ABOUT
The Troubadour Storytellers Retreat is a place for writers who are interested in learning more about and developing their craft of storytelling through the mediums of poetry, fiction, creative non-fiction, screenwriting, and lyric-writing. Hear from experts in the editorial field and in publishing, enjoy special musical guests, partake in the opportunity to perform your material, and receive one-on-one feedback of your work.
CLASSES
Includes:
Love Language and Lyrics
Manuevering Metaphors
Poetry & Creative Nonfiction
Writing with Clarity Revision
Fundamentals of Fiction
Master Your Memoir
Secrets of Story Structure and Character Development: Story Beats for the Ages
Pitching Your Screenplay
Story-time with Tolkien
WHO YOU’LL BE LEARNING FROM
Cindy Morgan is a two-time GRAMMY® nominee, a 14-time Dove winner, and the recipient of the prestigious Songwriter of the Year. She has 21 number one songs in her long history as a songwriter.
Cindy has authored three books, Barefoot on Barbed Wire (Harvest House Publishers, 2001), Dance Me Daddy (HarperCollins, 2009), and her memoir, How Could I Ask for More (Worthy Inspired, 2015)
She received the 2024 Hollywood Independent Music Awards for Americana Song of the Year , “Jubilee” from the soundtrack created for her 2023 coming of age novel , “The Year of Jubilee”
Most recently was awarded The Josie for the 2024 Inspirational Artist of the Year”
She is currently working on a second novel and lives in Nashville Tennessee with her husband Jonathan, and teaches as an adjunct professor of Songwriting at Belmont, University in Nashville, Tennessee.
Savannah Brouwer is currently getting her Master's in Divinity at Lipscomb University. She graduated from Lipscomb with a Bachelor of Arts in Biblical Studies and an English Writing Minor. In her earlier years, Savannah studied writing through Vanderbilt Summer Academy from 2015 -2019. During undergrad, her focus was mostly on Poetry and Creative Non-Fiction. She won second place at the Southern Literary Festival for her Creative Non-Fiction piece titled, "How Sundays Became Sabbath." She has since moved into more academic writing, being nominated as the Stone-Campbell Scholar of the Year in her graduating class. She plans to continue to Doctoral Studies to focus on the narrative lens of theology and making academic resources more accessible through clear writing.
A graduate of Savannah College of Art and Design, Cova Brouwer Gentry is a Dutch Canadian screenwriter based out of Los Angeles, California and Nashville, Tennessee. Cova primarily writes features with a focus on adventure, nature, and history with her Alberta screenwriting production company Sincerely, Bigfoot Productions. She is the recipient of the 2024 "Judge's Choice" for the Hard Faith Film Festival's Pitch Fest. She currently works as the executive assistant and head of story-critique at American Talent Management in Beverly Hills, Califronia, who also represents her as a screenwriter.
Ashley Cleveland is a career musician, a speaker, author, storyteller, spiritual director and soul
friend. Originally from Knoxville, Ashley has lived in middle Tennessee since 1984. During her
musical career, she recorded 10 albums, won 3 Grammys and 2 Dove awards and continues to
perform and write songs occasionally. Ashley is the author of two books: Little Black Sheep and
Learning Burney, A Map of My Mother and Me; she is an active member of the 12step recovery
community. Ashley has a certificate in Franciscan spiritual direction and is working towards a
second certificate in Ignatian direction. She and her husband Kenny Greenberg have been
married 33 years and have 3 adult children: Rebecca, Henry and Lily.
Ashley currently serves as a pastoral associate and spiritual director at Church of the
Redeemer in Nashville.
Karen Watson is the Publisher at Tyndale Fiction. With almost 30 years in the industry, she has had the privilege of working with every product team in the company—from Children's products to Bibles to Non-fiction, and for the last 20 years in Fiction. Some of the products she worked on include the Left Behind franchise, Francine Rivers, Karen Kingsbury, Gary Chapman, and Beth Moore. she still loves the hunt for the next new voice as much as working on the long-term relationships with established Tyndale authors. She is wife, a mom of three adult kids, and is known as Bee to four grandkids.
She is the only person on the fiction team with a Southern accent and only rarely requires an interpreter.
And more to be announced soon!
THE LOCATION
Enjoy the many offerings of beautiful Henry Horton State Park, only an hour outside legendary Nashville, Tennessee: The natural scenery, nature museum, a plethora of restaurants within walking distance, local farmer’s market every Saturday, golfing & frisbee golf, hiking, canoeing & kayaking, and swimming.
Location: Chapel Hill, TN
Nearest Cities: Murfreesboro (45 min.), Nashville (50 min), Chattanooga (120 min.), Jackson (130 min.)
Henry Horton State Park is a perfect location for creativity and community! Featuring a beautiful natural backdrops and full-service facilities, plus activities such as hiking, paddling, and disc golf course. We’ll be staying in their cabins, nestled on the shores of the historic Duck River.
TENTATIVE SCHEDULE
A sneak peek at what’s on the agenda!
THURSDAY
Check in (afternoon)
Chili dinner
Get-to-know-you session
Sharing & music
FRIDAY
Morning liturgy & lattes
Guided morning hike & journaling session
Morning sessions
Lunch break
Afternoon sessions
Free time
Dinner break
Evening sharing & s’mores
SATURDAY
Morning liturgy & lattes
Guided morning hike & journaling session
Morning sessions
Lunch break
Afternoon sessions
Free time
Dinner break
Evening sharing & s’mores
Special Musical Guest
SUNDAY
Morning liturgy & lattes
Sharing time
Benediction session
Check out
PRICE
$850 per person (early bird price)
DEPOSIT: 50% due at registration, remaining 50% due by Oct. 1
ADD ON: $200 for one on one editorial feedback from two of the three teachers