What’s the most common writer’s block I see in authors?
Often, it’s not that they’re short on ideas. Or even discipline. What many of them struggle to find is uninterrupted space – space between client work, meetings, emails, family needs, and the constant pull of everything else that has to get done.
I get it.
I’m a professional writer. I spend my days writing. Yet when it comes to my own projects, I’ve had stretches where they sit untouched while I write for clients, manage my business, and handle the day-to-day demands of running a company.
At one point, I realized something: yes, I was following my dream, writing constantly, but… I was losing touch with my love of writing.
How I Reconnected with Writing Beyond Client Work
For the first three years of my business, my energy and creativity went to clients, projects, deadlines, and figuring out how to run a business.
So even while I streamlined and improved my writing skills, I found myself drifting away from the heart that sustains my work. Not to mention the fact that my personal writing kept getting pushed further and further back.
How a Writers’ Retreat Changed My Perspective
Then, a few years ago, I attended a writers’ retreat. And something clicked.
I remembered how it felt to be me again. The writer. The creator. I remembered why I even wanted to start this business in the first place.
And I realized something: yes, I knew how to write, but “learning to business” (as I put it) had disconnected the skill from the passion that drives it.
I knew then that I needed a way to stay connected to the core of my writing: time around writers, and space where people focus on the work itself instead of everything surrounding the work.
That experience stayed with me long after the retreat ended.
Why Writing Isn’t Just About Producing Words
I think one misconception people have is that writing is only “real” if words are actively being put onto the page.
But the writing process doesn’t start with this act. It includes thinking and pondering, working through ideas that aren’t ready to be written yet, circling a problem until the solution emerges from the fog, staring at something until a flash of inspiration tells you what doesn’t belong.
If you only count typing as writing, you miss most of the work.
What Writers Need to Make Real Progress
When I hosted my first retreat, I wasn’t sure what to expect from the feedback. What would people appreciate most? The critique session? The presentations by experienced pros? A chance to read their work aloud?
While many appreciated all of those things, that isn’t what I heard the most praise for. No, the thing people overwhelmingly valued most was the unstructured time: no meals to plan, household responsibilities waiting in the background, or constant interruptions pulling attention in different directions.
With no pressure to perform or produce on a schedule, they reveled in the chance to simply write and think.
Why I Created the Hill Country Inklings Retreat
The Hill Country Inklings Retreat was built around that idea: writers need room to do the work in a way that fosters creative, productive writing. The kind that makes writers feel fulfilled.
That’s why I don’t schedule lots of required sessions like you typically find at a conference.
Because progress often comes not from learning more but from having room for your attention to soak into the work long enough for something useful to emerge.
This retreat provides that kind of time.
Who It’s For
This retreat is for writers of:
- Fiction
- Nonfiction
- Memoir
Whether you are:
- drafting a book
- revising a manuscript
- giving an idea structure
- or simply working through what comes next
You don’t have to be at a particular stage to attend; you just need to be writing – or ready to write.
What to Expect at the Retreat
The retreat takes place at Camp Buckner in the Texas Hill Country, about an hour outside Austin.
- Start time: Friday, October 9, 2026, at 3:00 PM
- End time: Sunday, October 11, 2026, at 11:00 AM
- Lodging and all meals are provided.
The structure of the weekend is intentionally light. You’ll have:
- Dedicated writing time
- Optional workshops and talks
- Opportunities to connect with other writers
- Space to work alone when you need it
The only required session? The welcome gathering on Friday evening, where we set the tone for the weekend and get to know one another.
Everything else is optional!
Optional Workshops and Writer Sessions
- Publicity for Authors in the Digital Age with Marika Flatt of PR by the Book
- Group critique and/or read-aloud session (format may vary)
- Another talk by an industry pro (TBD)
You can attend any of these – or none of them. You can engage as much or as little as you need.
Why Extended Writing Time Matters So Much
Writers often try to carve out writing time in the margins of their busy lives:
- An hour before the day starts
- An hour after everything else is done
- Small pockets between obligations
That can work. But some stages of writing need longer stretches of time, time to go deep into the work and your own mind, time where you’re not constantly shifting between roles and responsibilities.
That deep work is when ideas connect, fresh perspectives solve longstanding problems, and inspiration drives momentum in a way shorter sessions can’t replicate.
That’s what a retreat can do for you.
Is the Hill Country Inklings Retreat Right for You?
If you’re ready to give your writing plenty of uninterrupted time to move forward with purpose and clarity, the answer is yes.
For those who have struggled for a while to give their pet project consistent attention, this kind of weekend can be a game-changer.
Because when you remove the competing noise, you can finally focus on the work in front of you.
Retreat Dates, Pricing, and Registration
Hill Country Inklings Retreat
Camp Buckner
3835 Ranch to Market Rd 2342
Burnet, TX 78611
Dates: October 9–11, 2026
Early Bird Pricing: available through August 31
$273 early bird / $298 standard
(single-room upgrade available—email me for details)
Questions are welcome anytime:
audiencegranted@gmail.com
Subject: “Hill Country Inklings”
I know what it’s like to have a writing project burning in your mind yet keep finding it pushed aside by everything else.
Whether you come for connection, solitude, or some of both, you’re welcome here.
It’s powerful to be in a room with other writers who are doing the same work you are. It changes the pace of the work, and it changes the way ideas move. But more than that, it gives you room to keep going.
Because your writing doesn’t need more pressure. It needs room.