Prices include meals unless otherwise noted.

Writers’ Retreat Pricing for Uplands

When your reservation request is confirmed, we will send you an invoice for the deposit (50% of the total). The remainder is due one week before your arrival. Deposit is refundable up until one week before arrival.

4 Thursdays in October or 4 Thursdays in November

October 2025 Registration Form:

November 2025 Registration Form:

Here is an overview of how the sessions will work:

Prepare for your session

1. Turn off your phone and put it out of the room or at least out of sight.
2. Remove any other sources of interruption: close your door, turn off notifications on your computer, etc.
3. Get water/coffee or use the bathroom before the session begins.
4. The zoom room will open 15 minutes before the scheduled start – feel free to sign on early and chat. Silent productive time will begin at 7:30 EST or PST – whichever one you’re attending.
5. Make sure you are visible in the video.  Pyjamas are optional but clothing is not—you should be appropriately covered up. 🙂

Pyjama Writing

Kick off your session

1. Plan what you intend to work on and accomplish in that session.
2. Break your commitment down into specific tasks
3. Post your plan in the chat area
4. Start working at 7:30 when the community goes into silence.

Get to work

1. Work in silence on your tasks. Unless there’s a necessary reason, leave your video on.  It’s so encouraging to look up and see the community all working together.
2. Stay with your posted commitment. If something comes up and your attention needs to go elsewhere, say goodbye.  If you’re in the room, please be working on your intended task.
3. If you need to take a bio break, post in chat that you’re leaving for a few minutes and you’ll be back.

Wrap up

1. Sue will keep the room open for at least one hour.  Before you go, if you choose to, post a sentence or two (no more than 50 words MAX) from what you’ve been working on in the chat. Other writers have a chance to read your work and offer strengths-based feedback in the chat.
2. Be supportive to others, and celebrate your own productive session!

You can register using this form below. Please note – you have to hit “Submit” twice — the first time consolidates your information, the second time registers you.

You can register using this form below. Please note – you have to hit “Submit” twice — the first time consolidates your information, the second time registers you.

A number of writers who have been working in community in PJ writing have reached a stage where they need new eyes on their manuscripts; consequently they’re looking for Beta Readers.

If you’re one of those writers, Sue has created a process whereby you can put out a request for volunteers to read your work and offer feedback.

Here are the resources:

You can fill out this form

Here is a template for your specific email or letter to your beta readers.

Here is a template for general (and specific) instructions on how to be a good beta reader.

Sue will download and distribute the beta reader spreadsheet of options to the PJ community once a month (the final Friday — the day of our extra half hour discussion).

If you are interested in being a Beta Reader for a project, please email the author directly. Also indicate what is the scope of the work you’re willing to do. (ie. you may not have time to commit to an entire manuscript, but perhaps you could read 20,000 or 30,000 words and offer feedback on the opening or the first act.)

FYI: Of course, it is expected that, given the volunteer nature of this, there will be reciprocity. i.e., if you ask people to read your 80,000 word manuscript and offer timely feedback, it is not unreasonable to expect that you will offer to beta read for others.

If you have any questions or suggestions as to how to improve this service/interaction, please let Sue know at sue (at) inkslingers.ca

Using Reflective Journaling to Banish Writers’ Block

The zoom room for that workshop is here:
Join Zoom Meeting by clicking here.

Meeting ID: 817 5683 6443
Passcode: TBurnet28

Using Family and Other Photographs to Explore Memoir

The zoom room for that workshop is here:
Join Zoom Meeting by clicking here.

Meeting ID: 817 5683 6443
Passcode: TBurnet28

If possible, please bring some photographs with you — of your younger self, of your family, or any other photographs that hold a mystery for you. It is possible to work with a remembered photograph, but your experience will be richer if you have a few actual photographs with you.

Looking forward to this time with you and your exploration of history through a visual portal.