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Join us for a journey into these ideas: 

 Writing in the Wellness of Everyday: There is a fallacy to creativity in that many believe it first requires crisis and that self-destruction is the fast track to creative success. We hope to challenge this long-held notion by encouraging you to seek creation in wellness. You are here, awake, alert, alive. Your next essay doesn’t need to come from a bad breakup; the quote “write drunk, edit sober” doesn’t need to be taped above your desk. In this initial session we will introduce this notion of “writing in wellness” through introductions, inspirations, and an “altar” exercise. Tyler and Bethany will then talk about their ten-year backstory and the power of being penpals.
Writing Through Hard Emotions: Therapeutic writing is simply writing that relates to healing, addressing the dis-ease of our lives. For many, memoir, essays, and short stories are ways to record personal histories. And yet, all story is fiction. It is the way I remember the Christmas of 1990, not the way you do. Learning to confront our own stories, depict friends and family, and learning how and when to separate sentiment from narrative is important. In this session Bethany will lead the group in writing practice based on Where I’m From poems used in classrooms across the country. Tyler will give personal anecdotes about lessons learned as a memoir writer.
The Art of Honesty: Finding your particular voice can be scary in life, and in writing. We learn from a very early age through mimicry, encouragement, and relationship. Our writing has a similar developmental process. We learn by what we read, we write using the voice of our teachers, our muses, our inspirations. And then we come into our own. This 3rd session will blend writing prompts and exercises with an exploration of the land at the Whidbey Institute. Bethany will offer conversation around thin/thick descriptions used in therapeutic spaces as a way to offer engagement around honest writing, and Bethany and Tyler will discuss their chosen platforms as places that hold their honesty best.
Addressing the Ego: Ways to Avoid Taking Personal Critique Personally: Any creative process and art form that is to be shared asks of us to sacrifice our ego on the altar of criticism. Not everything we do will be loved. Not everything we write will be understood. Not every story will translate to a larger audience. So how do we survive the scrutiny of others while at the same time bravely offering ourselves to the world? This session will address tips and tricks of the trade: How to grow more comfortable sharing your work, how to metabolize rejection and critique, how to send your super-ego to a timeout in order to pursue the work.

Tyler is a professional writer, working from home in Belgrade, Montana. He recently completed work as an Associate Editor at Only One, a storytelling platform for ocean conservation, where he wrote & edited articles.   Bethany is a therapist, finally seeing clients in person again at her private practice in Seattle. After 10 years of being pen-pals, they decided to share the magic with others and will be your hosts for the weekend. 

This writing retreat is not only a space to write, reflect, and learn. It is also a space to be quiet, to connect to the rhythms of the earth, the stories of the land, and to allow your body and mind to both rest and be enlivened to write again, write down what is in your bones, write down what your heart cannot let go of, write for health and healing, write for necessity. 

Offerings and opportunities include:​​
  • Workshops on therapeutic writing, poetry, non-fiction, publishing, pen-pals, writing through grief, and rediscovering the sacredness of the written word
  • Writing prompts each day with amble time to reflect
  • Forest walks/hikes through the land
  • Locally sourced meals 
  • Open space and writing time​​
We hope you will join us. 
The retreat will run from 2pm on Friday, October 6 to 1pm on October 9th, 2023.
For those flying in, the closest airport is Paine Field in Everett, WA. You should plan to land no later than 1pm on Friday and depart no earlier than 2pm on Monday. 
  • 3 nights, 9 delicious meals from our personal chef, and 4 days of programming
  • All bedding will be solo to create as safe and as socially distanced opportunities as possible. If you and another member of your immediate household wish to attend together, we can accommodate shared housing. 
  • Covid Tests will be administered upon arrival.
  • For more about the policies at the Whidbey Institute, please read more here.
  • All costs include 3 nights, solo lodging at the Whidbey Institute's Cabin Village or Historic Farm house, 9 delicious and freshly prepared  meals from a personal chef, and carefully tended workshop guidance. Please fill out the form below before registering!
  • 50% of your payment is refundable until August 1, 2023.
  • There are no refunds after August 1st, although you may transfer your registration to another participant at anytime. 

    Please let us know who we can look forward to meeting!

After completing this form and hitting "Submit" please continue your registration by choosing one of the housing options below, and then checking out with your chosen ticket price and room. 

Tender || Wild Writing Retreat - Events and Meals ONLY - no lodging included

$600.00

For those who live on the island or have other accommodations, this is an option for the workshops, group conversations meals. It does NOT include housing at the Whidbey Institute.


  • Breakfast is served at 8am and our last session each day ends at 9:30pm
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Supported Tuition - Writing Retreats

$800.00

For those participants who need assistance or a lower rate, we offer this supported tuition tier.

Your rooms will be assigned after regular registration is closed. We are so glad you can join us!



For more information about these rooms, please visit: https://whidbeyinstitute.org/accommodations/


  • Meadow Row, Hillside Cabins, and lodging in the restored farmhouse will be utilized for this retreat.
  • The price of your retreat includes meals, lodging, and instruction.
  • This price does not include travel to the Whidbey Institute, transportation or any products for sale at the retreat site.
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Tender || Wild Writers Retreat - Single Room Standard

$975.00


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Tender || Wild Writers Retreat - Single Room Supporting

$1,100.00


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