Glory Writers was first founded with a retreat… 

Didn’t know that? It’s crazy, but six years ago, Victoria had a dream. She wanted to create a place where Christian authors could get lost in nature or in some inspirational location, spend a week with authors and creatives who share their passion of glorifying God with their art, and grow together and become refreshed through their time spent in nature, with each other, and through various lowkey activities. 

That dream has not changed. Cultivating community has always been at the heart and core of who we are at Glory Writers, and it’s been a privilege to watch God honor and grow that dream. What started off as 15 girls in the woods of Kentucky for one week, has grown into thousands of writers world wide who not only desire to honor God with their pen, but to serve Him in all that they do and bring His Kingdom to earth through their art. 

To say that retreats are special to us is an understatement. They are something we have ADORED from day one and always look to put on every year. They have been a source of inspiration, rejuvenation, rest, and communion for many that has been truly life-changing. I still get messages and hugs from writers I met on that first retreat 6 years ago and am reminded again how special God made it.

After a year on hiatus, we have officially decided to host another retreat! The amount of work and joy that we pour into these events is a labor of love and we can’t wait to host you at our next event of the year! 

OUR MISSION:

• CULTIVATE – a tight knit place of belonging, fellowship, and friendships that will last a lifetime.
• CREATE – together in an environment that stimulates creativity and inspiration.
• RESTORE – hearts and minds to the truth of who God created them to be and His abounding love for them. 
• INSPIRE – our community with a place that brings them life, rest that fills them to overflowing, and fellowship that lights their souls on fire. 
• KINDLE – a spark of joy, excitement, and burning passion for pursuing the Creator in our creations.

Glory Writers Retreat: 2024

Location: Franklin TN

Dates: May 10-17 

Hosting Sight: The Majestic Mansion in the Forest is a castle-like home that has plenty of room for all and vibes to spare! Feel like you  are entering your own fairytale for a week! 

What’s provided: Lodging, linens, continental style breakfast, a special Glory Writer’s Welcome gift packet. 

Where to fly: Nashville International Airport (we are open to providing a shuttle/pickup personnel for your flight, so just be in contact with us to arrange times and flights)

Total Cost: $700 (50% non-refundable deposit required to claim your spot)

Size of Attendance: 17 slots available, first come, first served.

Q&A:

What will the retreat look like? 

We usually create the schedule closer to the event and send it out in advance to our attendees as we like to incorporate group participation in polls etc for possible events. As a rule this retreat is meant to be a place of rest, rejuvenation and community. As a result, we don’t like filling the schedule to the brim with outings or events so that we can optimize our time, make it feel like an actual vacation, and get to know each other well.

Days start off with breakfast, worship, devotions, and prayer. There are lots of nooks and comfy spots around the homes to write, read, fellowship, or play games. 

We often have a game night, movie night, walks etc throughout the week as well as 1-2 more planned outings. We have tossed around a few ideas that may include for this location things like a history tour, a bookstore tour, a visit to downtown Franklin, a horseback riding tour, and possibly a group book signing at a local bookstore or coffee shop, or an author meetup in town for any other Glory Writers to attend and hang out with us for an afternoon or evening. 

Due to proximity to Franklin and a plethora of lovely and affordable restaurants, we may do dinner outings a few times throughout the week for those who would like to eat out. 

Will I need to share a bed?

You will likely be required to share a bed with another attendee. We know a lot of you probably know each other and we do our best to pair up attendees who know each other or who get along well and we’ll be sure to accommodate any concerns or requests if possible. 

What can I expect for food?

Due to varying diet restrictions, a plethora of shopping and restaurants in the area, we have opted not to provide full meal service this time. Breakfast options will be provided to the best of our ability, but we will have a shopping time slot on our first day so that you can pick up any necessary food needed for the week.

How do I get from the airport to the retreat?

We would love to work with you on arranging travel! We have a few attendees or family members with cars that we may be able to arrange pickup and drop off for you! Please stay in close contact with Victoria or Livy to make sure we can arrange vehicles and travel for your arrivals and departures! If you are an attendee who is driving and would be open to volunteering your vehicle and time, let us know!

Will there be conference-like sessions?

We are discussing what this may look like for the retreat and contacting a few friends who are professionals in the author business who may be able to join us remotely to speak and encourage our attendees! If we do this, it may just be a few sessions throughout the week, not a packed schedule like you can expect from a conference. Our main focus is rest, vacation, and fellowship!

How do I book my spot?

For public access, your 50% non-refundable registration fee will be due by January 31st, but it is also first come, first serve and we only have 17 spots at this time. 

Second payment will be due at some point in February to solidify our booking with the home. 

Reviews from Past Attendees:

I hadn’t met any of the girls in person before the retreat, but when I got there, it felt like I was with long-lost sisters. It was wonderful to go on adventures, share our stories, encourage each other, and just laugh and talk about life together. I wasn’t exhausted, bored, or homesick at all…it was just one of the best experiences ever! I went home feeling refreshed and even more excited to pursue God and His calling for me.

The Glory Writers Retreat was such an amazing experience! Each of the girls that attended were so sweet and getting to know them as authors and God-lovers was so amazing! Because I’m sort of new to the writing world I did not know as much about different elements of publishing or editing that they did, but each girl was so sweet and did her best to help me understand things a bit better 🙂 I can’t express enough that this retreat was God’s timing! I learned so much spiritually from these girls and it was like a breath of fresh air being able to connect with so many girls who have the same passion for getting good, clean, and uplifting books to readers. It was definitely a trip I will never forget and I couldn’t be more grateful! 🙂

It was fabulous! I honestly enjoyed every minute. It was such a blessing to be able to spend time with girls who share my heart and my passion and my love for Jesus. Everyone felt like a kindred spirit, and I can’t wait to attend another GW retreat.

I came away from the Glory Writer’s Retreat feeling inspired and encouraged in my writing, faith, and relationships.

How can I describe how much God blessed me through this Glory Writers Retreat? Somehow, every girl He brought together was a perfect part of the group, and we became sisters in one short week. I was encouraged in my walk with Jesus, as a writer, and as a sister, and I left feeling overwhelmingly loved. So much prayer went into this retreat, and I felt and still feel lifted up with support from girls all over the United States who know and love me in a special way that only family can. I savored the times of prayer together, the gentle days in the cabin soaking in conversations, the hugs, the outings and adventures, the photos, the late-night talks, and the rest and unity we had. It felt like for one week similar members of the Body of Christ (I think of us writers as “arms”, haha) got together to seek how we can be the absolute best arms for Jesus that we can, and now we get to go out and “do the stuff,” backing each other up. Thank you, girls. I love you and miss you, and I thank God for you. ♥