2013 Writing Projects Retreat

with Max Regan in Boulder, ColoradoA 10 Day Retreat for Writers with Literary Projects

10-day Retreat : June 14-23, 2013 4-day Extension : June 24-27, 2013What if you had 10 days just to focus on your writing? We all have writing projects that end up “on the back burner” waiting for us to have a day off, a week’s vacation or an imagined “someday” during which we can pull out those files and notebooks, sit down, get organized and really get some writing done. But when those times arrive, they invariably fill up with other tasks and events, leaving us wondering if that project will ever see the light of day. This 10-day writing retreat is a chance to step out of your everyday lives and schedules, and dedicate some time to getting your writing project off the ground. Boulder is a beautiful little college town at the foot of the Rocky Mountains 30 miles northwest of Denver. Students will stay in local rental homes, hotels or cottages, all centered around the downtown area and the Pearl Street walking mall, full of shops, bookstores and places to write. We will meet together as a group eve-ryday to write, edit and strategize about the work that needs to be done. Together we will discuss our pro-jects and come up with a work-plan customized for each student. We will meet in the mornings to set up the daily schedule, work on our own during the days and meet in the evenings to share our progress and read to one another from our on-going pages. By the end of the week each project should be more fully structured, developed and well underway, if not finished! This retreat is open to local students as well as those joining us from writing communities outside of Boulder. We welcome all your messy files, old jour-nals, disorganized pages and wild ideas, no matter how tiny or gigantic. Join us and lets get some WORK done!

What is your Writing Project?Maybe you have an unfinished novel or story. Maybe you have a stack of journals that you have always wanted to transform into a memoir. Maybe you are right in the middle of a writing project and need to get the whole thing organized. Maybe you have a series of poems you would love to edit and turn into a col-lection. Maybe you have a family lineage project, a book or collection you would like to leave for future generations. Maybe you are on the final edit of a book before you send it out to publishers and you need to read it with new eyes. Or maybe you have a compelling idea for a project that will simply not leave you alone. Regardless of what stage of the writing process you are in, this immersive week of working every day will help you bring your project to life.

Daily ScheduleThe goal is simply to focus on your writing project, without distractions or procrastination. During our Morning Sessions we will sit and outline your goals for the day. What do you want to accomplish? Where will you do your work today? Do you prefer to write in your house, hotel room or cottage? What do you need to set up a work space there? Do you need a sturdy work table, a desk chair, office supplies, an ex-tension cord? No problem. Or maybe you choose to work in a quiet library cubicle or in a local coffee shop. Maybe you need to sit by the creek and read for a few hours. We will each have solo work time dur-ing the day, and meet again in the evenings after dinner to check in, see how the work went, and read to one another. We will have some mornings and evenings off to play, sleep in, or just relax. Max will schedule two one-on-one private sessions with each writer, one at the beginning of the retreat and one at the end, to discuss your specific project, text and goals.

MealsFolks renting houses, apartments or cottages may have kitchens of their own, and might choose to prepare meals together. We will have a few potluck dinners, a great way to develop community and keep food costs low. Safeway and Whole Foods Market are both just a few blocks away from Pearl Street. We will have some meetings outside under the arbor at The Dushanbe Teahouse, where we can have lunch or just sit together over tea or coffee. The Teahouse, which officially opened on May 15, 1998, is a gift from Boulder's sister city, Dushanbe, Tajikistan. Handcrafted by more than 40 Tajik artisans, it is the only one of its kind in the Western Hemisphere.

Extending Your StayThis year retreat writers will have the option of staying in Boulder and continuing their work after the 10-day retreat has ended. An optional 4-day Extension will be offered from June 24-27. During this time we will meet as a small group for a short check-in once a day and have one added Salon dinner at which to read to one another and get feedback. The Tuition for this 4-day Extension is $130 and there is no need to sign up for it when you register, you can choose to add on the extension at any time.

Downtown BoulderOur class will be centered in the downtown area of Boulder, at Boulder Bookstore located on the Pearl Street walking mall. Pearl Street has many small cafes, shops, and benches where you can sit in the sun. You might also chose to write in one of the quiet spaces at the modern and light-filled Boulder Public Library. While the focus of this week is to organize your project and to get a lot of writing done, we will also have time to play. If you need a break, you might rent a bike from Univer-sity Bikes and ride down the Boulder Creek Path, hike in the foothills, wander the Farmer’s Market or catch an outdoor movie or live band playing on Pearl Street mall. There are local copy shops for those who need to copy or print and many places have free WiFi, for those who need to check email or do some research.

Travel and Housing Non-stop flights from Baltimore, Houston, and many other cities go into Denver International Airport, which is about 45 mins away from Boulder. When you arrive in Denver you will board the Boulder/Denver Supershuttle van service to your hotel. Please note that while Max will gladly make the Supershuttle reservation for you, this year the round trip cost of the shuttle is not included in the tuition. There are many different places to stay in downtown Boulder, depending on your budget, from rental houses and apartments to small hotels to B+Bs to cottages to luxury hotels. Please arrange to stay as close to downtown Boulder (pearl street and 11th st.) as possi-ble so that you can walk or take public transportaion to and from class everyday. Check out http://www.vrbo.com to see vacation rental homes downtown, renting an apartment may be the least expen-sive option.

RegistrationTuition for the retreat is $950, it includes 2 daily class sessions, 2 private sessions with Max and some group meals. There is a $150 deposit due upon registration. Registration begins on Feb 1, 2013 and ends on June 1st, 2013. Students are responsible for their own airfare, housing, meals and ground transportation once they arrive in Boulder. Registration is limited. Extended payment plans are always available. If you have any questions about the Retreat, payment plans, logistics or anything else, just email Max at maxregan@mac.com or call the studio at 303-443-2481.

Max Regan, MFA & Hollowdeck Press llc

Max is a teacher, an internationally published poet and writer, and the

founder of Hollowdeck Press LLC. He has taught creative writing to

various groups for the past 20 years and has lectured and taught at the University of Colorado, Colorado

State University and at Naropa University. His work has been published in numerous literary

journals, magazines and anthologies. Max has designed and taught creative writing classes for national conferences and literary

festivals. He served for over a decade as the Director of the

Naropa Summer Writing Program and was the founder of Naropa

University's Study Abroad Semester in Prague.

Hollowdeck Press LLC, founded in 1994, is an independent small press

committed to sustaining creative work by a wide variety of writers. We

believe that fearlessness, curiosity, honesty, community, hard work and a big whopping sense of humor are the things that sustain the writing life. We

offer a wide range of classes to the community for anyone who has an

avid or life-long interest and passion for writing. We work with writers of all levels to figure out how to get started,

how to keep going, and how to develop and deepen skills that sustain a daily writing practice. Hollowdeck Press offers classes in Boulder, Baltimore

and Houston, as well as annual writing Journeys to the city of Prague in the Czech Republic and the island of St.

John in the US Virgin Islands. All classes are open to any student, no

experience necessary.

Hollowdeck Press LLC1006 Grandview Ave.Boulder, CO 80302303-443-2481maxregan@mac.comwww.hollowdeckpress.com