Writing at the Turning of the Year Retreat
October 6 to 8, 2026
Painters’ Lodge, Campbell River
Across three days at the edge of the ocean and forest, you will enter a carefully shaped creative journey guided by two distinct and complementary voices. With Kim Bannerman, you will ground your work in the living landscape, exploring how place, weather, and experience shape character and story. With Claire Mulligan, you will step outdoors to write odes to the natural world, expand your attention through acts of noticing, and turn inward toward the luminous fragments of longing that define your voice. Together, these sessions move from craft to immersion to emotional depth, culminating in a final invocation to the muse. This closing experience is designed to help you carry your writing forward with clarity, confidence, and renewed creative energy as the season turns.
✨ Retreat Program
DAY 1: Arrival & Opening (Tuesday, October 6)
4:00 to 6:00 pm | Arrival and Settle In
Arrive, check in, and take a breath.
You might go for a walk by the water, sit with a notebook, or simply settle into your room.
Coffee and tea will be waiting in the meeting room.
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6:00 to 6:45 pm | Opening Gathering (Meeting Room) with Zoe Duff
We’ll begin together with a warm welcome and a gentle circle of introductions.
You’ll have a chance to share what you’re working on and what you hope to find here.
We’ll open with a simple prompt:
Write the story you have been avoiding.
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6:45 to 7:45 pm | Dinner at Painters’ Bar and Grill An easy, relaxed meal. A chance to get to know one another.
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8:00 to 9:00 pm | Evening Writing Gathering
A Dark and Stormy Night with Kim Bannerman
A light, engaging first session.
You’ll explore how weather, mood, and environment influence character and story, then try a short guided piece of your own.
No pressure. Just a way to begin.
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DAY 2: Deep Creative Day (Wednesday, October 7)
7:30 to 9:00 am | Morning Coffee and Quiet Writing
Start the day slowly.
Coffee and tea are ready, and the space is open for quiet writing if that’s what you need.
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9:00 to 10:00 am | Morning Gathering
Set Your Setting Apart with Kim Bannerman
We turn to place.
Kim will guide you in exploring how landscape, memory, and lived experience shape your writing.
There will be time to write and see where it takes you.
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10:00 to 10:30 am | Break
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10:30 am to 12:00 pm | Outdoor Writing Gathering
Of Odes and Wonder + Of Bounty and Beauty with Claire Mulligan
We head outside.
You’ll choose something in the natural world to focus on and write an ode to it. Then you’ll widen your attention and take in more of what surrounds you.
This is about slowing down, noticing, and inviting the place to speak into your writing.
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12:00 to 12:45 pm | Writing Block
Stay with what you’ve started, or take it somewhere new.
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12:45 to 2:00 pm | Lunch at Painters’ Bar and Grill
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2:00 to 3:00 pm | Afternoon Gathering
Fragments of Longing with Claire Mulligan
After lunch, the tone softens.
This session turns inward, toward memory, longing, and the quieter emotional currents in your work.
You’ll write in short, lyrical pieces, following feeling rather than structure.
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3:00 to 3:30 pm | Break
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3:30 to 4:30 pm | Story Circles with Story Circle Guides
We gather in small groups of three to four to share what we’ve been working on.
Responses are simple and supportive. What stayed with you? What are you curious about? No heavy critique. Just listening and connection.
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4:30 to 5:30 pm | Personal Writing Block or Rest Take time to write, rest, or walk. Whatever you need.
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5:30 to 6:30 pm | Dinner at Painters’ Bar and Grill
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7:00 to 8:30 pm | Evening Gathering
Featured Author Reading and Open Mic with Emcee: Kelly Duff
A relaxed evening of shared work.
You can listen or read something of your own if you feel ready.
This is a moment to celebrate the voices in the room.
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DAY 3: Closing and Carrying Forward (Thursday, October 8)
7:30–9:00 am — Coffee/Tea + Quiet Writing One last slow morning. Time to write if you wish.
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9:00 to 10:00 am | Closing Gathering
Seeking the Muse with Claire Mulligan
We turn toward what comes next. Explore inspiration, myth, and creative practice.
You’ll reflect on your creative practice and write something that helps you carry this work forward.
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10:00 to 11:00 am | Closing Circle with Zoe Duff
We gather one last time.
You may share what shifted, what surprised you, or what you’re taking with you.
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11:30 am | Departure
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🌿 Optional Add-Ons to the program
- One-on-one manuscript consultations, if needed, during solo time slots.
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