided truffle hunt, wine tasting, and Montepulciano excursion)
Six breakfasts, five lunches, and five dinners
A guided truffle hunting tour in the expansive Tuscan countryside
A wine tasting excursion to the famed Fattoria dei Barbi winery
A self-guided shopping and sightseeing jaunt to the charming town of Montepulciano (dinner on your own this evening)
A writing retreat is a big, exciting commitment, both in time and finances. It’s important to us that we’re completely transparent and supportive throughout the sign-up process. With that in mind, here is what is not included with registration:
Airfare
Travel insurance
Transportation to/from the villa outside of the included excursions and the single shuttle leaving FCO at 1 pm on 9/16 and leaving the villa for FCO at 9 am on 9/22. It’s an approximately 3-hour drive from the villa to FCO, an hour and a half from the Florence airport. If it makes more sense to you to fly into the glorious city of Florence (it’s sometimes cheaper to fly into than Rome), you’d have the option of renting a car, taking a train, or ride sharing with other retreaters to get to the villa.
Dinner the night we’re in Montepulciano, though the town is dotted with charming and inexpensive dining options
Alcoholic beverages outside of the included wine tasting. There is, however, an on-site bar at Cignella if you’d like to purchase alcohol as well as a full kitchen in each villa if you’d like to bring your own.
An optional, add-on, one-hour Soul Journey session with Allison (these will be offered two evenings and one early morning and are $150, payable directly to Allison)
Fine print:
The retreat cost is $3640 per person. Either paying in full or paying a 25% nonrefundable deposit will hold your spot, so choose the option that works best for you. The full cancellation policy is available on the FAQ page.
If you hold your spot with a 25% nonrefundable deposit, the rest of the registration fees are due 60 days before the trip begins.
You’re encouraged to purchase travel insurance at the time of registration. Make sure the insurance covers the full cost of the retreat, medical care, as well as COVID-19-related occurrences so you can book with confidence no matter what the world brings.
We’ve chosen locations with exemplary COVID hygiene. In addition, Italy may have requirements for those entering its borders. You can find the latest information here: http://www.italia.it/en/useful-info/covid-19-updates-information-for-tourists.html.
All retreat participants are required to sign this waiver to participate in the retreat.
We're gonna have an amazing time. :)
All workshopping follows the Amherst Writing and Artists’ model as well as the principles of The Artist’s Way, two gentle, proven methods that recognize and nurture the creativity we are all born with. These methods support beginning creative writers as well as advanced writers.
To keep the setting intimate, registration is open only to women and capped at 20 registrants. Participants are encouraged to fly into Rome as it’s one of the least expensive cities in Europe to fly into; Google Flights is a great place to find low-cost flights. Once registered, you’ll receive an email complete with travel details plus an opportunity to share any dietary needs and villa-mate requests.
Retreat Leader
Jess Lourey is a TEDx presenter, Psychology Today blogger, retired creative writing professor, winner of The Loft’s Excellence in Teaching Fellowship and the bestselling author of 20 books. She wants to help you to write your best story.
*Jess’s retreats have been named to The Write Life’s Incredible Writing Retreats !
What other participants have said about Jess
“When I signed up for Jessica Lourey ’s fiction writing workshop, I was at a low point. I was stuck. I longed to write a novel, but I didn’t know where to begin. I didn’t think I had any stories worth telling. Jess helped me realize that I have a lifetime of experiences just waiting to be tapped into, a lifetime of stories, characters, settings and plot twists. Anyone can teach the mechanics of writing, but not anyone can inspire like Jess.” — Tina M., Minneapolis
"Jess Lourey is a rare double talent. She is an outstanding writer. Just as remarkable is Jess’ ability to teach writing to others. She clearly communicates the essence of good writing — whether it is giving a novice writer broad guidance on how to structure a novel or write sentences that grab the reader’s attention, or working with experienced writers on the fine art of wordsmithing to improve elements of pace, suspense or character development." — S. T., Indiana
