Five Days to Better Writing Through Self-Trust

Montana Writing Retreat

September 20-25, 2026

Join Neal for five days of writing, workshopping, and confronting your demons, thirty miles from the north gate to Yellowstone National Park. Limited to 12 rooms (16 or fewer writers).

  • Daily writing circles for sharing and discussing

  • We’ll focus on what works and why; no negative criticism allowed

  • Bring your work to share (20 pages or less) and prepare to revise or start new work in Montana; fiction or nonfiction

  • Send Neal up to 40 pages to review beforehand (longer on request)

  • Afternoon sessions will focus on the inner critic that gets in the way of creativity and completion; Neal will lead experiential exercises that weaken the bullying voice that accompanies all of us.

  • Sunday evening to Friday morning; Wednesday we’ll go on a full day exploration of Yellowstone with an official park field guide

  • All-inclusive: Fee covers classes, meals, accommodations, transfers (one shuttle a day Sunday and Friday), and excursions — everything except your airfare

Staying at the rustic Paradise Valley hideaway, Chico Hot Springs Resort & Day Spa

  • Public hot springs pools

  • Great food

  • Horseback rentals (extra fee)

  • Miles of scenic trails

  • Full-service spa (extra fee)

  • Beautiful views

ALL-INCLUSIVE (EXCEPT AIRFARE) FROM $4,000 single

 
 

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Yellowstone

Spectacular wildlife and scenery

Less than an hour south to Yellowstone National Park and an hour north to Bozeman, Chico rests in the heart of Paradise Valley, sky and mountains and meadows at their best.

Wednesday we’ll spend the day in our private bus with a National Park field guide meandering through the wildlife and geysers of Yellowstone.

Every day, you’ll have the opportunity to walk easy trails into the surrounding hills, or just appreciate the view from the lodge, a lawn, or the hot springs pool.

Morning writing

We’ll meet every morning for writing exercises. This is time to share what we know, what we think we know, and what we don’t know. The rule is positive reinforcement. What do we like about it is more useful than what we don’t like.

Neal has taught writing with journalists, lawyers, and corporate teams. He has written award-winning fiction, award-winning non-fiction, and scripts, speeches, feature stories, news articles, corporate materials, annual reports, ghosted memoirs, press releases, advertising materials, internal and external communications, and so on for more than forty years.

An inner critic exercise at a past retreat

afternoon coaching

Besides being a writer, Neal is a coach and educator who provides tools for people to disengage from the inner critic that belittles you, interferes with your creativity, and exaggerates the danger of failure.

Every afternoon he’ll facilitate exercises aimed at moving the inner critic out of the way, and ultimately finding everyday freedom at the drop of a hat.

Neal’s techniques are described in his book Better Days: Tame Your Inner Critic (Namaste Books, 2023).

OUR CLASSES, ACCOMMODATIONS, and most meals ARE HOSTED

by Chico hot springs resort and day spa

chico hot springs resort and day spa: natural life in a natural setting

Founded in 1900, Chico spent its first half-century as a health-oriented center that at one point included a 20-bed hospital. From the early ‘50s on, Chico adopted many lives: a church camp, guest ranch, bed and breakfast, boutique hotel, roadhouse, retreat center, and romantic hotel. Finally becoming a destination hotel with a regionally renowned restaurant, Chico thrives as a blend of modern comforts while retaining its rustic origins. No TVs in the rooms, thank you. But Wifi? You bet. 

ACCOMMODATIONS