I don't know about you, but I'm tired of living most of my writerly life over Zoom.
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That's why I'm thrilled to add in-person retreats to my offerings. And I'm even more excited to have the Batman to my Robin, the Jayna to my Zan, my partner in story geekery, Emily Colin, as a co-teacher for these events.
Our first Revise & Rise retreat, held in June 2025 at The Highlights Foundation, was a huge success. So much so that we launched Ink & Alchemy Retreats in June 2026. Now retreats are a regular part of our client offerings. See below for a full schedule of past and future retreats. And if you’d like to have us as faculty at your next retreat, please reach out via my Contact form.
Upcoming Retreats:Â
The Witching Hour, a virtual Halloween Retreat
with Julie Artz and Emily Colin
October 30 - 31, 2026
Ready for some spooky writing fun? Join us for a weekend of costumes, spooky writing prompts, craft learning, writing sprints, and community. Costumes encouraged!Â
via Zoom
Revise & Rise Retreat
with Julie Artz and Emily Colin
June 9 - 13, 2027
Join two seasoned authors and book coaches for an immersive retreat designed specifically for writers seeking to refine their craft and elevate their storytelling.Â
The Highlights Foundation (Milanville, PA)
Here's what folks have to say about the retreat and about working with Emily and me as a dynamic duo:
I came to Julie and Emily’s Revise & Rise retreat with a partial draft of a memoir manuscript and very little momentum. I was stuck and not convinced that I could find my way to wrapping my arms around my story. Between their illuminating craft talks, one-on-one coaching sessions, and supportive community building, I left feeling focused, motivated, and confident, with a clear plan to restructure my draft and to write forward. Julie and Emily are a dynamic duo, and their passion and energy are infectious! I can’t wait to work with them again!
Suzette Mullen
Author of "The Only Way Through is Out"
The Revise & Rise Retreat with Julie Artz and Emily Colin gave me exactly what I needed to move forward with my novel. Before the retreat I was stuck in the revision trenches, frustrated and floundering. That completely changed when I had my one-on-one with Emily on the first day of the retreat. After talking with her I knew exactly what I needed to do to successfully revise my novel. And that was just the beginning of a phenomenal retreat. Julie and Emily are the perfect retreat teachers, guides and mentors. They have the best, most welcoming, encouraging and contagious energy, and complement each other beautifully. It truly feels as if they were meant to teach together! The other women in the retreat quickly felt like sisters and kindred spirits, and the energy, thanks in large part to Julie and Emily, was incredibly welcoming and supportive. If you're thinking about joining Julie and Emily for one of their life changing retreats, I urge you to do it!. It's one of the best decisions I ever made as a writer.
Dani Dunckley, MA in English and Creative Writing
The Revise and Rise retreat was fabulous! It was a luxury to be in the company of writers who are serious about their craft in a beautiful environment without day-to-day distractions. Julie and Emily seemed to really understand the goals and needs of each participant and were able to provide the guidance and resources to support each of us. It was an all-around fantastic experience, and I’d recommend it to anyone wanting to roll their sleeves up and get to the heart of their book in the company of others who want to do the same! I left the retreat feeling sad that it was over, but energized and excited to revise. Thank you Julie and Emily for putting this together!
J. Goodwin
Past Retreats:Â
Foreword Writing Retreat
with Julie Artz and Emily Colin
October 4 - 10, 2026
Imagine curling up in a cozy alpine nook by a crackling fire, coffee or tea in hand, as you slip into your story. Whether you’re planning, drafting, or revising, this retreat is both an escape and a dedicated space to create.
Chamonix, France
Wild Pages, a virtual retreat
with Julie Artz and Emily Colin
July 10 - 11, 2026
Escape the heat and make real progress on your novel or memoir with this virtual retreat full of craft learning, accountability, Q&As, and writing sprints.
via Zoom
Revise & Rise Retreat
with Julie Artz and Emily Colin
May 27 - 31, 2026
Join two seasoned authors and book coaches for an immersive retreat designed specifically for writers seeking to refine their craft and elevate their storytelling.Â
The Highlights Foundation (Milanville, PA)
Your Writing Year Begins Here
with Julie Artz and Emily Colin
January 23 - 25, 2026
Join us for a cozy virtual retreat to start your writing year off right. Enjoy a weekend of writing sprints, Q&As, and intention-setting with two seasoned authors and book coaches.
via Zoom
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💬 What retreat attendees are saying...
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“I found both teachers [Emily Colin & Julie Artz] so generous with their time, information and feedback. Having carefully completed the assignments, I feel much more grounded in the plot and the characters of this novel I have my heart set on writing. Thank you for making this class available to us. Rated 5 out of 5”
Student Gail S, AuthorsPublish
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”Emily’s editorial guidance is remarkable and any writer's work is sure to benefit from her insights.”
Author Margarita Montimore (Oona Out of Order, a Good Morning America Book Club Pick, Flatiron Books, 2023)Â
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To be able to spend time writing without the distractions of my regularly (over)scheduled life and to do it in community with other writers was a gift. I found the workshops to be immediately applicable to my writing project. The support from our coaches and fellow participants for working through points where I was struggling was tremendous. And it was all packaged it in a beautiful location with delicious food.Â
M. Jelinek, Revise & Rise Retreat Attendee
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The Revise and Rise retreat was a glorious weekend of craft instruction and collaborative learning. I could not recommend it more for the writer who is ready to go deeper into her practice. Julie and Emily are gifted writing coaches who make time to move each writer into the next realm of her work.Â
Revise & Rise Retreat Attendee
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What a glorious time it was. Truly my idea of heaven. Now I wish I could find a way to live like this all the time— surrounded by nature, great food, and kindred spirits who want to talk about books and writing 24/7. Also the more “woo” the better!
Seriously though, I learned so much! I now have the tools I need to polish this never-ending manuscript thanks to the brilliance of Julie and Emily’s brilliantly scaffolded workshops.
Revise & Rise Retreat Attendee
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Wild Pages was a fun and engaging way to incorporate some accountability and structure around my writing.
Wild Pages Retreat Attendee
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The enthusiasm and energy exhibited by both Emily and Julie, on this virtual weekend retreat, transcended the power lines of computers. Their smiles, their shared knowledge of their craft was infectious. I was energized to concentrate on my writing knowing I could ask questions and receive sincere feedback. These two days were pivotal encouragement, for me, a typical procrastinator. Sincere appreciation goes to Emily and Julie for arranging the retreat, for their ongoing support of struggling authors, and their zealous passion for the craft of writing communicated with zest to the attendees.
Mary Elstone, Wild Pages Retreat Attendee
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Emily and Julie have an impressive amount of knowledge and are generous in sharing it. Wild Pages was well-organized and the price was very fair. Our writing sprints were fun, because I looked forward to the 5-minute breaks—a chance to check in with friendly people and feel encouraged. I got an immense amount of good-quality writing done, and Emily and Julie made note of what I was working on and cheered my progress. Was a truly valuable experience.
R. Beach, Wild Pages Retreat Attendee
”Emily’s editorial guidance is remarkable and any writer's work is sure to benefit from her insights.”
Author Margarita Montimore (Oona Out of Order, a Good Morning America Book Club Pick, Flatiron Books, 2023)Â
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"Emily picked me out of the slush pile of an author mentorship program that she was a mentor in, and immediately had incredible enthusiasm and vision for my book. Not only could she see the changes that would make my characters shine, but she pitched the idea of altering the setting of my story from post-apocalyptic to a fantasy dystopian world.
Ultimately, this insight was the change I needed to get noticed in traditional publishing, and now The Enemy’s Daughter is being published by multiple imprints of Harper Collins (Quill Tree and Harper Fire).”
Author Melissa Poett (The Enemy’s Daughter, Harper Collins, summer 2025
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The Revise and Rise Retreat was incredible! The energy was positive and intentional. The craft workshops were creative and in-depth. Emily Colin and Julie Artz are brilliant and caring instructors who are also fun to learn from! They planned every aspect of the retreat so thoughtfully—from the pre-retreat feedback to the craft and mindfulness sessions. Everything connected so well, allowing me to fully immerse myself in the work.
I’m so grateful for the opportunity to meet the wonderful writers in attendance. They were inspiring women, and we all supported each other, holding space to share and giving each other space to create. It truly was magical.
Revise & Rise Retreat Attendee
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This retreat was exactly what I needed in order to focus my time and mind on my current project. Even the anticipation of it was helpful to me, because it motivated me to use the weeks leading up to the Wild Pages retreat to get my project to a place where I could really make the most of the dedicated time. I came away feeling energized, inspired to keep writing, and eager for the next retreat.
Virginia Davidson, Wild Pages Retreat Attendee
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Wild Pages retreats are great for getting motivated, learning relevant material on the craft of writing and having two days of serious writing time with other writers. Highly recommended!
Lynn Walker, Wild Pages Retreat Attendee
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The Wild Pages Retreat motivated me to approach and work through problem areas of my story. Both Julie and Emily's instructional sessions gave me inspiration and resources to guide me through the writing process. The Write-ins helped me stay focused and on task. I loved the accountability they provided as well. I will definitely be back again and would recommend the retreat to any writer who is working on a story no matter what stage they are at.
Wild Pages Retreat Attendee
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Being able to set two whole days aside for structured writing time was just what I knee I needed to get started on a new story, but having Julie and Emily encouraging and guiding us along the way made the process super joyful! I cant wait for the next retreat!
