A WRITING RETREAT WITH LYZ LENZ
Falling Forward
JUNE 17-21, 2026 · CAMDEN, MAINE
limited to 12–15 writers • workshops • quiet writing time • yoga • sunset sail • shared meals • explore the midcoast
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SUMMER SESSION
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Where do you go when the old story no longer fits?
What do you write from the in-between?
For writers navigating change—or standing at the edge of a new chapter—this weekend offers space to pause, write, and begin again.
Join bestselling writer Lyz Lenz for Falling Forward—an immersive weekend of writing, gentle yoga, harbor breezes, and radical self-trust. Designed for those navigating any kind of transition, be it parenthood, job shifts, divorce, or creative upheaval, this retreat is a space for letting go and beginning again.
We’ll gather for daily writing sessions at the Villager Cafe, part of a historic mill complex in downtown Camden, where the river meets the harbor and the path forward begins to unfold.
Whether you’re stepping out of one story or shaping the next, we’ll explore the fertile, uncertain space between what was and what’s ahead.
Retreat Flow
What’s Included
Lessons with Lyz (craft talks + prompts)
Structured writing time
Open office hours with direct feedback on your project
Morning yoga with a view
Fully walkable experience — everything just steps away
4 nights at Camden Place Inn (or no-stay option for locals)
Private sail through Camden Harbor
Dinners at top spots around Camden
Final reading — a small circle of new friends
Not included: Lunches, Transportation to/from the airport
Think of it as an invitation to let go—of relationships, roles, identities, homes, and old stories that no longer serve. Each day, we’ll gather to trade hard-won tools and unexpected tricks to hone your writing and cultivate your voice. You’ll connect with fellow writers in intimate breakout groups and also have quiet, protected time to dive into your project—or summon that idea that’s been waiting in the wings.
Mornings begin with a breakfast spread at the inn and a walk by the water, or gentle yoga at a studio just down the street overlooking the harbor. We’ll follow with a writing session that blends craft, community, and raw generative work. Everything is walkable once you arrive, with many charming places at hand to explore. One afternoon we’ll sail Camden Harbor on a chartered sailboat; another we’ll linger over wine and dive deep into storytelling, structure, and technique. Evenings feature dinner—both catered and at beloved local spots around town—along with intimate readings in a converted artist’s studio.
Consider it not just a break from your life, but a reset for your creative soul.
The Cafe
Writing classes will be held in the conference room at the inn, as well as at the Villager Cafe, recently featured in The New York Times, CBS Sunday Morning, and The Christian Science Monitor for its innovative use of space. Each day, a wing of tables will be reserved just for this retreat, with locally roasted coffee in a warm, energetic café atmosphere. A block away is the Camden Public Library, which, with its garden and harbor-side amphitheater, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Breakfasts and select dinners are lovingly catered by the café. You’ll also dine out at some of Camden’s treasured local spots.
We’ll toast with wine or mocktails and share stories over supper. We’re happy to work with you on meals that accommodate your needs—just let us know when you register.
The Rooms
Guests will stay at The Inn at Camden Place, a boutique hotel set along the Megunticook River. Quiet and comfortable, it sits just off the main street, a peaceful retreat with the sound of the river just outside.
You’ll be steps from bookstores, bakeries, and the harbor, with cozy rooms to return to after a full day of writing, walking, and connecting.
Community Connection
We’re keeping spots limited to ensure the weekend feels intimate—think deep conversations over dinner, spontaneous walks with fellow writers to take in the summer breeze, and meaningful feedback from your instructor.
Have a writing friend you want to work closely with? Bring them. Or make a new one here.
We’re being intentional about fostering spaces for connection and collaboration through small-group sessions, quiet creative rituals, and the kind of unstructured time that allows for musing with your muse.
Your Guide to Falling Forward
Your guide through it all is Lyz Lenz: brilliant, acid-tongued, and deeply vulnerable. Her most recent book, This American Ex-Wife, is part memoir, part social commentary, part political analysis—and as incisive as it is intimate.
Raised in a conservative Christian family and homeschooled in Texas, Lyz stepped into one story early—love, marriage, motherhood—only to discover she was meant for another.
From her home in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, she writes with fire and clarity about the mess and meaning of modern life. Her popular Patreon newsletter, Men Yell at Me, has become a refuge for readers seeking truth with a side of humor and a little righteous rage.
Over this four-day retreat, you’ll write with her, laugh with her, and maybe even cry over a few mini lobster rolls. One thing is for sure: you’ll leave with a sharper voice and a deeper sense of what matters.
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Her first two books—God Land: A Story of Faith, Loss, and Renewal in Middle America and Belabored: A Vindication of the Rights of Pregnant Women—explore identity, power, and place through a singular blend of memoir, cultural critique, and unflinching reported honesty.Whether she’s probing the American dream, challenging patriarchal expectations, or making you laugh through your tears, Lyz turns the personal into the political—and the political into something electric, urgent, and true.
Falling Forward is hosted by the Midcoast Villager and the Villager Cafe, a community gathering space in the heart of Camden’s historic riverfront district.
The Villager Cafe was created as a place where journalism, conversation, and community life intersect—a cafe by day, and a gathering space for ideas, storytelling, and cultural events by night. The cafe is part of the broader work of the Midcoast Villager, an independent newsroom dedicated to covering the people, ideas, and communities that make Maine’s midcoast unique.
Programs like this retreat support that mission. By participating in Falling Forward, guests not only invest in their own creative work but also help sustain thoughtful, independent local journalism at a time when that is increasingly rare. It’s one more way storytelling continues—on the page, around the table, and within the community that makes it possible.
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If you are comfortable with small planes, Cape Air has multiple flights a day from Boston to Knox County Airport in Rockland (RKD), which is 15 minutes from Camden.
Other options are Portland (PWM), about 90 minutes by car from Camden, or Bangor (BGR), slightly closer.
We are 3.5 hours from Boston (BOS) if you are looking to explore New England before or after the retreat.
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Participants are responsible for their own transportation. We are happy to help coordinate rides and carpools for anyone wishing to participate in advance. Further details will be available upon request.
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Yes, of course! We have complementary parking at the hotel.
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We’re happy to do our best to accommodate common dietary needs and food allergies. Please share any restrictions with us when you register so our team can plan accordingly.If you have a severe allergy, we encourage you to reach out to us in advance so we can discuss options.
Travel Details & FAQ
To be the first to hear about upcoming retreats, please contact retreat curator Lucia Graves lgraves@midcoastvillager.com