OCTOBER 25-27, 2024
hollywood, california
"Finding A Writing Room was a gift to me from the universe. I am a new writer."
- Leslie, 2023 Retreat Attendee
"The Writing Room weekend was life-changing and deeply healing. It was one of those experiences that feels perfect and leaves you completely fulfilled. I feel grateful and lucky to have been a part of it."
—Effie, 2023 Retreat Attendee
A Writing Room invites you to its critically-acclaimed transformational retreat designed to transform both your writing and you — the writer.
Take a break from the ordinary and step into a secluded weekend full of immersive workshops focused on transformation, craft, and creative breakthroughs.
Learn from the greatest writing teachers in the world alongside a community of passionate writers on a journey of self-discovery, mastery, and the timeless art of storytelling.
Don’t take our word for it, watch testimonials from 2023’s cohort of writers.
Change the way you approach writing as you discover and explore the proven process A Writing Room is known for — a holistic system of habit, craft and completion, all supported by the community you thought only existed in stories.
Invest in yourself as a writer with an immersive hands-on experience of over 22 live workshops taught and meticulously designed by literary legends exclusively for this retreat experience.
The beloved author of ten New York Times bestselling books, California Hall of Fame Inductee, and Guggenheim Fellowship recipient, Anne Lamott is a living literary legend.
Anne partnered with A Writing Room at our very first retreat in 2022, and shortly after became a full-time artist in residence at A Writing Room. She brings her passion, humor, and skill as a writer — and human — to this year's cohort, as well as a little “benevolent pressure.” Through her guidance, you will learn how to stop not writing and officially be able to call Anne a mentor who is in your corner.
If you Google “Greatest Living Authors, ” you will find Marlon James on almost every published list. He’s solidified himself as a true master of the writing craft. Marlon won the 2015 Man Booker Prize for Fiction, making him the first Jamaican author to take home the U.K.’s most prestigious literary award. James combines masterful storytelling with the brilliant skill of characterization and an eye for detail to forge bold novels of dazzling ambition and scope.
We’ve tapped Marlon to lead our emphasis on the craft of writing to make sure you leave with new skills and tools you can apply immediately.
It’s hard to think of a living writer who better embodies the literary American dream than Cheryl Strayed.
Cheryl has enjoyed all the success an author could hope for, including her #1 New York Times bestselling memoir, Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail, which was adapted into an Academy Award-nominated film. Additionally, her book Tiny Beautiful Things: Advice on Love and Life from Dear Sugar is based on her wildly-popular column and podcast “Dear Sugar,” which was developed into a Hulu original series.
We’re thrilled to welcome a writer of Cheryl's caliber willing to share her incredible insights and experiences with the 2024 Writing Room cohort.
Take the plunge and invest in yourself as a writer with this immersive hands-on experience consisting of over 22 live workshops. Each session is meticulously designed and taught by literary legends exclusively for this retreat experience.
With so many lectures, classes, and podcasts accessible at the touch of a button, we think passively watching prepared talks — safely and anonymously from our seats — is a terrible use of the collective energy produced by a room full of writers. Let our Creative Director, Jack Ashman, show you how we design our uniquely interactive program.
"Energizing and inspiring. I loved every minute of it. From the stunning location, to the luxurious hotel, to the impressive speaker lineup, to the friendly and welcoming attendees. It was like going to the best conference you can imagine, but times a thousand. Thank you so much for putting me (back) on my writing journey."
- Erica, 2023 Retreat Attendee
Every year, A Writing Room looks for the perfect place to host a transformational journey of self-discovery, mastery, and the timeless art of storytelling.
This year, our team has chosen the birthplace of the “writers room” — Hollywood, California. In one magnificent room, you'll feel the buzz 0f collective genius and passion guiding your hand.
See, hear, and feel the unseeable magic that happens when talented creatives embark on the grand quest of becoming a better writer than you were the day before.
Forge lifelong friendships, plant seeds of future collaborations, and make exciting connections you won't find anywhere else.
-- PLUS --
“Even as a virtual attendee there was a feeling of deep connection and genuine care from the mentors and fellow guests. The team worked so hard to make sure virtual attendees were included, from a vibrant, active chat room to including virtual guests in the open mic opportunities. The best part — it truly changed the way I write on a daily basis. I can’t recommend this retreat enough!"
- Esther, 2023 Retreat Attendee
Join this event from anywhere in the world in the comfort of your home.
We understand that not everyone can attend in person, and we've taken significant measures to ensure our digital attendees have a truly immersive experience. Our virtual platform allows access to all the workshops and activities, including Q&A sessions with our mentors.
You'll have access to the same app and chat rooms as in-person attendees, along with dedicated virtual hosts to engage with you between sessions, ensuring that your voice is always heard.
While we acknowledge that the virtual experience may not fully replicate in-person interactions, we believe A Writing Room offers one of the most comprehensive digital events available, delivering exceptional transformational writing instruction from the very first gathering.
-- PLUS --
"This retreat pulled me in right from the start. From their line-up of speakers to the authenticity oozing from everyone throughout the weekend — I was smitten. My writing habits have come back to life since the retreat. I’ve gone from the sole privacy of my journal back to sharing snippets of myself with the world thanks to the encouragement of these beautiful hosts and mentors. The safe place they are creating is my newfound greenhouse… this is the community I’ve been missing for the past several years."
- Kimberly, 2023 Retreat Attendee
Spend the day with your literary heroes in this uniquely intimate learning opportunity. Unlike other writing retreats, signing up for an intensive gives you the chance to submit your writing and have it reviewed.
The day begins by receiving written feedback from Penguin editor, Jake Morrissey, during which time you’ll review exactly what editors look for when considering the publication of a manuscript.
You’ll then receive two hours of mentorship from Anne Lamott and Neal Allen based on their forthcoming book, Good Writing: Tools of the Trade (NOW SOLD OUT).
You’ll end the day with Mark Matousek (1pm-5pm) examining the nuts and bolts of memoir, one of our most popular genres inside A Writing Room.
This day provides a level of in-person guidance you won't find anywhere else. With the intimate feel of an MFA cohort, you’ll gather in a smaller classroom with capped attendance to discuss the rules of writing and editing.
Our retreat is being hosted at the gorgeous Loews Hollywood Hotel, so we recommend booking your hotel at Loews.
Upon registration, we will email you with links and information on recommended accommodation. You are also free to arrange your own lodging with AirBnB or local hotels that best suit your needs and budget.
Full meals are not included, however an assortment of refreshments will be available each day of the retreat for all attendees. Two meal breaks will be provided every day, there are several restaurants both in the hotel and in the surrounding area.
Valet parking is available for overnight guests at Loews for $55 plus tax, which includes in and out privileges. For those driving in, valet at Loews is $25 plus tax for up to 10 hours.
For self-parking in the Ovation lot (which is adjacent to Loews), there rates are $2 every 20 minutes, or $20 daily maximum
Do you have questions, comments, or need extra assistance? Reach out using the contact form and we'll get back to you shortly, or email support@awritingroom.com.
Enter your information below for immediate access to Anne Lamott's 30-minute guided video lesson and 52 weekly writing prompts delivered to your inbox. PLUS, instant download of the 2024 Writer's Roadmap e-book.
Amie McNee is here to tell you that you are important, worthy, and the world needs your art. Her life’s calling is to create supportive, empowered communities for writers and artists, and she furthers that mission with handwritten notes to artists, and through her podcast, Unpublished. Amie believes art is an incredibly brave and generous act, and she wants to create space for everyone to become the artists the world needs them to be.
Cole Arthur Riley understands the connections between spirituality, the body, and writing with a deep and powerful intimacy. The creator of Black Liturgies, Cole is also the author of This Here Flesh: Spirituality, Liberation, and the Stories That Make Us. An instant New York Times bestseller, This Here Flesh explores belonging, liberation, and dignity through three generations of family stories.
Anyone who identifies as a highly-sensitive person knows that a teacher can either be a lifeline or an obstacle in your path, and Judith Orloff’s heart for the creative is unmatched. An empath herself, the core of Judith’s practice is helping empaths and sensitive people tap into their creativity and intuition. As a UCLA psychiatric clinical faculty member, she synthesizes conventional medicine with intuition and spirituality, which she writes about in her New York Times bestselling books, including her newest, The Genius of Empathy, which includes a foreword by the Dalai Lama.
To write is to give yourself a voice — and if you feel like no one is listening, Jen Pastiloff is here to say, “I’ve got you.” Thousands of people have seen themselves and recognized their own experience in her online essays, podcast, and book, On Being Human: A Memoir of Waking Up, Living Real and Listening Hard, which recounts her journey through depression, shame, and rebuilding her family. Her focus on authenticity, healing, and vulnerability, along with her unique teaching style, have seen her featured on Good Morning America, CBS News, New York Magazine — and is exactly why she’s joining the 2024 cohort.
If you’ve ever wished you could break your creativity free from self-imposed limitations and negativity, Gay and Katie Hendricks can show you the way. Their mission is to help create a world of deep intimacy, satisfying creativity, heartfelt appreciation, and wild play through their 40 books, the thousands of coaches they’ve trained, their seminars held around the globe, and even their appearance on Oprah. We’re delighted to bring their practice of conscious living and loving to Writers Rising.
If you’ve ever struggled to reach your artistic goals, chances are that Mark Matousek has helped someone just like you. Matousek’s Writing to Awaken method, which he offers at workshops internationally, has helped thousands of people around the world bring their creative visions to life. A Writing Room partnered with Mark because his focus on self-exploration, personal growth, and spirituality will prompt you to explore your own gifts, challenges, and opportunities for creativity and passion.
Self-judgment is the bane of any writer, making our stories seem foolish, our words clumsy, and the blank page itself a condemnation. HeatherAsh Amara has something to say about that. She’s spent three decades and nine books — including the bestselling Warrior Goddess Training and upcoming release Wild, Willing, and Wise — guiding her readers from self-judgment to discernment and victimhood to authentic vulnerability. We’re thrilled to have her skillful guidance and openhearted worldview join the Writers Rising’s cohort.
Jacob teaches from his personal experiences of trauma healing, transformation and creative recovery. Author of Blessed are the Weird and The Creative Cure, Jacob is an avid student of psychology, spirituality and human potential. His teachings will help you claim your creative birthright and live the truth of who you really are. As co-founder of A Writing Room, Jacob brings his insights as an entrepreneur, author and fellow creative to each of his dynamic workshops.
If you love to read, you’ve almost certainly loved a book that Jake Morrissey helped bring into the world. From Calvin and Hobbes to The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store to Bird by Bird, Morrissey’s taste has largely defined the modern bookshelf, and he has a deep love for making a writer’s work shine, even if his own influence is invisible. An editor at Penguin and one of Writing Room’s industry experts, we’re deeply grateful to have Jake join us at Writers Rising to offer his unique insight gained through an editor’s lens.
English professor turned creative entrepreneur, Claire has built her life around one simple concept — examining the space between where you are and where you want to be. By deeply examining why we do (or do not) change, Claire is here to help you transform knowledge into action. After building a global agency that helps entrepreneurs identify their zone of genius, she now supports writers who want to turn their ideas into realities as co-founder of A Writing Room.
As a teen dad, college dropout and ex-meth-head, Jack alchemized his origin story into art and emerged as a creative leader. Creator of the award-winning podcast Hello Humans and life-long advocate for recovery and mental health, Jack channeled years of artistic collaboration into his role as Creative Director and co-founder of A Writing Room. He's designed every facet of the Writers Rising retreat with you in mind, ensuring each session is highly interactive and co-designed by you.
Transformation, power, love — these are things we all seek, but perhaps none so much as writers, and Reema Zaman’s story will lead you to them all. Her critically acclaimed memoir, I Am Yours, has been adopted into the Oregon high school curriculum through an Innovation Grant, and through her consulting and coaching, she teaches authors and speakers “the art of being unforgettable.” She was the 2018 Oregon Literary Arts’ Writer of Color Fellow and is a two-time RACC Award recipient.
For anyone seeking an example of boldness and courage in creativity, look no further than Kemi Nekvapil. She’s one of Australia’s leading coaches, an author of three books (with one forthcoming) and a highly sought-after international speaker. Nekvapil has studied leadership at The Gross National Happiness Centre in Bhutan and trained with Dr Brené Brown. Out of 350+ attendees, Kemi was also the winner of A Writing Room’s Pitch Your Workshop event in 2023, so we’re thrilled to welcome her back this year as a presenter.
The starving artist trope has long perpetuated the idea that stress and trauma are necessary for great art, but Lynda Monk is here to change that narrative. Monk thrives on guiding people through their healing journeys, helping them align with their true desires and discover their true life purposes. Known for her profound insights into the therapeutic and life-changing power of journaling, she’s the author of several books on the subject and the Director of the International Association for Journal Writing.
If your inner critic keeps you from growing into your creative potential and literary freedom, Neal Allen is here to help. He offers insight through his book Better Days: Tame Your Inner Critic, and unpacks the keys for leveling up your writing through his upcoming book Good Writing: Tools of the Trade, co-written with Anne Lamott.
If there’s one thing Karen Salmansohn can teach you, it’s turning pain into purpose. For each step in her life that didn’t go as planned, she created the tools and resources she needed to bounce back, leading her to successfully transition from a career in New York’s top ad agencies to her own platform (NotSalmon.com). When she’s not writing and selling over 2 million copies of her bestselling books (like How to be Happy, Dammit), she’s using her extensive experience in marketing to coach other authors towards growth in their businesses.
