Aloha Writers Retreat: Tap Into Your Naturally Creative Soul

What could be better than spending a week relaxing and writing at the beach with other like-minded writers? Doing it in Hawaii! That's what writers and workshop leaders, Dawne Knobbe and Svette Bykovec, are offering writers this fall (November 7th through 14th). As their website states, come to the Aloha Writers Retreat and "join us . . .for a unique journey into your creative soul."

Dawne is the author of Runaway Storm, a young adult novel, and is very involved with SCBWI-LA. You can find out more about Dawne below as she talks to us about the Hawaii retreat, or you can visit her website. Svett is an award-winning author and illustrator; her books (writer/illustrator) include See Into the Sea and Crazy Crustaceans. Her website is MoonDog Manuscripts.

Read on to see what you will do in Hawaii, what the price includes, and special discounts for WOW! readers and/or if you are willing to have a roommate.

Dawne & Svett

WOW: Hi Dawne, thank you for being with us today to discuss the Aloha Writers Retreat. Please start by telling us how this wonderful retreat began.

Dawne: For many years, Svett Bycovec and I organized two writers' retreats in California. One year we would hold Critiquemania, which was a very fast-paced, intense 3-day retreat; then the next year, we would organize Sense and Sensibility, which was more about the creative process and nurturing your inner muse. When Svett moved back to Australia, we started thinking about doing something that would combine the two, and the idea for the Aloha Writers retreat was born. There is something so magical about Hawaii that we couldn’t think of a better location to inspire writers.

WOW: Yes, that is so true! I'm sure Hawaii would inspire me. Who should attend this workshop? Are there any specifications for certain writers, genres, etc?

Dawne: This retreat is for writers of all genres. It is geared towards people who are actively working on writing projects but beginners are welcome. Writing is a creative process, whether you are writing fiction, non-fiction, or for children or adults. I personally have a background in many genres, so I hope to help people explore different genres.

WOW: Great! What can attendees expect during their seven days in Hawaii at your retreat?

Dawne: It will be a week of healing and nurturing the writer within you. We will work through stumbling blocks in your creative process and specific issues in your stories. We will critique each others work supportively and participate in different exercises designed to inspire our muses. Attendees will come away with new friends, the inspiration to move forward with their writing, and new methods to help achieve their goals. We will also have a lot of fun exploring the island culture and relaxing in this tropical paradise.

WOW: That sounds wonderful. What all is included in the price for the attendees? Who leads the retreat?

Dawne: The price of the retreat includes 7 nights of accommodations. 

Breakfast and dinner daily, plus some lunches and lots of snacks. 

If you have uncomplicated special dietary considerations, we are happy to work with you. Otherwise, we have an open kitchen policy, and you are welcome to prepare your own dishes.

 Besides food and lodging, the price all program fees include: materials including entrance fees on planned excursions

, transportation (with some limitations), 
daily “writing fun-shops” 

inspiration and exercises with faculty, plus one-on-one editing and group critiques. There are also

 specialty supplies and surprises.

 So there's time to relax, reflect, write and enjoy beautiful Hawaii. If you mention WOW, we will extend our early bird discount rate of $2269.00 (which is a savings of $300).

WOW: This sounds so amazing! Thank you for all the details. What else do WOW! readers and writers need to know about the Aloha Writers Retreat?

Dawne: Svett is a published writer, illustrator, and art therapist. I have a master's degree in professional writing and have made my living as a journalist, creative director, writer, and publisher. We run a non-profit press called The Nature Kid, which is all about teaching children about conservation in a fun and wacky way.

And here is some really good news for WOW readers. We have a special early bird discount ($300) and also a roommate discount ($200). We will extend the discount rate for all WOW! participants past the posted deadline.

WOW: Thanks, Dawne, for all the information. It sounds fantastic! 

Okay, Muffin readers, to sign up for this amazing experience, please go to Hawaii Retreat 2014 website by clicking here.

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Leave a Comment Aloha Writers Retreat, Dawne Knobbe, get inspired, Hawaii, muse, writing retreat

Working to Inspire New Writers

What inspires you as a writer?
Photo | EKHumphrey

I’m in the planning stages for a noncredit writing class that takes place this summer—in real life. I spend a lot of time interacting with people virtually, so I’m excited for the challenge of returning to the classroom and connecting with people wanting to write.

Planning such a class takes me back to the days when I was in their shoes. I was writing in notebooks and journals, but I hadn’t made a commitment to work on something substantive. In fact, I just knew I wanted to write better.

I remember arriving each day for class, I would enter the YMCA building in Manhattan and, as I walked up the steps, inhale the pool’s chlorinated aroma. The instructor was a patient, blossoming writer. She introduced me to writers I had previously passed carelessly. We felt comfortable sharing our personal, early writings with a room of strangers. That class turned on a switch for me.

Have you ever taken that kind of a class?

I’ve been scouring my piles of craft books compiling exercises that I can introduce in the three-hour classes. I’m diving into the remnants of nuggets of ideas from classes I took. I’m looking for exercises that entertain while illuminating different elements of writing. At the same time, I want to help these novice writers comfortable with their discomfort with writing. I want to help them get pens to paper and turn their ideas into a love of writing.

(Side note: One of my favorite exercises for character description is to have students explain what is in their characters’ pocket or purse. Endless possibilities!)

We’ll spend the class time discussing the area of focus, writing to complete the exercise, and sharing our writings. Understanding how to critique respectfully will be a part of the course. And, while the focus of the class is to write what you know, I want the students to start feeling free to play with words and what they can do on the page.

Before I turn the students loose on the exercises, I want to revisit and write the exercises that I enjoyed and what inspired me.

I want to help them become passionate about writing and, hopefully, turn on their writing switches.

Is there a class you attended that was inspirational and made you want to write? Have you taught a class that resonated with your students? What helped to take it to that level? What or who turned on the switch for you? Please add your comments below.

Elizabeth King Humphrey is a writer and editor living in North Carolina. Her credits include Idiot's Guide: Gluten-Free Eating (Alpha, 2014).

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1 comment Elizabeth King Humphrey, get inspired, inspire, writing class, writing classes

Writing Chose Me

by Crystal J. Casavant-Otto

I didn’t choose writing. Writing chose me. I didn’t understand this fully until I talked to a handsome farmer. I live in Wisconsin and in addition to being a writer, wife, and mother, I am a dairy farmer. Since we own a family farm I am aware of the mentality “why should we help support the farmers? and “they knew what they were getting into when they chose that job. This really made me think.

As a junior in high school, I sat down with a career catalog from the local college. I chose a major of accounting because I liked numbers, scored well in my classes, and I liked the starting salary Had my husband done something similar? Did he read about the danger of climbing a silo, the endless hours, the possibility of a complete loss from drought, and then decide the meager salary made it all worthwhile? Did he somehow miscalculated and not realized he would be working for less than three dollars an hour with absolutely no chance for a vacation?

I poured two cups of coffee and headed out to the barn. My husband was just hooking up the mixer to the tractor. He was tired and dirty. It was only mid-afternoon and he had already delivered two calves, milked 97 cows, bedded heifers, called the mink ranch to pick up an animal that was diagnosed with cancer, and here he was smiling and waving at me as I approached with a cup of coffee. That smile grew when I asked if I could hop on the tractor fender and ride along. As we bounced down the driveway side by side, I asked him when and why he decided to be a dairy farmer. He looked at me and his eyes lit up. He explained that farming chose him when he was about four. He had some die-cast tractors and his heart knew the only place he would ever be happy was on a farm.

I must have looked confused with his answer. He kissed my forehead and reminded me that farming is something you do because of passion and love. I nodded unconvincingly because I still didn’t really understand. I sat on the tractor while he hopped off to fill the mixer. When he came back and sat down next to me, he explained it in a way that finally made sense. “You don’t write because the annual salary is going to buy you a bigger house or a faster car, do you? You didn’t have children because they could provide you with a large bank account or secure retirement did you?” I wrinkled my nose – he knew the answers to these questions. That’s when we burst out laughing. We had followed our hearts. This life we have isn’t about fortune or fame and it has nothing to do with course catalogs, annual salaries, or retirement plans. This life is about passion and love. He didn’t choose farming, farming chose him and in the same way, writing chose me.

When did you writing choose you? Do you have friends and family that just don’t understand? Share your comments and stories below – we really love to hear from readers!



Crystal J. Casavant-Otto is a church musician, business owner, active journaler, writer and blogger as well as a dairy farmer. She lives in Reedsville, Wisconsin with her husband, two young children (Carmen 6 and Andre 5), three dogs,two rabbits, and over 200 Holsteins. Crystal is expecting another child at the end of September.

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11 comments a writing career, be passionate, career choices, for the love of writing, get inspired, love writing, passion for writing, why write