This past weekend, I had the honor of spending three days in Albuquerque with the Women’s Fiction Writers Association at their West Retreat. Three days to talk about the things I love most—our craft and the business of publishing.
There’s nothing quite like being surrounded by writers, people who understand the struggle and the joy of creating stories. And there’s no better moment than seeing that spark in someone’s eyes when something you’ve said helps unlock their story in a brand-new way.
One of the sessions conversationsI led centered on the Hero’s Journey and its counterpart, the Heroine’s Journey. These structures aren’t just tools for making sure your story moves forward or that the middle doesn’t sag—they’re also frameworks that allow us to dig into what makes heroes and heroines truly special. We looked at the communal aspects of the heroine’s return, the healing wisdom mentors pass on, and how both journeys can be reimagined for today’s storytelling.
If you’ve been feeling stuck in your own writing, I want to encourage you to consider a writing retreat. A retreat takes you out of your ordinary world and places you in an environment designed for creativity. This particular hotel in Albuquerque, called Hotel Albuquerque, was perfect—full of quiet corners to write in, with the gentle sound of a water feature trickling in the background. The temperature was just right, and the breeze seemed to carry with it a rhythm I needed as I started drafting a new manuscript. Finding that rhythm is essential—especially when facing the hardest part of writing: the beginning. As we talked about during the retreat, the beginning has to do so much work. It must pull the reader in, set the tone, and launch the story forward. That challenge can feel overwhelming, but when you’re sitting among other writers, sharing the struggle, the rhythm comes easier.
For me, the joy of being with this group of women writers was in the way we each gave something to one another. We shared, we encouraged, and we carried each other forward. Writing can be isolating, and even now, years after the height of the pandemic, many of us are still recovering from that deep loneliness. Yes, Zoom calls and late-night chats kept us connected, but nothing replaces being physically together—hearing voices, exchanging ideas, and being present in the same space.
That’s why I encourage every writer listening to this: put a writing retreat in your budget for 2026. No matter where you are in your career—whether you’re drafting your first book or publishing your thirtieth—invest in yourself and your craft. Retreats give you knowledge, community, and the reminder that you’re not alone in this work.
At this retreat, I was honored to teach three workshops: Write Fast, Write Now: Unveiling Character Arcs, The Substack Strategy: Building an Author Platform That Works, and Rethinking the Hero’s Journey for Today’s Storytelling Trends. Teaching craft is one of my greatest joys, because no matter how many books I’ve published—Fire Sword and Sea is my twenty-ninth—there is always more to learn. Every retreat, every conversation with another writer, teaches me something new.
And to those of you who were in Albuquerque with me: thank you. Thank you for giving me your attention, your questions, and your trust. Thank you for letting me be fully myself in that space. You gave me as much as I gave you. I left inspired, energized, and dreaming of hundreds more books—your books—coming into the world.
That is the magic of retreats, the magic of community, and the magic of the writer’s journey itself.
Books to get you into the writing mood:
The Hero with a Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell — the classic foundation for understanding the Hero’s Journey.
The Heroine’s Journey by Gail Carriger — a modern, approachable exploration of the heroine’s path and how it differs from Campbell’s.
The Writer’s Journey by Christopher Vogler — a practical, writer-focused guide to adapting mythic structure for storytelling.
Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott — reflections on the writer’s life and craft, with humor and heart
Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert — embracing creativity, fear, and joy in the artistic process.
We are three and half months away from Fire Sword and Sea—Get those preorder in, and help build the momentum for this historical fiction. Please spread the word about lady pirates in the 1600s.
They are women, many our Black and Indigenous. All want a better way of life. Piracy is legal. It’s their answer. This novel releases January 13, 2026.
The link on my website shows retailers large and small who have set up preorders for this title.
Show notes include a list of the books mentioned in this broadcast.
You can find my notes on Substack or on my website, VanessaRiley.com under the podcast link in the About tab.
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Thank you for listening. Hopefully, you’ll come again. This is Vanessa Riley.
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