Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to be a “serious” writer to attend?

Not at all! This retreat is for anyone in the writing community and for those who think they might be interested in entering this exciting field. No matter where you are on your journey, you’re welcome here!

Can I schedule a meeting with a literary agent, acquisitions editor, freelance editor, or best-selling author at the retreat?

Once you register, you will have access to the private Facebook group for attendees, where you can post about what you’d like to do and who you’d like to meet at the retreat. Fellow attendees (which may include industry professionals) may respond, and then you can connect to schedule a time to get together in one of the outdoor areas of the conference center.

Meeting spots will be on a first-come, first-served basis, as other guest groups will also be meeting at the conference center during that weekend.

Whether or not you schedule meetings prior to the retreat, you will have ample opportunities to meet people from all areas of the writing community at meals, during breaks, and strolling around the conference center grounds. Rest assured that God has already planned for the “divine connections” He wants you to make here!

Can I bring my spouse?

By all means! Our spouses can provide the best support for our writing. Sharing this retreat experience with them and introducing them to our writer friends can help them understand us better and discover how best to encourage us along the journey.

Can I bring my children with me?

If your children are under 18, they will need to stay with you throughout the retreat. Children under 16 are not allowed in the general meeting rooms.

Do I have to choose my own roommate(s) for multiple-occupancy lodging?

Per Mount Hermon’s guest group guidelines, one person cannot get dual-occupancy lodging, and two people cannot get triple-occupancy lodging.

If you know who you want to room with when you register, you can identify your roommate(s) on the registration form. (Make sure your roommate(s) identify you on their form as well.)

You may register for multiple-occupancy lodging without identifying your roommate(s). You can connect with people on the private Facebook Group for Attendees to find roommates. When you’ve made those arrangements, you and your roommate(s) need to return to the registration page (using the instructions on the onscreen confirmation or your email confirmation to claim your registration account) and identify one another as roommates no later than October 1. (If you need assistance, you may contact our Lodging Coordinator.)

If you register for triple-occupancy lodging and end up with only one roommate, you will need to upgrade to double occupancy and pay the difference no later than October 1. If you register for double-occupancy housing and don’t end up with a roommate, you will need to upgrade to single-occupancy lodging and pay the difference no later than October 1.

What if I have to cancel?

Due to the nature of securing a retreat venue, we are unable to provide refunds. If you register for the Mount Hermon retreat and then realize that you are unable to attend, here are some options for you to consider:

• You could apply your registration for this year to next year. (If the price goes up, you won’t have to pay the additional cost for the same level of lodging.)
• You could apply the amount you paid for the Mount Hermon retreat to the SoCal Christian Writers Retreat.
• You could transfer your registration to someone you know who wants to attend but can’t afford it.
• You could donate your registration to our scholarship fund, which would allow someone else to attend who wouldn’t have been able to otherwise.
• If a virtual retreat is an option, you could switch your in-person registration to the virtual one and do the retreat on your own, either alone or with one or more writer friends, live during the event or with the recordings afterward. The difference between the cost of the virtual retreat and what you paid for in-person registration would go to our scholarship fund.
• If we end up reaching our maximum number of guests before the registration deadline, we would be able to refund your registration at that time.

I have a question that’s not answered here.

Use the Contact page of this website to ask whatever questions you may have.

The Christian Writers Retreat is a guest group at Mount Hermon. We are renting their facilities. Unlike when Mount Hermon sponsored the writers conference, all inquiries about the retreat (including transportation, lodging and meals) should be made through the Contact Us page of this website. Please do not contact the Mount Hermon offices for questions related to the writers retreat. Thank you.