Composed Residential Writing Retreat

Everyone at Wingspread is excited about your arrival and we can't wait to see you! Get all the details you need to plan, dream about, and smoothly complete your trip to our retreat center.

KNOW YOUR START & END DATES

ARRIVAL DAY: Sunday, July 16, 2023. The Retreat officially begins at 6:00 p.m. so we recommend that you time your flights so you arrive at 2:00 p.m. Check in begins at 4:00 p.m. If you need to arrive early, please notify Wingspread Guest Services in advance, so they can provide storage for your baggage.

DEPARTURE DAY: Saturday, July 22, 2023. We say our goodbyes on Friday evening, so Saturday morning is devoted to packing and departure. Enjoy your last delicious breakfast and get your final hugs before checkout at 11:00 a.m.

DECIDE WHERE TO FLY

Wingspread is conveniently located 35 minutes south of Milwaukee and 90 minutes north of Chicago. You can find flights at:

• Milwaukee's General Mitchell Airport (MKE)
• Chicago's O'Hare Airport (ORD)
• Chicago's Midway Airport (MDW) 

GET FROM THE AIRPORT TO WINGSPREAD

Once in the region it's easy to find your way to the retreat center.

• By Car: Wingspread is secluded but GPS directions (and cell service generally) are accurate and reliable.
• By Shuttle: Wingspread's Shuttle Service provides affordable, convenient transportation from Chicago ORD and Milwaukee MKE. Once you're registered, you'll find all the details for arranging shuttles in the "ToDo's" section. 
• Ride Share: InkWell does not arrange travel, but we connect retreaters who are interested in sharing ground transportation costs. Once you're registered, look in the "ToDo's" section to find the Rideshare spreadsheet.

Travel can be hectic, but we try to make the process easier. And once you arrive, your shoulders will drop, your jaw will unclench and all you have to think about is yourself and your writing. Click here for the full schedule.

4:00 - 6:00 PM   Check In (EVERYONE)

After all the preparation you're finally here! It's not unusual for writers to arrive at the retreat center exhausted, tense, and wound up from a long day of travel. Try to arrive as early as you can, so you can give yourself time to ease in to the experience. Check in begins at 4:00 p.m. But if you arrive earlier, you can drop your bags at the Guest House and wander around grounds. Find the back door that leads to the beach and go for a walk. Check out the beehive and herb garden. Or just grab a seat on the veranda and listen to the quiet. Once you're checked in, unpack, grab a complimentary snack from the Guest Pantry, and relax. Allow yourself to unwind.

6:00 - 7:00 PM   Welcome Dinner (EVERYONE)

It's tradition at Composed that we break bread together before we begin our work. You'll get a chance to meet your companions for the week, and if you're an alum, you can find your Retreat BFFs from the last time you came to Composed.

7:00 - 8:00 PM   Core Commitments Workshop (EVERYONE)

After dinner, we'll have our first Workshop. We've shortened and tightened up this material, so it will work for you no matter how often you've attended. By the end of this session you'll know what you need from this retreat and have a clear picture of how you'll spend your time in order to get it.

Your schedule will differ, depending on whether you're an Alum or attending Composed for the first time. Either way you'll have hours and hours of writing time, shared meals with your sister scholars, and plenty of solo time for rest, reflection, and recreation. Check out the coaching schedule below to see the Composed Curriculum and optional activities. Want to know what you'll be doing hour-by-hour? Click here for the full schedule.

8:30 - 10:00 AM  WRITING WORKSHOP (1ST YEARS)

READY, SET, FLOW: In this workshop, you'll learn a proven strategy for knowing what to do in each writing session, even when you feel exhausted by life, or overwhelmed by your project. You'll be amazed at how easy it is to get started with this simple, effective technique. 

11:00 - 12:00 PM  INTEGRATION COACHING (ALUMS)

In this session we'll think through your plans for the retreat and identify exactly what you need (and need to avoid) in order to bring it to life. The work we do will be tailored to the needs of the group. So expect it to include whole group coaching, small group exercises, Q&A, and reflection. You'll leave with clarity about potential pitfalls and how to avoid them.

7:00 - 8:00 PM   EVENING COUNCIL (1ST YEARS)

Every evening we'll reflect on the day's writing and the new strategy you learned in the morning. These structured conversations with other retreaters are expertly facilitated, so they are comfortable and generative, whether you enjoy sharing about your writing struggles or not.

There's a very thin line between binging and retreating. Each day, you'll use skills you learned on retreat to practice staying on the healthy side of that line. Check out the schedule below to see Tuesday's training and activities. Want to know what you'll be doing hour-by-hour? Click here for the full schedule.

8:30 - 10:00 AM  Writing Workshop (1ST YEARS)

BUILD A BRIDGE TO WRITING On Monday you learned how to start your writing sessions. Today we'll make sure you can actually show up for those sessions. This workshop teaches an easier way to bypass distractions and put your writing first, even when you'd rather not. By the end of the workshop, you'll be better able to resist the rabbit holes that steal your attention and zero in on your writing, no matter what else is going on in your life or the world. All without force or fear-tactics.

1:00 - 2:00 PM  Table Talk  (ALUMS)

TOPICS TBD: These informal conversations are a chance for alums to get to know each another and have different kinds of discussions than those that take place during a structured group coaching session. Learn about each other's scholarship, how you've adapted the InkWell training, and share resources that animate your writing life. Before the retreat begins, you'll be invited to submit and vote on discussion topics.

7:00 - 8:00 PM  EVENING COUNCIL (1ST YEARS)

We're pairing up the strategies from Monday and Tuesday to clarify how well they're working, and whether they're working well together. Then we'll figure out together how to tailor best practices to move your writing forward.

We're midway through the retreat at this point. You're making progress, moving the ms. forward, and writing with more calm and confidence. At the same time, your aims, energy, and focus are likely to be different than they were when you arrived. It's tempting to power through when your energy flags and your fears flare up. But it's a better idea to stop, step back, and take a closer look at what's happening. Here's what we'll do on Wednesday: Click here for the full schedule.

8:30 - 10:00 AM   Writing Workshop (1ST YEARS)

PROGRESS & PERSIST Today we get to the heart of what keeps you from showing up, sticking with, and coming back to writing. You'll examine what these demons look like specifically for you. Then learn to overcome them with a strategy that's emotionally sophisticated yet surprisingly practical. This workshop helps you uncover the parts of your process that help you bust through your blocks and make writing easier, faster, and way more fun.

11:00 - 12:00 PM  Small Group Coaching (ALUMS) 

What's actually happening with you and your writing this week? And how are you responding to what's happening? This coaching session will surface the patterns you're engaged in (good and not so helpful), then help you stay on (or return to) your preferred path.

1:00 - 2:30 PM  MidWeek Brain Break  (EVERYONE) 

Let your writing go, just for a bit, and be amazed at the work your brain and body will do on your behalf--while you're not even paying attention. Our surprise activity will calm you down, fill you up, and get you giggling.

7:00 - 8:00 PM  Evening Council  (1ST YEARS)

Today's training can be kinda heavy. That's what happens when we go mucking around in the mud with things that get us stuck. So in this evening council, we take special care to think through what you need to feel empowered by what you've learned, instead of demoralized. Working through it together is the key, no surprise there.

Depending on how you handled the previous day, you're either tuckered out or full of energy. No judgement, regardless of where you are: each outcome tells you something about how to move forward. Here's what we'll focus on to help you make the most of that information. Click here for the full schedule.

8:30 - 10:00 AM  Writing Workshop   (1ST YEARS)

FINISH UP FIERCE: No more working yourself into the ground because nothing you do feels like it's enough. This workshop shows you how to cultivate that elusive sense of pride and satisfaction in your work. Get ready for the wonder (and challenge) of finishing up your writing and moving on to the rest of your life. Guilt-free. 

1:00 - 2:00 PM  Table Talk  (ALUMS) 

TOPICS TBD: These informal conversations are a chance for alums to get to know each another and have different kinds of discussions than those that take place during a structured group coaching session. Learn about each other's scholarship, how you've adapted the InkWell training, and share resources that animate your writing life. Before the retreat begins, you'll be invited to submit and vote on discussion topics.

7:00 - 8:00 PM  EVENING COUNCIL (1ST YEARS)

Wait, what? Only one more day left in the retreat? Endings are always hard, and we'll walk through how to get the most from this one so that you can clearly see what you've done and where you're going.

This part of your retreat is over, but the most important part has just begun. Today you'll smoothly transition back to everyday life holding tight to all the connections you've just made to others and to your writing.

8:00 - 10:00 am: Breakfast & Goodbyes

10:00 - 11:00 am: Packing

  11:00 am: Checkout