Writing Wildly is a five-day writing retreat for creative entrepreneurs, artists and writers who want to get out of their heads, back into their bodies, and finally onto the page.
I believe your most important writing lives at the intersection of courage and space, the kind of space you can't create sitting at your desk, scrolling through notifications, waiting for inspiration to find you between meetings.
True creative breakthrough requires a different kind of environment. It needs mountain air and moving water, the rhythm of your feet on trails, the quiet that only comes when you step completely outside your normal world. It needs other writers who understand that the work we're here to do matters, even when we can't yet see its full shape.
They arrive in the quiet. On walks. In the shower. When your nervous system gets even a moment to breathe.
The best ideas don’t usually come when you force it.
respectfully,
F*ck the hustle.
There's a version of your voice you haven't met yet.
It lives underneath the noise, the editing-while-you-write, the voice in your head that asks "but will they get it?" before you've even finished the sentence.
We'll use adventure as a doorway to accessing deeper layers of creativity. We'll learn to trust the ideas that feel too big, too honest, too much. We'll discover how to write from the place where your expertise meets your intuition, where your story becomes something that serves not just you, but everyone who needs to hear it.
Our days will be spent in the stunning wilderness of Turrialba, Costa Rica, a place where hummingbirds shower in the morning mist and toucans frequently flutter past.
Moving between focused writing sessions and outdoor adventures that activate different parts of your creative brain, we'll encourage parts of your creativity to re-aliven in new ways.
It's not that you don't have the words. It's that you haven't had the space to hear them.
Writing tends to get squeezed into the margins of life. The hour before everyone wakes up. The notes app at midnight. A paragraph tapped out in the parking lot before you walk into another meeting. Most of us have learned to write this way. Between things. Around things. In the small pockets of time that remain after the real work of the day is finished. And yet the ideas that matter rarely appear under those conditions.
They appear in the shower. On a walk. Mid-conversation. In the strange quiet that arrives when your brain finally realises nobody is about to interrupt it. For a lot of people, the problem isn’t talent. It isn’t discipline either. It’s the absence of space, nature and inspiration. Writing Wildly is a creative rupture. A deliberate interruption of your regularly scheduled life. A week where the writing is no longer squeezed into the cracks, but given the centre of the day.
And once people are given that kind of space, something interesting tends to happen. They remember how to think. For themselves and for their best ideas.
a reckoning with your expression
A return to your most honest, uncensored voice
I added the final draft of our writings to my website and the offer sold out. What you got me to do in the jungle, what you made me see in my story.
I have no words for you about how you saw me, how you see me, so eloquently and unafraid. I am in a deep bow for meeting you and having you in my life now as a mentor, teacher, friend and sister. Thank you from all the light in the sky.
–Lizi Joubert
"So much has happened since Costa Rica!"
Thank you for inviting me into the Writing Wildly first circle. I can't stop telling everyone about the experience.
It was extraordinary beyond my expectations. I can't wait to return for the next one. 2025 SIGN ME UP!
-Kathy McAffee
"Your words overwhelm me and touch my heart on a very deep level"
This retreat made me realise what I really needed to do was come home to myself. Stop giving away my power. Believe in my capacity to create. I don’t feel peace about most things. I worry over decisions. Overthink interactions.
But even in the whitewater rush, my inhales were calm. My head clear. I'm prepared for wherever the river may take me next.
-Kayla Dean
"I’ve always wanted to be a writer, but the shoulds were keeping me small"
I'm not thanking you for finding and bringing us to this place or pulling together the most incredible set of humans, or for taking us on our first rapids. My thank-you is for showing me that a girl from Lancashire can (and will) do great things. My ambition is what brought me to Costa Rica, I knew I was meant for more but couldn't figure out what that was. And I am leaving knowing my thread, FUCK! What a gift!
-Laura Hadcroft
"One day, I promise, I will articulate what this weekend, you, have done for me"
I am much more confident in sharing my voice. I was stalling on making certain decisions before this retreat. I was unsure of what I wanted to do next, or why. All my attempts felt so forced. I now feel ready to move forward with an aligned vision. And I've already started! It finally feels so clear and so natural.
-Cadie Muldoon
"I have a newfound clarity about what I want to say, where I want to say it, who I'm saying it for, and why."
The mornings here are slow and green
you will write things you didn't know you had in you.
Coffee going cold because the paragraph was working
The draft you finally stopped protecting
Wet notebooks and sentences that surprised you
Getting out of your head and rafting a world-class river
Laughing until you cry at dinner
and remember that inspiration is everywhere...
Wet notebooks and sentences that surprised you
The draft you finally stopped protecting
Coffee going cold because the paragraph was working
Getting out of your head and rafring on a world-class river
Laughing until you cry at dinner
Because I know what this place has the power to do. Not a resort, not a hotel, my home. The mountains I wake up to every morning, the river my son throws rocks into, the people who have become my family. There's something about the way the green gets into your lungs, the particular silence. I've watched this land crack people open in the best way. I've seen women arrive wound tight and leave softer, slower, more themselves.
Because I got tired of writing my best work in the margins. In the hour before everyone wakes up. In the cracks between calls. On planes and in waiting rooms and in the notes app at 11pm. I wanted a week where the writing wasn't squeezed in
Because the most important things I've ever written came out when I was far from home. Unscheduled. Unhurried. Surrounded by people who didn't need me to be anything other than a writer.
Because I know what it's like to have a thousand ideas. To feel something important brush past you in the shower, in the middle of a conversation and watch it dissolve before you can catch it.
I created this because I needed it first
Here's how it works:
Mornings we write. Afternoons we discuss. we have days of adventure and in the Evenings we gather.
There will be guided sessions on voice, on storytelling, on saying the thing you've been circling. But this isn't school. There's no curriculum you're behind on, no right way to do it. Some days you'll write for hours. Some days you'll sit by the river and let your brain go quiet. Both count.
The sessions will be shaped around who's in the room. But expect to go deeper than you have in a while, into your stories, your voice and the ideas you haven't let yourself take seriously yet.
01
The river, the trails, the waterfalls
Some of the best sentences won't come at the desk. They'll come halfway up a mountain, or standing under a waterfall, or in the strange silence after a class IV rapid when your whole body is shaking and your mind is finally, completely empty.
We move here. We raft. We hike. We get in the water. Because the body knows things the mind hasn't caught up to yet. Because there are ideas that only come loose when you're breathing hard and a little bit scared and so fully in your body that you forget to edit yourself.
02
You won't be figuring this out alone
Most of your life, you're the only one who thinks about your work this much. The only one who lies awake turning a sentence over, who cares whether the thing you're making is true. Here, everyone does.
When you put a group of writers around a dinner table after a day of writing. The conversation goes somewhere it doesn't usually go. You'll get the kind of feedback that actually moves the work forward because everyone's paying attention.
Some of it is instruction. Some of it is discussion. Most of it is just the relief of being in a room where no one needs you to explain why this matters. The friendships that come out of this week tend to outlast it.
03
the unmatched rainforest of turrialba, costa rica
Everyone talks about the beaches. But the mountains, rivers and rainforest are Costa Rica's soul. The kind of place that gets into your lungs before you've finished your first cup of coffee. You'll wake up to cloud forest and volcanoes. You'll fall asleep to the sound of the river. This is the place I am so lucky to call home.
You'll be fed by people I love. You'll be taken care of by locals, support small, local businesses, participate in responsible tourism and see a side of this country most visitors never get close to. I don't think it's an accident that the writing that happens here is different. The land asks something of you. And if you let it, it gives something back.
04
the early mornings writing
Everyone still half-asleep, coffee going cold, notebooks open. No one talking. Just the sound of pens and the birds outside losing their minds the way they do here before 7am. Someone laughs at something she wrote and doesn't explain it. Someone else sighs a little. Nobody notices.
That's the thing I can't quite capture when I try to describe what happens. It's not the teaching or the prompts or the workshops. It's the space. It's the jungle. It's the people. That very special kind of quiet of women writing together, just to see what comes out.
05
Shared meals and slow conversations
We eat together three times a day. Beautiful, nourishing meals cooked by local chefs using fresh ingredients from the region. Long breakfasts with coffee and notebooks. Slow lunches after writing. Evenings around the table where nobody is rushing anywhere. This is often where the work deepens. We bring the card deck to the table. Someone pulls a question. Someone reads a paragraph they wrote that morning. Someone tells a story they’ve never said out loud before. The conversation moves the way it does when thoughtful people gather after a day of writing. Ideas collide. Perspectives shift. Someone says something that makes the whole table go quiet for a moment. A surprising amount of the retreat happens right here. Around the table.
06
You will write (a lot) but you will also connect with other creatives, feel deeply seen in your craft, receive personalized support in how you can fine-tune your voice, remember the impact you're meant to make in the world, and outrageously inspired.... After the retreat, you will come back to your "normal life" not the same. You will feel like things have shifted, whether subtly or pronounced— it will be the shift that you needed. Like you finally found the soundtrack that goes perfectly with this chapter of your life. This is the kind of experience that changes your life. If you feel the call, answer it.
-Katie Rose
"Writing Wildly is your actual haven..."
Writing is one of the most powerful tools you have at your disposal for understanding yourself, your work and what you're here to do.
Your words are what make your ideas spread. And when you know how to use them well, when you know what stories to tell, honestly it really does feel like magic.
-Ray Bradbury
"Writing is a process of self-liberation, self-revelation & self-discovery."
This experience was INCREDIBLE. There's nothing like the view of the jungle to awaken your creativity. I cherished those early morning writing sessions, putting pen to paper while watching the sun rise over the mountains and the hummingbirds dance in the flowers. I feel so much more inspired to share my creative expression. This retreat helped me realize that I don't just love doing this kind of writing for myself. I actually do have things I want to share!
-Kayla Dean
"There's nothing like the view of the jungle to awaken your creativity."
I used to think of writing in two clear categories: the writing that is for the world (creative) or the writing that is for me (reflective), but the retreat made me realize that there is a third option: creative writing that is for me, that allows me to process my memories and experiences and thoughts. Now I understand writing as a tool to release the narratives that dance around in my head incessantly, causing shame and blame and anxiety.
-Laura Hadcroft
"Now I understand writing as a tool I can use to tell my own stories back to myself."
Who this is for
The writer that's blocked
You've had the same idea following you around for years. In the shower, on walks, at 2am when you should be sleeping. You keep thinking you'll get to it when things slow down. Things haven't slowed down.
The writer that's bored
You know the difference between content and writing. And you're hungry for the second one. The kind that doesn't start with strategy and leaves you feeling like you said something that mattered, even if you're not sure what to do with it yet.
The writer that's just getting started
You believe there's a version of your voice you haven't fully met yet. You feel a book or a poem or a passage or a line is waiting to unravel within you. She's been waiting. Under the professionalism, the life, the editing, the making it palatable. You're ready to let her out, even if you don't know exactly what she'll say.
The writer who wants to move
You've never done your best work at the desk. It comes on walks, in water, mid-conversation, somewhere between the third laugh and the long exhale. You know your body holds ideas your mind can't access and you're done pretending otherwise. You want to write from aliveness, not discipline.
When I think about my love for words, it always takes me back to my mum. Our house was a maze of books, stacked on tables, spilling off shelves, perched precariously on top of long-forgotten cups of tea. There was never a day when she wasn’t lost in a story, and it’s from her that I inherited this all-consuming belief in the magic of words.
Writing has shaped my very bones, it's how I understand myself, my business and how I’ve navigated both. Writing is a way of life. It’s how I’ve built my career, it's how I've connected with people all over the world, it's how I've helped clients make millions.
and I'll be your host
All good things start
with a well-told story.
Hi, I'm Lois
In this retreat, we’re exploring writing as a practice of transformation:
→ A process of unraveling the myths you’ve been taught about creativity and originality, and stepping into a more expansive, authentic relationship with your ideas.
→ A way to question, challenge, and rewrite the stories that have shaped you.
→ An invitation to cultivate creative courage, not uniquely for the sake of visibility, but for the truth that emerges when you allow your writing to be messy, personal, and free. And how that alone can change your life.
By the end of this experience you will...
Leave the jungle with a newfound clarity of purpose, a deep connection to your voice & personal writing style & a transformed sense of yourself as a writer and a creative force.
plus, you will:
Be overflowing with ideas and inspiration. With stories unearthed, perspectives deepened and the inspiration of the jungle, you’ll have enough words to fuel your creative work for years to come.
Writing is an act of self-discovery. By the end of this retreat, you’ll have not only uncovered hidden stories but also reconnected with parts of yourself you may have forgotten or overlooked.
Build a sustainable practice. Learn rituals, prompts, and techniques to keep your creativity alive long after the retreat. You'll build a practice that fits your life long after you get home and consistently fuels your creativity.
Whether you’re here to write a book, reimagine your brand or simply reconnect with your creativity, you’ll leave with tools to express your purpose in ways that change the game.
Feel empowered to take bold risks in your writing and share your work with the world in a new way. You'll be reminded that the hardest work of a writer, is often less about the writing itself and more about removing the blocks between you and your boldest ideas.
Kind words about writing wildly
Participating in Writing Wildly at the time that I did reconnected me to my business in a critical way, at a time that I felt lost, disconnected from my identity, and unsure of my path forward. It was a process of remembering, deepening, realizing that I am already enough AND that I have more to give.
Since Writing Wildly I have created so much more prolifically, which has a direct impact on the success of my business, my launches have been MASSIVELY more easeful (because I know what to say) and successful (because people are connecting with my words) and I know that pattern will continue, and even magnify, as I get even more integrated with the tools I learned at the retreat.
Sometimes the work is simply putting yourself in places where your best ideas can find you.
Will I leave with actual writing, or is this more about inspiration?
Q:
You will write. You will be encouraged to write. A lot. The mornings are dedicated to focused writing time, and the environment makes it much easier to stay inside that creative state for longer than you usually can at home. People leave with drafts, essays, outlines, unexpected ideas, and often the beginning of work that becomes much bigger later. But just as important, they leave with a renewed relationship to writing itself, one that tends to continue long after the retreat ends. AND, if you get here and decide what you need is simply quiet to think, space, peace, good conversation, good workshops and to be challenged to think deeper, not just write -- you'll get that here too. The dinner table at Writing Wildly is infamous for sharing, hearing and living the most writeable stories.
Do I have to participate in all the adventure activities?
Q:
No. The hikes, rafting, and time in nature are invitations, not requirements. Many people love them because they help shift the body and mind into a different creative state. Others prefer to stay back and write, rest, or spend quiet time alone. You’re always free to follow your own rhythm.
What if I already write for work, but I’m craving something deeper than content?
Q:
This is actually one of the most common reasons people come. Many participants already write professionally, captions, newsletters, brand messaging, marketing, strategy, thought leadership. They know how to communicate clearly and effectively. But somewhere along the way, writing became functional. Writing Wildly creates space for the kind of writing that exists outside of strategy and optimisation, that asks bigger questions, explores deeper ideas, and reconnects you with the voice underneath the work you’ve had to produce.
I’m a mum / business owner / the one everyone relies on. Is this for me?
Q:
Very much so. Many of the writers who come are caretakers and service-providers — for families, teams, businesses, clients, communities. I'm a mum, many of my clients are, too. One of the most powerful aspects of the retreat is simply having uninterrupted time where you are not responsible for anyone else’s needs. Just space to think, write, and reconnect with yourself.
Do I need to be a “serious writer” to come?
Q:
A: No. Some people arrive already publishing marketing, essays, features or working on books. Others arrive with notebooks full of half-finished thoughts, voice notes, or the quiet feeling that there is something inside them that wants to be written. Writing Wildly isn’t a place for professional titles or literary credentials. It’s a place for people who care about words and want to take that relationship seriously. If you feel the pull to write, that’s enough.
Got more questions? DM me on Instagram @loismac_
I'm always delighted to recieve lengthy voice notes and chat about whether this feels like a place you want to spend some time. I take your comfort + safety very seriously <3
What kind of writing do people work on at the retreat?
Q:
A: Everything. Past participants have worked on: essays and Substack pieces, books and memoirs, brand messaging and creative business writing, poetry and personal reflections, newsletters and thought leadership, the first draft of something they didn’t know they were writing until they arrived, a vision, a decision or idea versus tonnes of writing. The common thread isn’t the format. It’s the honesty.
The questions you might have before you say yes...
What kind of people usually attend Writing Wildly?
Q:
We honestly get a bit of everything! Writers, creative entrepreneurs, artists, filmmakers, strategists, mums with a book to write, thinkers. People who care deeply about ideas and expression and are excited to connect with others who do, too. Many have built successful careers in other fields but feel a pull toward writing as something more than marketing or communication, something that shapes how they understand themselves and the world. What tends to unite everyone in the room is curiosity, thoughtfulness, a good sense of humour and a willingness to explore what they might be capable of creating.
What happens before / after the retreat?
Q:
Practically speaking, we have a group chat where people stay connected, host a group call before you arrive and a reunion group Zoom call after you leave, to check in and see what kind of work has been coming up, answer any questions, and generally just support with integration. Non-practically speaking, people usually return home with:
• new writing they’re proud of
• clarity around the ideas they want to explore
• renewed creative momentum
• friendships with other writers
For many participants, the retreat becomes a turning point, because they’ve experienced what it feels like to give their creative work real space.
And that’s surprisingly hard to forget.
What about the food? Dietary restrictions?
Q:
We can accommodate most dietary needs. Meals are prepared by local chefs using fresh ingredients, and we’ll collect dietary information before the retreat so everyone is well taken care of.
How do we get to the retreat location?
Q:
We stay at a beautiful accommodation in the central valley, right in front of the Turrialba Volcano, in the rainforest, near mountains, rivers and lots of fresh air and tropical birds. You’ll fly into San José International Airport (SJO) in Costa Rica. From there, we organise group transportation to Turrialba, where the retreat takes place. After you register, you’ll receive a detailed travel guide with recommended flights, arrival windows, and everything you need to make the journey simple. If you need help planning more time in Costa Rica before or after the retreat, don't hesitate to reach out.
Anna found her message, purpose & launched her dream business
"It was lois who first really saw what i now know is my purpose."
She quickly identified the parts of me that I want to be known for. It was her that truly understood and saw what I now know is my purpose. She gave me the confidence to be bold with my messaging.
"it was so helpful distinguishing my voice, my message and who i want to be."
Lois really sought to understand me so we could bring that into my copy. She is such a warm, loving person to be around and I deeply appreciate that about her. While working together I defined my voice, my impact, my message, grew over 60,000 followers to hit above 90k and had my biggest program launch to date.
"With Lois' support i was able to step into the leader i'm meant to be."
Having her in my corner has felt like a 'secret hack' (even though there aren't any). I love her straight-talking, honest business advice & approach. Her copy is genius. Working with her I've tripled my following, launched my first (dream) group program, and booked speaking gigs that were literally on my vision board.
"The copy, messaging and strategy she created generated over 6 figures in profit"
Working with Lois, I launched two new signature offers that she wrote the copy for and was also behind the messaging and strategy, they have been integral to my business' forward motion and generated over 6 figures in profit just in the first launch, they are signature offers still to this day. I'm not sure where I'd be without her.
Lorna, co-founder of tib
"You hit the bullseye on every possible level. You made me so excited about the mission and the work we’re doing."
You nailed my vision of this company completely. And you made it all sound very REAL and actionable, which has just reignited my spark for TIB and reminded me that we can actually make a difference in the world of beauty. I can’t thank you enough.
