Hitting Our Stride

A reflection on Three Years of Scribente Maternum

It’s been nearly three-and-a-half years since we launched Scribente Maternum in the middle of a pandemic. Before that launch, the idea for a writing retreat for moms was in our heads for some months; an experience we knew we wanted but didn’t see elsewhere. Rachel and I sat on it for a bit thinking we’d launch whenever the world went back to in-person gatherings. But then Rachel’s friend and event planner, Caytie, who helped us found Scribente in those early days said “Why not just do it online?” She was right! Why not?! We needed it and we assumed many other writer-moms did, too. So we jumped in and brought Carla Du Pree on to help us shape what has become a labor of love for all of us.

And so, in February 2021 we launched Scribente Maternum with four weekly Saturdays dedicated to time for ourselves. In a time when we were constantly surrounded by our families without little relief, it was a moment where we allowed ourselves to shut the door and retreat to a room of our own(-ish). For four consecutive weeks, 50 writer-moms came to be in community with one another.

It was clear we had created something writer-moms needed.

Where We Are Now and Spring Recap

Since that fateful inaugural virtual retreat we’ve held another virtual retreat in 2022, two annual in-person retreats (in 2022 and 2023), and dozens of virtual craft, writing, and business-of-writing sessions. And finally, into our fourth year of this work, it feels like we’ve finally hit our stride. The three years of testing out event timing, pricing, format, and topics, we’ve landed on what works. 

What works is focusing our Fall energy on the annual retreat and our Spring energy on virtual sessions. Then we break for summer because we know our focus is scattered between camps and travel and just keeping it all together and where writing and writing community often takes a backseat. 

Leading up to this summer, though, we at Scribente feel full of inspiration from the incredible line-up of virtual sessions. This spring included writing proposal tips from a literary agent, a workshop on monetizing motherhood, and a workshop with Amanda Montei on embracing interruption as writers and mothers. So many of us came away from these sessions motivated to write, filled with inspiration, and connected to other moms (we came for the great session, and stayed for the incredible connection through the Zoom chats).

Note: We’d love to hear your ideas and thoughts about topics you’d want sessions on next year. Put those in the comments and we’ll see what we can make happen!

Part of the crew (who had their cams on) who joined us for Amanda Montei’s session “Embracing Interruption”

We even held in-person workshops in Seattle with Angela Garbes and Kristen Millares Young and writer-mom panels in both Seattle and Portland. These sessions have inspired us to launch regional chapters which will be geared towards in-person meetups with writer-moms. Currently we are launching chapters in Portland, Seattle, the SF Bay Area, and Minneapolis. You can find out more here–if you want to start a chapter near you, let us know in reply to this email!

Our Portland and Seattle in-person event!

Rachel and I were reflecting on this year recently and we can tell you it was the best one yet in the Scribente world. Last fall before our 2023 retreat, we were wondering out loud to one another whether we could sustain the amount of time and effort (unpaid of course) to keep this going. Months later: yes, yes we can. And you all made it worth it for us. In fact, that Fall retreat was so magical that the thought of whether it was worth it or not never really came up again and everything just flowed from there this year. The community we’ve built here and the writer-moms who seek us out and find us at AWP or just from Google searches or from someone they know at daycare. We are so glad you found us. 

We are so excited for what is to come from this community.

Looking Forward

And what most definitely is to come is our Write Like a Mother Retreat in Minneapolis, MN from November 7-10, 2024. Spots are filling quickly! Our “Still on top of things” early bird rate is almost gone and the rental houses for attendees (for a discounted rate) are filling up quickly. So now is the time to take the leap!

Additionally, we’ve confirmed an incredible lineup of facilitators: Sun Yung Shin, Dara Beevas, and Kate Hopper (you can read their bios here) with Scribente co-founder Rachel Berg Scherer leading a facilitated experiential visit to the Minneapolis Institute of Art.

We are also working on establishing locations for our 2025 and 2026 retreats. So stay tuned for more. 

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Writing this reflection on the year honestly makes me a little emotional because this really is a beautiful thing we’ve built that so many of you have to come to with your hearts open and putting your whole selves into what we’re bringing. You all make this space and community work and we are so grateful to be here with you.