It is no secret that I love the beach. As a child, I spent weekends at Grand Isle, the barrier island made famous in Kate Chopin’s The Awakening. Now I live at hour-plus-change from Rehoboth Beach, where I go every spring and fall to remind myself of the cleansing power of water, waves, sand, and fresh air. Those weeks rejuvenate my spirit.

The beach is perfect for relaxing, and also for writing. Every other year, the Delaware Division of the Arts offers a beach retreat for poets and prose writers. Twenty-odd writers are selected for a 3-day retreat with an instructor/facilitator. This year’s leaders are Sandra Beasley, award-winning author of four books of poetry and nonfiction, and Leslie Pietrzyk, novelist and prize-winning short story writer

The retreats feature group time, workshop time, writing time, and beach time. The key word is time. The retreat gives you time to focus on writing. It also gives you the opportunity to meet and bond with peers in the Delaware writing community.

I can say from experience that some of my best writing buddy relationships began at a DDoA beach retreat. Deadline to apply is soon. Please give it a shot–it is worth your time!