Join Freshwater Writing for a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

DOORWAYS AND THRESHOLDS: A WRITING RETREAT IN NORTHERN IRELAND

Join Freshwater Writing in Ballycastle, UK, for a week of generative, discovery-based writing with close and new friends, complete with chef-prepared meals and a room that opens to the sea. Writers of all levels, all genres, and all backgrounds are welcome. SPACE IS LIMITED.

Dates: July 15-21, 2027

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“Chelsea [is a] fantastic retreat leader and wonderful human being! [She] created a space that was not only open and safe, but immensely generative… I did some of my best writing… A beautiful, magical experience!”

- Laura, retreat participant (Spring 2024)

About the Retreat

When we travel, boundaries fall away. Home is, temporarily, in the past. We step off a plane, walk through a doorway, and end up somewhere new. What’s more, spending our days in a beautiful and unfamiliar location sharpens our senses, attunes our awareness, opens our minds to new synaptic connections, and heightens creativity. We think differently. We make differently. We exist out of time as we know it.

This is perhaps especially so in Northern Ireland, where stone henges and medieval castles exist alongside modern conveniences; where the Atlantic Ocean meets the Irish Sea and then your feet, on the rocky shoreline; and mythology and history live side by side. What would happen if we lingered there, in the thresholds, in our work? What if we created doorway after doorway, and stepped through them all?

In this generative workshop, we will consider doorways and thresholds as they relate to craft, to our creative practice, to place and time in our work, and more. We will think about openings, about moments of transition or stillness, about portals, about what demarcates one time or subject from another, and how sturdy that demarcation actually is. All the while, we will prioritize creative pleasure, exploration, and generosity. We will make new work, together.

Each day will begin by waking to the sea and breakfast in our lovely, large home. Next, we will come together for our daily workshop. Afternoons can be spent resting, gathering stones on the beach, exploring nearby castles and traditional live pub music, or simply reading in the fresh air. Evenings we will gather for a hosted cocktail hour, followed by a leisurely, chef-prepared dinner in our own kitchen, and good conversation. Other activities include a final reading to celebrate one another’s work.

Tuition includes all workshops, daily meals, lodging in a gorgeous home on the sea, transporation from Belfast International Airport, and an optional 30-minute private consultation with Chelsea before the retreat to discuss your work, your travel plans, and anything we might do to make the retreat more comfortable for you (perhaps a special flavor of tea?). You can also anticipate a couple of extra goodies (think: a private sauna rental on the beach).

This retreat is created for writers of all genres and all levels. While the workshop is meant to be generative rather than critique-based, there will be plenty of opportunities to share work.

We hope you’ll join us. Let’s walk through this doorway together and see what we can discover.

“Participating in a Freshwater Writing retreat was an incredible experience. Being pretty new to creative writing, I was so nervous that I would be in over my head, but it was the most welcoming, supportive experience that propelled me into a deeper and more robust writing practice. I can't say enough good things about Chelsea, …the other writers, and the food! I can't wait to participate in another one.”

-Lauren, retreat participant (Winter 2024)

retreat Schedule

Each morning, help yourself to a well-curated, fresh continental breakfast. Then we’ll gather around the table for an engaging workshop, where we’ll discuss elements of craft and process, and generate fresh writing in response to thoughtful prompts and exercises. Take the afternoons to eat a nourishing lunch and then walk into the town of Ballycastle or Bonamargy Friary, explore Kinbane Castle, take an excursion to Dunluce Castle or Giant’s Causeway, or simply write, rest, and wander. In the evenings, we’ll reconvene for a cocktail hour and dinner, and plenty of laughs. Writers will leave with a renewed sense of possibility in their work and their community.

What’s Included

LODGING

Tuition includes six nights lodging in a luxurious home just outside Ballycastle. The home can comfortably sleep seven retreat participants (three private bedrooms and two shared, all of which open to the sea), and with more than four full bathrooms, privacy is not an issue. The home has several living areas, a large chef’s kitchen, and a substantial dining table—perfect for workshop and dinners. What’s more, there’s a huge screened-in porch that lets the sea air in, and multiple places to gather or find some time alone to sit outside. The home is steps away from Ballycastle Beach. Rooms will be assigned on a first-come, first-served basis.

nourishment

Tuition also includes daily breakfasts, lunches, and dinners, all prepared in-house with local ingredients for our retreat, as well as evening cocktail hours. While we work and write, we can relax knowing our bodies will be well-fed. Breakfasts and lunches will be simple, nourishing, and self-served, so that you can eat when and what you choose. Dinners will be held around the dining table, where we can unwind and take pleasure in each other’s company (and tales from the day!). Our chef will make the most of the fresh seafood, meat, and garden vegetables in the area.

PRIVATE CONSULTATION

Each writer will have the opportunity to have a 30-minute pre-departure consultation with Chelsea to discuss their work and hopes for the retreat, travel itineraries, and any comforts we might include to make your time away as enjoyable as possible.

TRANSPORTATION

We highly encourage writers to rent or share a rented car with other writers, so that you can explore all that the Antrim Coast has to offer with ease. (There is so much beauty within a short drive!) We will be happy to put any writers interested in sharing a car in touch with one another. That said, for any writers who will not have their own or shared transportation, we will arrange for a round-trip airport transfer from Belfast International Airport.

WRITING + connection

Finally, tuition includes daily generative writing workshops grounded in exploration and designed with intention and care, including generative prompts appropriate for fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. We will also host a reading on the final evening so that we can delight in each other’s work. Most important, though, the retreat offers the opportunity to spend time with other writers in beautiful Northern Ireland in shared admiration for and curiosity about the written word.

WHAT’S NOT INCLUDED

Tuition does not include flights, car rentals, or additional sightseeing. It also does not include travel insurance, which we recommend all writers purchase before travel (see FAQs).

Tuition

Tuition is $4200 (shared room) and $4600 (private room). It includes a $500 nonrefundable deposit (credited toward your tuition) due at the time of registration to hold your spot.

Tuition may be paid in full at the time of registration or in two installments. If you choose to pay in installments, half of tuition is due on or before December 1 ($1850 for shared room, $2050 for private room) and half of tuition is due on or before March 1 ($1850 for shared room, $2050 for private room). Please contact Chelsea if you have any questions related to payment or payment schedules.

retreat FACILITATOR

“Writing with Freshwater writers is one of my great joys—their warmth, insights, and love of language is unparalled. Time and time again, I’m astounded by how quickly the group becomes a community of friends.” - Chelsea

frequently asked questions