“Arowhon Pines – I’ve already reserved my spot for next time” by Joyce Schacter

I’ve just returned from an inspiring weekend of writing with the Quick Brown Fox himself, Brian Henry.

This retreat reminded me that the craft is an interactive process: write, read, receive feedback, revise. Brian encouraged, coached, cajoled and helped us apply ourselves to what we love: the stuff of stories. He presented key topics, led discussions, organized us into reader-feedback buddies, put us at ease in his kind and funny way, and set up an environment that nurtured the writer in us. 

In one-on-one sessions, our fearless leader applied his laser vision and editorial savvy to our writing projects and brought them to new levels of clarity. 

The beautiful natural setting at Arowhon Pines Resort in Algonquin Park was ideal for a writing retreat. Ethereal mist moved across the lake in the cool early mornings of mid-September.

We hiked, canoed, kayaked, and swam in the still waters of Little Joe Lake, and had a boat tour of the area. Though the word “retreat” suggests temples and robes, the only monastic feature of Arowhon Pines is the old-fashioned bell clanging call to the dining hall for delicious gourmet meals. Dining together gave us wonderful opportunities to connect and draw motivation from each other. 

We were an eclectic dozen, including a feng shui expert, a painter in search of a new artistic medium, an accountant with an interest in Depression-era prostitution, and a retired jail warden, to name a few.

After I slipped into Little Joe Lake for a pre-breakfast swim one misty morning, I was designated Chief Lemming in the line up for the Go Jump in the Lake exercise that we’re planning next time ... I’ve already reserved my spot.

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This piece arose out of Joyce's retreat with us a few years ago. To read more about Arowhon Pines Resort, see here. And read more pieces about – or inspired by – Brian’s retreats, workshops and weekly classes here (and scroll down).

For information about upcoming writers’ retreats, at both Arowhon Pines in Algonquin Park, Sherwood Inn on Lake Joseph in Muskoka, and at the Elm Hurst Inn and Spa in Ingersoll, see here (and scroll down). 

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