Register and pay for the 2026 Retreat
The retreat is for SWC members. If you've been thinking of becoming a member, now is the time. You can register and become a member with the form.
You can pay with your credit card or by etransfer to write@sookewriters.com
Retreat 2026
Day 1 - July 11
Poetic License – poetry & flash fiction discussion – dl clay
Explore the ideas behind writing poetry and flash fiction and how it can enhance your writing overall. An economy of words can lead to a richness of story.
Polish, Panic, Submit: Crafting Winning Writing – DK Eve
Writing contests can help you gain recognition, build confidence, and open doors to publication. But winning isn’t just about talent. It’s about strategy, presentation, and understanding what judges are really looking for. If you want your work to rise above the pile, you need more than a polished piece; you need a plan.
Award-winning Author DK Eve offers eleven tips to help you Keep Calm and Write On, blending craft, mindset, and practical tactics to help you submit writing that truly competes.
Memoir and More – Lynda Moore
“To write your story is an art / so free / you just might find yourself / lost.” ~LMoore
Come play with ways to shine a different light on the same life. Discuss open concepts and boundaries, audience expectation and multi-genre exploration in memoir.
Win with Words Event – Jim Bottomley
Here’s your opportunity to participate as a contestant in the first game show offered at a Sooke retreat. Host Broke Syntax brings the glamour and silly excitement of WIN with WORDS to Sooke. Choose categories such as One Sentence Descriptions and Fill in the Missing Dialogue, provide your words anonymously, and see how many votes you collect from the other contestants for providing the best answers. Mr. Syntax promises big prizes, such as a new car! But know that he plays with Hot Wheels.
Keeping going: Stages of writing and how to overcome blocks – Dee Lambert
No matter where you are in your writing journey or what you write, there will be times when things slow down. With D. Lambert, walk through a project, starting with conception and ending at publication, pausing for what blocks you might experience along the way. With tips, tricks, and exercises, tackle those blockades and tear them down. Bring a work in progress or just practice creativity as you develop skills that will keep you going!
Breaking through burnout – Angela Dorsey
Writer Burnout: a state of emotional, mental, and physical exhaustion caused by prolonged stress that makes writing feel like a burden rather than a passion. At the start, it can feel like writer’s block or mental fatigue, or you can simply feel disconnected from the stories you love. Have you started down that path? And if so, how do you turn around before you burn out?
Day 2 - July 12 - Optional second day
There is no additional fee to attend the second day, which is reserved for more casual writing experience using the breakout spaces, networking with other writers, or joining one of the conversations/exercises provided by participants.
- Free form Topics
- 10-11am: Tips and tricks (what is the one thing you thought would be good to share?)
- 11am-1pm: Marketing roundtable