The CAVE is limited to 12 participants!
Secure your spot while you can!
THE CAVE IS FOR YOU
- If you struggle to protect time for your writing
- If you need distraction-free deep focus
- If you want to jumpstart a project
- If you have trouble claiming your writer self
- If you need to get better at setting boundaries
- If you want to improve your craft
- If you want to find more freedom on the page
- If you want to fall back in love with a project
ABOUT THE WORD CAVE
WHAT: This 7-day virtual writing retreat is a time for you to focus on your creative work in your space, wherever you are, with support and accountability
WHEN: October 23-29, 2025 for Australia/ October 22-28, 2025 for United States
WHERE: Everywhere (Zoom!)
WHO: Writers of all levels and all genres ready to go deep, listen to their ideas, break through blocks, and remember why they write
WHY: Because you know, deep down, your art matters and is worth protecting (but sometimes you need help remembering that)
The Magic of THE WORD CAVE:
Exceptional Facilitation
This is not your average writing retreat. Two decades of teaching and writing have shaped my approach, which is rooted in my belief that when we make art, we're exercising the muscles we need to help repair the world. I love to hold space and foster transformation, both on and off the page.
Personalized Writing Prompts
I create generative writing prompts that propel writers forward and feel like magic. They offer inspiration and direction, helping writers clear blocks and take more risks on the page. Before THE CAVE begins, I'll ask you what you're struggling with, and I'll develop prompts just for you.
Community & Connection
Through twice-daily check-ins, writers build connections, fostering a supportive network. There is power in recognizing that many of our struggles are shared. I believe we never write alone, and in the CAVE this is deeply true.
Mindful Preparation
When you register for THE CAVE, you'll receive a preparation packet. You'll find instructions for clearing and claiming space, setting intentions, making boundaries, collecting readings, and readying food to tend your body. Mindful preparation will ensure that your time in THE CAVE is exactly what you need it to be.
Immersive Focus
To take back our focus at this time is a radial -- and healing -- act. To turn off social media and email and the news and obligations. To listen to our own ideas. To reclaim our internal landscape. To read and write. To be still. To tend our bodies. Seven days of uninterrupted writing can lead to significant progress and breakthroughs.
Boundaries & Permission
To make and keep boundaries is a generous act. When we protect what matters to us, we give the people around us permission to protect what matters to them too. In THE CAVE, you'll find support for your boundaries and permission to take up space in the world and on the page.
INSIDE THE WORD CAVE:
Seven days of protected time for your creative work
Preparation instructions for how to make the most of your time that include suggestions for:
- How to claim your space
- How to clear your calendar
- How to stay offline and off social media
- How to set an intention
- How to schedule your time
- How to reclaim focus and attention for your own creative work
- How to set boundaries
Retreat limited to 12 participants
Two daily group 60-minute check-ins/writing workshops (for a total of 8 hours):
- For Australia: The first check in will be at 8 am AEDT, and the second will be at 1 pm AEDT.
- For United States: The first check in will be at 2 pm PDT, and the second will be at 7 pm PDT.
A community of support and accountability
Permission to protect time for your creative work and to claim it as your birthright
WHY THE CAVE?
The WORD CAVE empowers writers to delve deeply into their craft, establish connections, and make significant strides in their writing projects, within a supportive and nurturing virtual community.
The CAVE is open to all levels and all creative practices and genres. Beginning writers and seasoned writers are welcome!
Meet Sarah Sentilles
I've been leading WORD CAVES for seven years. They were inspired by the Australian writer Charlotte Wood, when I met her on book tour in Australia for DRAW YOUR WEAPONS. They are the heart of my teaching practice, one of the key ways I support writers and their creativity, which, for me, is a kind of activism.
I've been writing seriously for almost 30 years. And in that time I've learned how important it is to stay connected to my biggest vision. To be intentional about boundaries. To protect time for what matters. I've also learned writing is primarily about listening. Which means we need to slow down and trust ourselves and the ideas that visit us. I designed THE WORD CAVE with that in mind.
Here's a little bit about me: I'm the author of five books, including Draw Your Weapons, which won the 2018 PEN Award for Creative Nonfiction. My most recent book, Stranger Care: A Memoir of Loving What Isn’t Ours, was published by Random House and was a New York Times Editor’s Choice and Idaho Book of the Year. My writing has appeared in The New York Times, The New Yorker, and The Atlantic, among other publications. I've had residencies at Hedgebrook and Yaddo. I earned a bachelor's degree at Yale and master's and doctoral degrees at Harvard. I'm also the co-founder of the Alliance of Idaho, which works to protect the human rights of immigrants. I live in Idaho's Wood River Valley, with my family.
