|
2026 Theme: ✨ WRITING IS MAGIC ✨
As the setting sun slowly sinks behind the lush green mountains, a gentle breeze delights your senses with the scent of roses, azaleas, mountain laurel, pine, and rhododendron. It’s the end of an incredible day spent experiencing your two passions with other writers and runners, learning about plot, character, conflict, and setting. Inspiration stretches across your soul, soaring into the sky as your heart thrums with joy. You laugh with new friends, sharing your adventures of the day – everything from getting new story ideas, admiring the elegant swans on the lake, dining in fine southern hospitality, receiving feedback on your manuscript, and maybe catching a glimpse of a magical rainbow. Gazing at the shimmering reflection on the peaceful lake you can hardly believe that, at last, you’re here… running around the pristine lake at sunrise and writing with friends under the Carolina stars. It's a magical Summer Camp for grownups! |
|
|
Wouldn’t it be exciting to learn more about the craft of writing in a fun and interactive way? That’s what this retreat is all about! Through multiple writing workshops and specially selected social activities, you’ll learn new writing techniques so you can more confidently write your stories for years to come.
Imagine how great it would feel to have more time to write. Every writer’s dream, right? During your seven-day sojourn with us, you’ll have dedicated time to write daily and you’ll definitely want to continue the new habit when you return home. Getting more consistent with your writing and running, no matter how many things you have to juggle in life, is a wonderful feeling all writers chase. While you’re here, there will be consistent writing and running times for you to experience the vibrancy of both your passions. When you put your writing and running first, it’s a lot easier to juggle everything else. |
|
Finishing a writing project is a liberating feeling. On this retreat, you’ll have a writing schedule you can stick with to help you build momentum on your story so you’ll want to stick with it long after you return home.
It feels so amazing to get helpful feedback on your writing from other writers (instead of just a pat on the back from your family and friends). Critique groups are amazing and during our time in the mountains, you’ll be able to connect with a few other writers and swap helpful feedback with each other to help make your manuscript better and stronger. Wouldn’t it be awesome to approach your revisions with confidence and excitement? Our faculty is awesome sauce and through a powerful 1 on 1 critique session, you’ll be able to identify where you can make your story better. By the time you return home, you’ll be so excited and confident to tackle your revisions that we may need to tie a brick to your ankle so you don’t float away. |
|
The SettingSurrounded by mountains, Lake Junaluska is where the Blue Ridge Parkway meets the Great Smoky Mountains. This small town of less than 5,000 is nestled halfway between Cherokee and Asheville, and just 5 minutes north of the quaint town of Waynesville, where writers have compared it to a Norman Rockwell painting with its storybook Main Street, busy with shops and lined with brick sidewalks and iron lamp posts.
Like Rivendell, the magical hidden valley of the elves in J.R.R. Tolkien’s tales, the area holds a mythical quality for those who have sought its breathtaking beauty and abundant wildlife. Nestled among some of the most rugged mountains of the southeast, the nearby Cataloochee Valley is surrounded by 6,000-foot mountains. Charles Frazier’s vivid best-selling novel, Cold Mountain, is based off the mountain it’s named after and sits about 20 miles southeast of Lake Junaluska. If you were to pull off the Blue Ridge Parkway at milepost 411.9 at the Cold Mountain Overlook, you can just imagine Inman and Ada, the book’s Civil War-era protagonists traipsing through the woods. Western North Carolina is one of the most beautiful and beloved areas of the country. Its mountains are among the oldest on Earth, and contain the highest mountain, deepest gorge, and several of the highest waterfalls in the eastern United States, and is also home to the oldest river in North America and the two most visited National Parks in the country. |
|
Take in stunning mountain views surrounding the serene lake as you stroll along the looping trails, which includes a lovely rose garden walkway, a small waterfall, a dam, and a footbridge.
The lodging is a spacious oasis of luxury, where every room welcomes meaningful conversations and invites you to relax in modern style. Decked out with double beds and a mini fridge, each room offers a place away from home to help you rejuvenate and become inspired. |
The VenueThe picturesque Lake Junaluska is great for canoeing, kayaking, fishing, and birdwatching, complete with paved (and mostly flat) walking paths that surround the lake. The Rose Walk includes more than 200 species of hybrid roses.
Average summer temperatures in Lake Junaluska range from a low of 57 to a high of 79. Much of the area is wet enough to be considered rain forests – and waterfalls abound. Just to let you know, the Lake Junaluska Conference and Retreat Center is a Christian-based facility, with a large white cross that lights up at night. However, our retreat does not have any religious affiliations whatsoever. I chose this venue simply because of the beautiful lake setting and the 5k race around the lake is a great culmination for our week of writing. 
|
The Cuisine
As runners, you probably like to eat healthy. All meals are prepared by a 5-star chef with that goal in mind (but we are still in the south where fried foods are abundant). We’ll eat together in a shared dining hall where you can choose what to put on your plate from a buffet of options. Each day will feature new flavors to tantalize your taste buds.
For breakfast, we might have a traditional southern breakfast of fluffy scrambled eggs, crispy bacon and sausage links, creamy grits, hash brown potatoes, fresh baked biscuits with country gravy, and seasonal fresh fruit. Or another morning, we might rise and shine to find an assorted array of muffins and danish, seasonal fresh fruit, assorted cereals, and individual yogurts.
Be prepared for your mouth to water with anticipation for each and every meal. For lunch, we may have a salad bar, a potato bar, or a build your own deli sandwich. You’ll feel the southern hospitality in each and every bite.
All your senses will be delighted by the homey atmosphere combined with the exquisite new friendships and perfectly seasoned savory dinner dishes such as oven-roasted chicken breast in a savory garlic-basil butter sauce topped with roasted tomatoes and mozzarella cheese, or layered lasagna topped with creamy ricotta, mozzarella, parmesan, and Romano cheeses, or a nacho and taco bar with seasoned ground beef, corn tortilla chips, soft flour tortillas, nacho cheese sauce, Borracha pinto beans, crisp lettuce, ripe red tomatoes, fresh salsa, and zesty jalapenos.
Can’t eat this or that? Allergies, vegetarian, gluten or dairy free? No problem! We’re happy to accommodate your food preferences.
And the desserts? They’re a perfect portion size of decadent chocolate cheesecake, rich brownies, southern pecan pie, banana pudding, lemon squares, and more! I hope you’re planning on participating in our daily morning runs to burn off the calories!
For breakfast, we might have a traditional southern breakfast of fluffy scrambled eggs, crispy bacon and sausage links, creamy grits, hash brown potatoes, fresh baked biscuits with country gravy, and seasonal fresh fruit. Or another morning, we might rise and shine to find an assorted array of muffins and danish, seasonal fresh fruit, assorted cereals, and individual yogurts.
Be prepared for your mouth to water with anticipation for each and every meal. For lunch, we may have a salad bar, a potato bar, or a build your own deli sandwich. You’ll feel the southern hospitality in each and every bite.
All your senses will be delighted by the homey atmosphere combined with the exquisite new friendships and perfectly seasoned savory dinner dishes such as oven-roasted chicken breast in a savory garlic-basil butter sauce topped with roasted tomatoes and mozzarella cheese, or layered lasagna topped with creamy ricotta, mozzarella, parmesan, and Romano cheeses, or a nacho and taco bar with seasoned ground beef, corn tortilla chips, soft flour tortillas, nacho cheese sauce, Borracha pinto beans, crisp lettuce, ripe red tomatoes, fresh salsa, and zesty jalapenos.
Can’t eat this or that? Allergies, vegetarian, gluten or dairy free? No problem! We’re happy to accommodate your food preferences.
And the desserts? They’re a perfect portion size of decadent chocolate cheesecake, rich brownies, southern pecan pie, banana pudding, lemon squares, and more! I hope you’re planning on participating in our daily morning runs to burn off the calories!
Our Adventure
2026 Theme: WRITING IS MAGIC ✨
|
The basic agenda looks mostly like this:
|
|
|
Day 1: Getting to Know You
During the Welcome Speech, you'll "officially" meet the faculty. After dinner, we'll get to know each other while relaxing among our newfound tribe. We’ll wrap up the day by creating a hand-crafted journal to use throughout the retreat where you’ll also go deeper on getting to know yourself as a writer. |
|
|
Day 2: Sunset Ceremony
The evening Sunset Ceremony will help you set your writing intentions for the week (and the year). The majesty of the lake setting offers fresh mountain breezes and a panoramic view of the picturesque lake vista. Bring your journals (and your cameras). You'll also see a large lit-up cross nearby! |
|
|
Day 3: Story Walk
Don some comfortable walking shoes for a stroll around the grounds while we partake in a few guided writing activities. Bring your camera, your new hand-crafted journal, and prepare to LAUGH at each others' creative imaginations at work. This is just one of the activities that creates lasting memories. |
|
|
Day 4: "Escape Room" Adventure
We'll split into four groups and see which teams can "escape the room". Learning to work together helps us overcome all kinds of conflict! Apply what you learn during this social activity to your CHARACTERS, who hopefully endure much more trying conflicts. |
|
|
Day 5: Live Theatre
We'll trek into the local town of Waynesville to explore the night life and watch a live theatrical performance - filled with character, plot, setting, tension, conflict, drama, stakes - all the makings of a great story! Analyze story as you enjoy the show and see what you can apply to your own manuscript. |
We'll be attending the show on opening night!
|
|
Day 6: 5k Race & Mega Party
The climax of your writing and running getaway in the mountains is to run in the Friends of the Lake 5k Race with your new writing and running friends. At Saturday night’s Mega Party, we’ll have a costume party, awards ceremony, and book signing! Be sure to pack a costume to dress up as one of your favorite literary characters. |
|
|
Day 7: Saying Goodbyes
Parting is such sweet sorrow, but alas Sunday morning brings our writing and running adventure to an end. We’ll have one final meal together, before you head back to the airport. Be sure to exchange contact information with all your new besties so you can plan to come back the following year with each other. |
|
*** ALL ACTIVITIES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE ***
The Lasting ImpactBy the end of this retreat, you will have dispelled your fears, learned more about the writing craft, and received valuable feedback on your manuscript so that you can move forward in your writing, filled with confidence, excitement, and momentum!
It’s going to feel so fantastic to believe in yourself as a writer enough to kick your fears to the curb. During your stay here, we’re going to do just that! Through a guided journaling activity followed by an inspiration walk, we’ll dispel your fears and help you feel more confident than you’ve felt in years. Wouldn’t it feel magnificent to block out the daily distractions of life and refocus more time on writing and running? Well, grab your blinders because that’s what this retreat will do for you - block out your everyday distractions. While we’re together, we’ll definitely be focusing a lot of time on writing and running. Yay! How fabulous would it feel to bust through Writer’s Block and know where your story is going and what to write next? Together, we’ll bust through it, for sure! During our time at the lake, you’ll participate in manuscript critiques, workshops, and morning runs to help you get new ideas and unlock your story to find a way forward – something you can apply to your writing for decades! 
|
Get ready to feel oh-so-marvelous to have the motivation to write again and keep the momentum going no matter what life (or your story) throws at you! Not only will you learn how to write better, you’ll also gain new friendships and experience amazing activities that will inspire your writing long after you return home.
By the end of this retreat, you will have:
|
The Workshops
Character Workshop
Get In Cadence with Your Characters
Kiesa Kay
From ferocious Circe to frontierswoman Rebecca Boone, memorable characters are the heart of every story. Whether you’re writing fiction, memoir, or stage plays, deeply felt characters are what readers and audiences connect to most. Discover what it means to listen deeply to the characters you bring into being.
In this workshop, you'll examine the emotional truths behind your characters — joy, grief, rage, wonder — by tapping into your own lived experiences. Through gentle exercises and insightful prompts, you’ll learn how to enrich your characters’ emotional depth, making them not only more believable, but unforgettable.
From ferocious Circe to frontierswoman Rebecca Boone, memorable characters are the heart of every story. Whether you’re writing fiction, memoir, or stage plays, deeply felt characters are what readers and audiences connect to most. Discover what it means to listen deeply to the characters you bring into being.
In this workshop, you'll examine the emotional truths behind your characters — joy, grief, rage, wonder — by tapping into your own lived experiences. Through gentle exercises and insightful prompts, you’ll learn how to enrich your characters’ emotional depth, making them not only more believable, but unforgettable.
Plot Workshop
A Plot to Make Most Terrible Things Happen
Christie Wright Wild
Apply proven plotting structures to your own stories and make the "most terrible things happen." We'll be breaking down Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone to get a closer look at how to analyze plot and apply it to your own stories, no matter the genre.
Gain a deeper understanding of plot and how simple it can be. Whether you've already written your entire manuscript, or you haven't even started yet, you'll be able to define the 5 main plot points you need to begin writing. Then you can start to fill in the gaps for the full 11-point plan, which can also help with revisions.
Apply proven plotting structures to your own stories and make the "most terrible things happen." We'll be breaking down Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone to get a closer look at how to analyze plot and apply it to your own stories, no matter the genre.
Gain a deeper understanding of plot and how simple it can be. Whether you've already written your entire manuscript, or you haven't even started yet, you'll be able to define the 5 main plot points you need to begin writing. Then you can start to fill in the gaps for the full 11-point plan, which can also help with revisions.
Setting Workshop
From Fog to Firelight: Establishing a Ritual of Atmospheric Architecture
Amanda Headlee
This workshop is designed to help writers across all genres develop a repeatable, intentional process — a ritual — for crafting powerful atmosphere and setting.
Borrowing the mood-shaping techniques of horror fiction, we'll explore how to move from vague description to immersive emotional landscapes.
This workshop is designed to help writers across all genres develop a repeatable, intentional process — a ritual — for crafting powerful atmosphere and setting.
Borrowing the mood-shaping techniques of horror fiction, we'll explore how to move from vague description to immersive emotional landscapes.
Conflict Workshop
Casting Trouble: The Magic of Meaningful Conflict
Anne Armistead
In this hands-on workshop, we will look at three core forms of conflict: internal, interpersonal, and situational. Attendees will analyze conflict in provided scenes and practice revising flat examples by adding purposeful resistance. Participants will also have the opportunity to revise a scene from their own work in progress.
Writers will leave with a clearer understanding of what conflict actually is, why it belongs in every scene, a practical conflict checklist they can apply to their writing, and a revised section of their own work that creates forward momentum.
In this hands-on workshop, we will look at three core forms of conflict: internal, interpersonal, and situational. Attendees will analyze conflict in provided scenes and practice revising flat examples by adding purposeful resistance. Participants will also have the opportunity to revise a scene from their own work in progress.
Writers will leave with a clearer understanding of what conflict actually is, why it belongs in every scene, a practical conflict checklist they can apply to their writing, and a revised section of their own work that creates forward momentum.
Dialogue Workshop
Dialogue with Dumbledore
Kiesa Kay
Description coming soon.
Description coming soon.
Creativity Workshop
5 Ways to Boost Your Creativity and Keep Your Writing Sharp
Christie Wright Wild
Wield your magic wand and those feather pens! It's time to get a little creative and make some magic with your words.
Daily creativity can take many forms, but let's dive into some fun writing (and maybe running?) exercises, have a few laughs, and get a little more creative!
Wield your magic wand and those feather pens! It's time to get a little creative and make some magic with your words.
Daily creativity can take many forms, but let's dive into some fun writing (and maybe running?) exercises, have a few laughs, and get a little more creative!
Scene Workshop
The Magic of a Strong Scene
Anne Armistead
Scenes are the building blocks of a story, where “story magic” happens. They are built from action and reaction: action creates trouble, and reaction turns that trouble into the next choice. In this hands-on workshop, writers will explore what makes a scene work on the page. We will break scenes into their essential components, examine why scenes often feel flat or unfocused, and look at how action and reflection work together to move the story forward.
Attendees will analyze sample scenes and revise them to clarify goals, strengthen pressure, and create stronger endings. Participants are encouraged to bring a scene from a work in progress to analyze and revise. Writers will leave with a clear scene analysis tool they can apply as they write.
Scenes are the building blocks of a story, where “story magic” happens. They are built from action and reaction: action creates trouble, and reaction turns that trouble into the next choice. In this hands-on workshop, writers will explore what makes a scene work on the page. We will break scenes into their essential components, examine why scenes often feel flat or unfocused, and look at how action and reflection work together to move the story forward.
Attendees will analyze sample scenes and revise them to clarify goals, strengthen pressure, and create stronger endings. Participants are encouraged to bring a scene from a work in progress to analyze and revise. Writers will leave with a clear scene analysis tool they can apply as they write.
Five Senses Workshop
Sensory Immersion: Writing That Creeps Under the Skin & Spins Magic
Amanda Headlee
Use of all five senses (and maybe a sixth) to deepen immersion and evoke emotional reactions.
Use of all five senses (and maybe a sixth) to deepen immersion and evoke emotional reactions.
*** ALL WORKSHOPS ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE ***
This adventure is TOTALLY for you if...
|
|
This adventure is NOT for you if...
|
|
The Bonuses
Just because we care, you’ll also receive:
- Access to a Private Retreat Facebook Group – We'll connect pre-trip (you can ask questions and receive up-to-date trip info) and then we’ll stay connected post-trip – and of course swap photos!
- Pre-Trip Group Call – You’ll have the chance to meet everyone in the group, share your intent and ask any last-minute questions!
- Group Text Chat – We'll have a phone text chat channel for updates 1-2 weeks before, during, and after the retreat.
- Free Race Registration – Inclusion to the Friends of the Lake 5k race!
- Plot Audit Workshop – A chance to win a FREE Plot Audit worth $697 and access to attend the LIVE workshop and receive the recording. This event happens after the retreat. Dates TBD.
Why North Carolina?North Carolina has a rich history of storytelling. The land is filled with myths and legends passed down over centuries from generations of oral traditions. This is just a small sampling of North Carolina lore from west to east. What better place than to hold a writing retreat here?
|
|
|
Famous North Carolina AuthorsAs writers, we love the English language. In the south, we’re known for having an accent. People living in the Appalachian dialect area pronounce the word "Appalachia" as App-a-latch-ah, while those who live outside of the Appalachian dialect area or at its outer edges tend to pronounce it App-a-lay-shah.
Hundreds of well-known writers have lived in North Carolina and have continued our rich tradition of storytelling. Here’s a short list of some of our most famous authors.
|
What's Included?
|
|
|
What's NOT Included?
|
Video Testimonials
Writer Success Stories
Scroll through to see fun pics and read attendee testimonials.
Transportation
The retreat venue is approximately 35–40 minutes from Asheville Regional Airport (AVL). Attendees who fly in should plan to arrange their own transportation via Uber, Lyft, or a rental car. Uber fares typically range from $30–$60, depending on time of day.
For those interested in coordinating shared rides, we’ll provide an optional Flight Arrival List closer to the retreat where attendees may add their arrival details and contact info if they’d like to connect with others. Participation is completely optional.
We’ll also be in touch in August with the exact address and arrival reminders to make travel easy.
For those interested in coordinating shared rides, we’ll provide an optional Flight Arrival List closer to the retreat where attendees may add their arrival details and contact info if they’d like to connect with others. Participation is completely optional.
We’ll also be in touch in August with the exact address and arrival reminders to make travel easy.
Meet Your Magical Mentors
2026 Guest Authors
ANNE ARMISTEAD
Historical Romance NovelistAnne Armistead is the author of two historical fiction novels that were each awarded the Georgia Indie Author of the Year Awards: With Kisses From Cecile (2020) and A Tryst in Paris (2024).
Her sweet contemporary Christmas romance will be re-released Fall 2026 under its new title, A Christmas Recipe For Second Chances. Her current WIP is a cozy mystery set in fictional Starfire, Georgia, under the brilliant clear night skies of Georgia’s Blue Ridge Mountains. She has written award-winning stories for Highlights Magazine and has taught English for three decades at middle, high, and university levels. She enjoys walking for charities and participating in the Atlanta Writers Club and Georgia Romance Writers. But above all, she adores being “Ma” to her three young grandsons. |
KIESA KAY
PlaywrightKiesa Kay is a poet, award-winning playwright, author, whose work has been featured in national parks, theaters, colleges, and conferences across the U.S. and France. Kiesa has spent decades nurturing writers and helping them find clarity in their stories. Her workshops blend craft with compassion, and she believes deeply in the power of words to heal.
Kiesa has edited acclaimed anthologies, completed her late friend’s children’s book, and written numerous plays and memoirs celebrating women’s lives, survival, and hope. She has taught university English and led writing workshops for trauma survivors, grandparents, and gifted communities. When she’s not writing, she can be found playing old-time fiddle or hiking the Blue Ridge Mountains. |
AMANDA HEADLEE
Horror WriterAmanda Headlee is the author of two novels,Till We Become Monsters and This is How a Villain is Made, as well as several short stories, including her collection of 13 stories titled Madness and Greatness Can Share the Same Face.
A devoted connoisseur of cosmic and psychological horror, she is often found unraveling the universe’s darkest secrets—preferably with a steaming cup of chai tea in hand. As a wandering wonderer, Amanda spends her free time riding one of her many bikes or hiking the Appalachian Mountains. She shares her Pennsylvania abode with a plethora of exotic plants and a horror-loving pup named Sprout. |
*** ALL SPEAKERS ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE ***
|
Christie Wright WildRetreat LeaderChristie is the founder of the Writers Who Run Retreat, where she helps writers and runners connect with the two passions they love most. She loves to travel, but mostly for writing and running events. She is represented by Stacey Graham of Three Seas Literary. Christie is the author of the middle grade fantasy series, The 7 Boxes of Eckard, of which the first book, The Bamboo Root, is currently under construction.
She teaches plotting skills inside her online course, Plot Like A Novelist. She has 3 indie-pubbed books:
|
|
Dearest Writer,
My sincere hope is that you will come to this retreat filled with hope, wonder, and excitement, and leave with more confidence, more knowledge, and the momentum to keep you going for another year. I have worked hard to create an unforgettable and life-changing experience for YOU, the writer who likes to run. This is the highlight of my year and I am beyond honored to share it with you. With much love and sincerity, Christie Wright Wild |
Contact Us
Got a question? Drop me a line!
|
|
|
SHARED ROOM: We will pair you with another retreat participant. If you want to room with someone specific, just let us know!
Cancellation Policy
Cancellations on or before December 31 will receive 50% of their payments refunded.
Cancellations between January 1 and February 29 will receive 25% of their payments refunded.
No refunds will be granted on or after March 1.
However, if you add the Trip Protection Plan when you register, you may be eligible for a full refund no matter when you cancel.
(It works similar to travel insurance.)