Spring Writers Retreat at a new location: Elm Hurst Inn & Spa

Spring Writers’ Retreat

At the Elm Hurst Inn & Spa

Friday, April 25 – Monday, April 28, 2025
Register ASAP to be sure of a spot!
Elm Hurst Inn & Spa
415 Harris Street, Ingersoll, Ontario, Canada (Map here)

Give yourself four days of writing time – a long weekend of instruction, inspiration and creativity. Award yourself with time away from distractions, with no dishes to do, delicious food at every meal, and with the leisure you need to sit with your feet up and write.

The retreat will feature both instruction and guided writing exercises, plus one-on-one critiquing and coaching from Brian.  You’ll also have lots of time to relax, rejuvenate, and reconnect with your creativity. All writing levels welcome. Whether you’re just beginning or have a novel in progress, please join us. 

The setting: Nestled on 30 acres of beautiful rolling countryside, the Elm Hurst mansion was built in 1872 as the personal residence of James Harris and family. A fine example of the Gothic Revival style, it remained a family home for more than a century.

The last Harris heir sold the property in the mid-1970s, and the house was transformed into a popular dining establishment that opened in 1979. An addition was added to the rear of the original structure five years later, with the 49-room Elm Hurst Inn & Spa being built in 1988.

The original mansion and its beautiful carriage house with its rustic wooden beams (often used for weddings) remain integral parts of the Inn.

James Harris made his fortune partly from the apple orchard planted on the grounds but mostly from the cheese business. He erected the James Harris Cheese Factory in 1865. To establish the area as the cheese capital of Ontario, he and other local cheese makers created a giant, 7,300-pound cheese ball. The Mammoth Cheese toured exhibitions in Toronto, Chicago, New York, Paris, and London (Yes, the cities in France and England, not the Ontario versions).

Ingersoll still boasts a cheese museum, which is a two-minute drive or twenty-minute walk from the Inn (here).

James McIntyre, a local poet, wrote an ode to the big cheese ball. McIntyre possessed a talent for writing poetry so truly awful that experts in the field of Good Bad Verse consider him one of the greats and cite his “Ode on the Mammoth Cheese” as a world-class example poetry so bad that it exhibits a certain genius. (For more on Good Bad Verse, see here and here.)  

Much later, the Town of Ingersoll created an annual poetry contest in McIntyre’s honor, though the object was to write good poetry, not bad. For many years Brian Henry had the honor of judging the children’s division of the contest.

Rates for the retreat include accommodation and meals. Each room has a king bed or two queens, an en-suite four-piece bathroom, and a desk for writing.

All meals are provided, from dinner on Friday through to lunch on Monday, including the Elm Hurst’s wonderful Sunday brunch. And of course, we’ll also have coffee service for our meetings. Alcoholic beverages are extra, as are Spa treatments – but you might want to check those out (see here).

All activities included. When you’re not writing, or for spouses who accompany you, the inn has an indoor sauna and steam room and an exercise room. The rural Oxford County setting offers idyllic opportunities for biking and hiking, with numerous trails in the area (here). The Inn itself has beautiful grounds – it’s a great place to get away and relax.

Check-in on Friday is 3 p.m. Our first writing get-together will be at 5 p.m. On Monday, we'll have our last writing get-together at 9:30 a.m. Check out is at 11 a.m. (though we may push the Monday schedule an hour later if the inn isn't full and they can accommodate a 12 noon check out).

Instructor Brian Henry has been a book editor and creative writing instructor for more than 25 years. He publishes Quick Brown Fox, Canada’s most popular blog for writers, taught creative writing at Ryerson University (now known as Toronto Metropolitan University) and has led workshops everywhere from Boston to Buffalo and from Sarnia to Saint John. But his proudest boast is that he has helped many of his students get their first book published and launch their careers as authors.

Read about previous retreats here (and scroll down).

Fee, including both the writing retreat and accommodation, meals, coffee & snack service, tips, and all inn amenities, for all three nights: $1,699.12 plus 13% hst.

Not included: alcoholic drinks, spa services, or other extras.

Bring a (non-participating) significant other along for the weekend to share your room for an additional $448.67 plus hst for the three nights (includes accommodation, meals and all amenities, but not the writing part of the retreat).

Book early – space is limited! And this retreat may fill up quickly.

For more information or to register, email: brianhenry@sympatico.ca

Note: Bookings for accommodations for this retreat must be done through Brian (unlike our retreats in Algonquin, where you book your accommodations through the resort).

Should I bring my work in progress?

Yes! If you have an on-going writing project, bring it with you. Bring more than you expect to get to; you'll have lots of time for writing. Besides, you may want to switch projects or share a project that’s just started or one that’s all done, except for reading it to a small, appreciative audience. If you’re not currently working on anything, don’t worry, we’ll get you writing.

Should I bring my laptop?

Yes! Unless you only work on paper. Or bring both – your laptop and your writing pad. No sense being short of essential supplies.

Who can attend the retreat?

Everyone interested in developing their writing skills is welcome to attend, whether you're aspiring writer or an accomplished author or simply enjoy writing as a hobby. There is no requirement for you to have been previously published or even to have an intention to publish.

I'm a poet / playwright / other writer. Is this retreat for me?

The retreat is open to anyone who enjoys writing. Instruction will focus on narrative writing; i.e., stories, whether fiction or memoir. But if you’re an essayist or poet or whatever, you’re entirely welcome.

Can you cater to specific dietary requirements?

Yes. But you need to let me know ASAP, so I can let the staff know about your needs.

I want to stay longer or arrive early. Is that possible?

If you want to arrive early or stay longer, that’s fine. You’ll book the Friday, Saturday, and Sunday night with Brian, and arrange any additional nights with the inn; just make sure they know you’re with Brian Henry’s writing group.

Is there cell phone reception and WIFI?

Alas, yes.

Can I use the spa at the inn or play a round of golf in the area?

Yes, you can certainly book a spa treatment (here) though that’s extra, and you book that directly with the inn (not through Brian). As for golf, yes there’s a nearby course (see here).

Can I bring my spouse (or partner or friend)?

If you want to share your room with a partner, they’re very welcome. Just let them know you’ll be spending most of your time writing, (though you will have some free time every day).

For more information or to register, email: brianhenry@sympatico.ca 

See all of Brian’s upcoming weekly writing classes, one-day workshops, and weekend retreats here.

“Spontaneity” by Geoffrey Knill

The dimly lit room pulsated with its crush of customers seated at round wooden tables laden predominantly with pitchers and glasses of draft beer, screwdrivers and drained shot glasses that had previously held B52s, sex on the beach, slippery nipples, or tequila. Several folks sat along the edge of a semi-circular bar surrounding the small stage designed to accommodate everything from small bands to wet T-shirt contests and a variety of other entertainment.

Occasionally, the clash of billiard balls could be heard from a room out back through the noise and clash of conversations. The majority of patrons in their late teens and early twenties out on the town this night were enjoying the ambiance of the place and the sounds of familiar music blasting from speakers set to a volume where you had to yell if you expected to be heard by the person sitting beside you.

On this weeknight in late spring with exams concluded and the promise of glorious summer days ahead the beer tasted better than ever and it was great to be hanging with friends. Looming in the immediate future would be the need to track down a summer job, but that could wait until tomorrow.

Six of us were seated around the table and it was at this time, in this place, over the guitar licks and drum beats that I learned that my good friend John, had been offered a job at a small municipal airport in Saskatchewan, let’s call it Springfield. John was a flight instructor at the time, later in life to become an airline pilot.

Now I know what you’re thinking, so to avoid alarming anyone I should mention that I believe John had the following day off work, as far as I can recall anyway.

He said he was mulling over the opportunity but hadn’t decided for certain. He was wanted at the airport right away. Yesterday, was how they put it to him. Without hesitation I said, that would be a great adventure and it called for congratulations and another round.

Conversation resumed when the band took their break and turned to where exactly Springfield was located in Saskatchewan. He thought it was in the southern part of the province. We would have looked it up on our cell phones except they hadn’t been invented yet, so we would check the map tomorrow.

In the bar that night he decided he should accept the job and because they wanted him right away, for some reason unknown to me, even now, I offered to give him a ride to, yes Springfield, Saskatchewan and we would leave in one day. What else did I have to do? 

In a previous summer, I had traveled west from Ontario to find work, hitchhike and look around Alberta and British Columbia. Oil production was booming and a job would not be hard to come by. I would figure something out after I dropped John in Springfield and continued on to Alberta. This seemed like an opportunity, or fate if you believe in that kind of thing.

Leaving the morning after tomorrow at the break of day would be perfect, even though we didn’t know how long the drive would take, we did know it was about twenty hours to Thunder Bay and well beyond that to Springfield, Saskatchewan. All that settled, I’m sure we turned our attention back to the band, the beer, and the girls seated at nearby tables.

No thought was given as to whether my little green two-door Chevy Nova with three on the tree would be able to make the trip there and back again for my return to school in September.

The following day, not too early a start, was set aside for gathering belongings which turned out not to take so long. John was leaving forever and would have to bring everything he’d need for the rest of his life; that amounted to some bedding, a couple pillows, clothes, and a shaving bag. I was leaving for a couple months and needed only a shaving bag, some clothes, blankets and a pillow.

The back seat was set up as a bed with sheets and pillows for sleeping enroute since we would be making the entire drive without stopping except for food and bathroom breaks. According to the map it would be a thirty-five-hour drive. One of us could sleep and the other could drive although it turned out sleep would not come so easy since the width of the car was significantly smaller than the height of either me or John.

About thirty-two hours into the drive, a growing band of pink appeared on the horizon in the rear-view mirror casting enough light on the tall dew-covered grasses as to make their tops glisten like gold and diamonds.

Morning and we were hungry, pulling into a small town that appeared to have been forgotten by time. Main street, a short tan-coloured strip of dirt road about a quarter mile long from start to finish, ran between a couple two-storey brick buildings, a run down auto garage with two antique gas pumps, glass signs on their tops that had to be from the 1930’s.

Just past the gas pumps the window sign in a small diner advertised breakfast. It would open within the hour and we hoped that was true. A couple of pick-up trucks appeared, pulling up to the diner, and an elderly woman’s head poked out the door. The men sauntered in and we extracted ourselves from the car, wandered over and pushed the door open to the sound of a clanging bell.

It was a small space with a couple of arborite top tables, vinyl covered chairs and several stools lined along a counter, all reminiscent of days long gone.

The full aroma of fresh coffee brewing filled the small space with a welcoming warm feel. We settled at a table and ordered. The first two men were joined by two others all in their sixties, all dressed in jean overalls, long sleeve shirts, and well-worn baseball caps bearing images of corn ears or seeds.

Talking amongst themselves they bemoaned the decline of their little hamlet and the surrounding area. One complained that he now had to drive one hour just to get a haircut.

We enjoyed an exceptional breakfast of bacon, eggs, hash browns and toast all complimented with fine fresh brewed coffee. Fully satiated, we settled back into the car for the final few hours of our drive, and once in Springfield it did not take long to find the address we were looking for.

As John climbed the porch steps, the front door swung open and he was greeted by a couple in their early forties. After confirming we were in the right place and moving John’s things into the house we said good-bye, promising to keep in touch over the summer.

I hopped into my car, backed out the drive, turned onto the highway, and drove west to Banff where I stayed for the night. The following day I landed a job. 1980 – a great summer.

Geoffrey Knill has wide ranging interests and experiences driven by an insatiable curiosity, strong sense of adventure, and vivid imagination. Since his first travel journal at age eleven, chronicling a family road trip from southern Ontario to Canada’s east coast, writing has been a part of life. 

In his younger days Geoff excelled at track and field, enjoyed sports, the boy scout experience, canoeing, camping, travelling the country, taking photographs, and recording memories. Jobs over the years have included everything from the summer carnival to working in northern Ontario fly-in communities, to the corporate towers of Toronto, and a great deal in between.

Geoff continues to have a great fondness for travel, nature, wildlife and wilderness. He’s  proud of his three grown children, is always on the lookout for the next fabulous photograph, and is dedicated to writing and sharing his experiences and fictional stories for others to enjoy.

See upcoming weekly writing classes, one-day workshops, and four-day retreats here. 

Read more short stories, essays, and reviews by your fellow writers here (and scroll down).

 

Coming soon: The 2025 Canadian Writers’ Contest Calendar – Order yours now

Whether you're a beginner or an advanced writer, if you’re looking for places to send your work, you should put contests on your list. 

The Canadian Writers’ Contest Calendar is a book that gives a full listing of annual writing contests in Canada arranged by deadline date. It lists contests for short stories, poetry, children’s writing, novels, and nonfiction – contests for just about everyone. Note that because it lists contests that run every year, the Contest Calendar is useful for more than a single year. 

The 2025 edition will be available soon. Get your order in, and we'll ship it right out to you, the day they arrive.

The Calendar costs just $29 by mail within Canada, all taxes & shipping included, or just $25 if you buy it at an in-person writing workshop, class or retreat.

To order, email: brianhenry@sympatico.ca 

See upcoming weekly writing classes, one-day workshops, and four-day retreats here.

Note: You can get new postings from Quick Brown Fox delivered straight to your Inbox as I publish them. Subscribe to the new Quick Brown Fox page on Substack here:  https://brian999.substack.com/

In Baba's Kitchen by Tya Colby

Tya and her Baba

They say scents are one of the most evocative prompts for memories, and that is certainly true for me. Whenever I catch the scent of vanilla, I close my eyes and immediately I can see my beloved Baba Dulchewsky, wide face creased in a smile under thick bushy eyebrows, grey hair pulled tightly back, her chunky body encased in a long cotton house dress with a broad homemade apron tied around her waist and covering her ample bosom.

My maternal grandparents emigrated from Russia, where the word for grandmother is Baba, and the word for grandfather is Gydo (JEE-doh). They never spoke completely in English – their conversation was a blend between what little English they knew, and the Russian they were more comfortable with.

The strong vanilla scent came from the nearby Thorold paper mill, just one block away, where my Gydo worked. In the 1950’s they cured the paper in vanilla, and it permeated their neighborhood, flavouring the air for miles around.

Back in those days there was no Thorold tunnel. When we went to visit, we often had to wait for almost an hour to cross a raised bridge on the Welland Canal that led to Baba and Gydo’s tiny home in Thorold South. I would always roll my window down in the car – even a crack on the coldest days – to catch those first trickles of vanilla, anticipating a warm and loving welcome.

There are more scents that evoke memories of my Baba. My earliest memory, just one brief flash in my first year, is of sitting in Baba’s wide plump lap – her dipping small pieces of homemade bread in a small bowl of milk and feeding them to me.

Her clothing redolent of cabbage, bacon, onions, and flour. You see, my Baba was an incredible cook and baker. She made everything from scratch, and to this day, I still use her simple recipe for holubtsi (HOLL’up-chee), better known as cabbage rolls. And whenever I make pyrohy (PEH’ roh-HEH), which most people know as peroghi.

Tya's Gydo and Baba

Baba always had an empty red and white Campbell’s soup can beside the stove, in which she kept her bacon grease, carefully scraped from her wide cast iron frying pan after every bacon fry. When the time came to cook the pyrohy, she would first boil them, to seal them.

She’d then scoop out a generous wad of filmy bacon grease out of her soup can and ease it into her frying pan along with a handful of chopped onions. The pyrohy would be dropped into this aromatic blend, sizzling and steaming until both sides had a light crust of brown.

At that point, she’d fill one of her pale green depression plates with a pile of them, and add an overly generous dollop of sour cream. As we ate, she’d hang over us at her grey kitchen table beside the window, nodding and encouraging us with, “Yeeshch! Yeeshch!” “Eat! Eat!”

In a Russia where she had starved, making and serving food was the strongest form of love, and she showed us this love every time we came to visit.

To this day I make holuptsi and pyrohy every fall and winter using Baba’s recipes from the old country - usually at the first snowfall. As the delectable scents of cabbage, bacon grease, and onion flavour the air, I am transported back to Baba’s kitchen, and I can almost hear her deep, heavily-accented voice lovingly encouraging me, “Yeeshch, malen’kiy, Yeeshch.”

And once again, I’m a little girl, loved and loving, lost in a rare sweet memory of unsullied innocence.

Tya Colby made a living writing nonfiction in every way possible for 35 years: radio newscasts, investigative reports, video scripts, radio & television commercials, magazine articles – to name a few. Now she is writing nonfiction from a personal standpoint, currently working on a childhood autobiography.

She also writes fiction. Her first attempt – an erotic story entitled Ageless Love (written in one of Brian’s workshops) – ended up winning first prize in a national contest and has also been published in the short story book, Moist.

She prefers writing stories or poetry with a twist at the end, so that you feel compelled to read the story again. There is always more to a situation than many people realize, and she likes to shake people up, have them reframe the way they judge situations and people – in fiction, and in real life.  

See upcoming weekly writing classes, one-day workshops, and four-day retreats here. 

Read more short stories, essays, and reviews by your fellow writers here (and scroll down).

You're invited to “Writing Personal Stories & Other Nonfiction”

“Writing Personal Stories & Other Nonfiction”

In-person: Thursday evenings, 7 – 9 p.m.
Jan 23 – Feb 27 (Or to March 6 if the class is full)
Burlington Anglican Lutheran Church
3455 Lakeshore Rd, Burlington, Ontario (Map here)

Note: You can take a similar class online. See here.

If you want to write any kind of true story, this course is for you. Personal stories will be front and centre – we’ll look at memoirs, travel writing, personal essays, family history – but we’ll also look at writing feature articles, creative nonfiction and other more informational writing. Plus, of course, we’ll work on creativity and writing technique and have fun doing it. 

Whether you want to write a book or just get your thoughts down on paper, this weekly course will get you going. We'll reveal the tricks and conventions of telling true stories, and we’ll show you how to use the techniques of the novel to recount actual events. Weekly writing exercises and friendly feedback from the instructor will help you move forward on this writing adventure. Whether you want to write for your family and friends or for a wider public, don't miss this course.

Instructor Brian Henry has been a book editor and creative writing instructor for more than 25 years. He publishes Quick Brown Fox, Canada's most popular blog for writers, teaches creative writing at Ryerson University (now called Toronto Metropolitan University) and has led workshops everywhere from Boston to Buffalo and from Sarnia to Saint John. But his proudest boast is that he’s has helped many of his students get published. 

Read pieces about ~ or inspired by ~ Brian's retreats, courses and workshops here (and scroll down).

Fee: $212.39 plus 13% hst = $240

To reserve your spot, email: brain.henry123@gmail.com

See all of Brian’s upcoming weekly writing classes, one-day workshops, and weekend retreats here.

Brucedale is a small press with a cool contest

The Brucedale Press

Box 2259
Port Elgin, Ontario N0H 2C0

https://www.brucedalepress.ca/  

Note: To get new postings delivered to your Inbox when they go up, visit the Quick Brown Fox substack page and subscribe: https://brian999.substack.com/ 

The Brucedale Press is a small independent publisher that produces books of poetry, fiction, nonfiction, historical, and pictorial works with a strong focus on the Queen's Bush (the area between Waterloo County and Lake Huron) and the Bruce Peninsula in Ontario, Canada. Brucedale publishes books both for children (up to grade 5) and adults. All books must be from Canadian authors and illustrators. 

Unless responding to an invitation to submit, query first by Canada Post with outline and sample chapter for book-length manuscripts. Send full manuscript for work intended for children. A brief resume of your writing efforts and successes is always of interest, and may bring future invitations, even if your present offering is not accepted for publication.

See Brucedale’s full submission guidelines here.

Brucedale also publishes The Leaf, a twice-yearly literary journal. The Leaf presents poetry, short fiction, reviews, essay, and author profiles from the Bruce Peninsula & Queen's Bush, traditional territory of the Saugeen Anishinaabek. Read more about The Leaf here.

Finally, Brucedale holds one of the coolest writing contests in Canada – their annual Acrostic Contest, which requires you to write a story in 26 sentences. For this year, you must begin with the phrase: X-rays cannot show… Then use 25 more sentences to tell your story, going through the alphabet in reverse order. So your second sentence begins with a W, and so on. After A, then a sentence beginning with Z, and ending your story with a sentence that begins with Y.

Entry fee is $5 for each story. First prize: 25% of the entry fees; second prize: 15% of the entry fees; third prize: 10% of the entry fees. The judge may award up to three honorable mentions. Authors of all published stories will receive a one-year subscription (two issues) of The Leaf.

Deadline: You must submit by mail and your entry must arrive by January 31, 2025

See the full contest guidelines here.

Note: If you’re interested in meeting an agent and in getting published, don’t miss our upcoming “How to Get Published” workshop. Details here.

See all of Brian Henry's upcoming weekly writing classes, one-day workshops, and four-day retreats here.

Navigation tips: Always check out the Labels underneath a post; they’ll lead you to various distinct collections of postings. For more children’s and young adult publishers, see here {and scroll down}. For book publishers in general, see here {and scroll down}.

You're invited to a “(Not so) Extreme Creative Writing” course in Burlington

“(Not so) Extreme Creative Writing”

 ~ For more experienced writers 

In-person: Thursday afternoons, 12:30 – 3:00 p.m.
Jan 16 – Feb 26, 2025 (Or to March 5 if the class fills up)
First readings emailed Jan 9.
Burlington Anglican Lutheran Church
3455 Lakeshore Rd, Burlington, Ontario (Map here)

Brian also has a number of “Intensive Creative Writing” classes coming up. These are similar to the “Extreme” class, but are all online. See here.

Extreme Creative Writing isn't like an extreme sport – it doesn't demand something crazy – but it is meant for writers who have been writing for a while or who have done a course or two before and are working on their own projects.

You’ll be asked to bring in a few pieces of your writing for detailed feedback, including a couple longish pieces. All your pieces may be from the same work, such as a novel in progress, or they may be stand-alone pieces, such as essays, picture book manuscripts, or short stories. You bring whatever you want to work on. 

Besides critiquing pieces, we’ll have discussions on topics of interest to the class. In addition to learning how to critique your own work and receiving constructive suggestions about your writing, you’ll discover that the greatest benefits come from seeing how your classmates approach and critique a piece of writing and how they write and re-write. This is a challenging course, but extremely rewarding.

Instructor Brian Henry has been a book editor and creative writing instructor for more than 25 years. He publishes Quick Brown Fox, Canada's most popular blog for writers, taught creative writing at Ryerson University (now called Toronto Metropolitan University) and has led workshops everywhere from Boston to Buffalo and from Sarnia to Saint John. 

But Brian’s proudest boast is that he’s has helped many of his students get published.  

Read reviews and other pieces about Brian's various courses and workshops here (and scroll down).

Fee: $256.64 + hst = $290

To reserve your spot, email: brain.henry123@gmail.com

(Note, the odd spelling of the email is correct: b-r-a … )

See all of Brian’s upcoming weekly writing classes, one-day workshops, and weekend retreats here.

You're invited to an "Intensive Creative Writing" class

Intensive Creative Writing

Offered online at 3 different times:

Tuesday evenings 6:30 – 9:00
Jan 14 – Feb 25 (or to March 4 if the class fills up). First readings emailed Jan 7.

Wednesday afternoons, 12:30 – 3:00
Jan 15 – Feb 26 (or to March 5 if the class fills up). First readings emailed Jan 8.

Friday mornings 10:00 – 12:30
Jan 17 – Feb 28 (or to March 7 if the class fills up). First readings emailed Jan 10.

We also have an in-person “(Not so) Extreme Creative Writing” class on Thursday afternoons, Jan 16 – Feb 27, in Burlington. This is the same as an Intensive class, but with a cooler name 😊 ~Brian. Details to come, but to reserve a spot in the “Extreme” class, email me at: brain.henry123@gmail.com  

Intensive Creative Writing isn't for beginners; it's for people who are working on their own writing projects. You’ll be asked to bring in several pieces of your writing for detailed feedback. All your pieces may be from the same work, such as a novel in progress, or they may be stand-alone pieces, such as short stories or essays. You bring whatever you want to work on. 

Besides critiquing pieces, the instructor will give short lectures addressing the needs of the group, and in addition to learning how to critique your own work and receiving constructive suggestions about your writing, you’ll discover that the greatest benefits come from seeing how your classmates approach and critique a piece of writing and how they write and re-write. This is a challenging course, but extremely rewarding.

Instructor Brian Henry has been a book editor and creative writing instructor for more than 25 years. He publishes Quick Brown Fox, Canada's most popular blog for writers, taught creative writing at Ryerson University (now Toronto Metropolitan University) and has led workshops everywhere from Boston to Buffalo and from Sarnia to Saint John. But his proudest boast is that he has helped many of his students get published.   

Read reviews and pieces about or inspired by Brian's various writing courses, workshops and retreats here (and scroll down).

Fee: $256.64 + hst = $290

To reserve your spot, email: brain.henry123@gmail.com 

See all of my upcoming weekly writing classes, one-day workshops, and four-day retreats here. ~Brian