Welcome to Courtney’s new line of writing retreats for people ready to take their writing, creativity and publishing know-how to a whole new level.

Author, brand strategist and publishing expert Courtney Maum is excited to introduce you to an entirely new kind of writing retreat: a mentor-led blend of craft and business instruction that will not only improve your writing, but also help you understand how to navigate the business of publishing and solidify your literary citizenship.

Disenchanted with the way so many workshops silence the author and leave their projects in the hands of unpublished writers who aren’t their ideal readers, Courtney is using her two decades plus in publishing and marketing to offer a retreat that meets, supports, and educates each writer at the place they’re writing from and toward. Instead of silencing the writer during workshop, participants are silenced, invited instead to listen as Courtney and the workshopped writer diagnose the big picture things that need to happen with the material to get the writer closer to their goals, while empowering everyone present with insights and craft tips they can apply to their own work.

As it has for the past two years, our 2025 retreat will take place at the privately-owned and ultra secluded MP Ranch in central New Mexico and we have added a day to the retreat to pack in even more learning and relaxation. Applications for the 2025 retreat open February 1st and close May 1st.

Dialog between each critiqued author and the other participants will be elective. What does that look like? No student will be forced to comment on another student’s work in class. If they have something beautiful to say about it, or believe they have constructive criticism to offer, those conversations will happen outside of class organically and privately so the author can feel more in control and safer than they might receiving unsolicited feedback about their writing in a group. 

Turning Points offers a new way to retreat:

• Big-picture/Panoramic approach to writing: We consider the project as a whole and its place in your career more than a certain section of your writing.

• Workshops are goal-focused: You state what you want or need help with before workshop; we help you get there.

• No silencing the author: Workshop conversations unfold between the writer and the mentor while the quieted participants watch the problem-solving process unfold. There will be time at the end of workshop for group conversation, but it will be respectful, focused, and relevant to the writers’ goals.

• Negative-feedback upon invitation: If someone wants to offer feedback beyond the writer’s stated goals, they can do so outside of class with permission from the writer.

• Business of art electives: Elective classes teach you the skills you’ll need to survive publishing with your soul intact.

• Skill diversity: Writers who are just starting out will work alongside writers who have already published to avoid silo-based thinking and to keep the retreats feeling fresh and vital.

• Limited prep for other people’s workshops: Because each workshop is focused on problem solving, in terms of prep you will be reading a summary of what your bunkmates hope to tackle/improve/iron out, or a query letter. If sharing excerpts proves necessary, workshoppers will only read up to 5 pages of material. Generally, you will learn what your fellow worshoppers are trying to untangle by hearing about it during their workshop.

• Hand selected group: Unlike many mentor-led writing retreats, this is not a “first come first served” offering: there is an application process and the group will be carefully curated for synergy and alchemy. We’ll be taking 9-10 people max.

FAQS

Can couples apply? (Bed-sharers): Yes. If you’re sharing a bed with someone the cost per person is $3,600.

What genres of writing are accepted? All except poetry. (You can be a poet—we love poets!—but the main project you are coming to work on should be something other than poetry.)

How many people attend? 9-10 max.

Accessibility information: There are bedrooms and bathrooms on the ground level that can be accessed without any stairs, but to get to the main retreat center from the parking area there is a short walk over gravel and flagstone followed by three steps. There will be several meetings in the property owner’s house which would mean getting down those three steps and a minute-long walk over a gravel driveway or a short car ride. We will do our best to work with retreaters to accommodate their needs so they feel comfortable and safe while with us.

Will alcohol be served? Though wine, beer, and alcohol will make an appearance during the week, nonalcoholic options will always be available and this is not meant to be a boozy week or atmosphere. We’ll start off the week with mocktails to make sure everyone safely acclimates to the altitude. On consequent nights where alcohol is served, about two glasses of wine or beer will be available with dinner and margaritas will be offered on the first and last evening of the retreat. Being sensitive to the fact that we might have people in recovery with us, we’ll be encouraging participants to be responsible about—and with—their alcohol intake. If you are eager for a bacchanalia, Turning Points is not the place for it.

What’s your cancellation policy? We have a strict cancellation policy in place for this destination workshop because the balance of our ranch deposit and all group expenses are due at the same time as your full tuition. Our vendors have no-refund policies, so we must follow suit. Refunds will not be offered unless we can find another participant to take your place. Refunds will not be given if you must leave the retreat while it’s underway, but we will certainly make efforts to help you participate virtually if you do have to leave before the retreat has ended.

Email turningpoints.retreats@gmail.com for other questions.

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Photos of MP Ranch: Bunkhouse (7 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, wrap around terrace, meeting space); El Quincho (2 bedrooms, 1 bathroom, communal kitchen, coffee station, fireplace + shared living room); outdoor areas (including dipping pool). If you’re looking for neighbors: there aren’t any. This is privacy writ large. Please check out our Instagram page (link below) to see more photographs of the residency and last year’s fantastic participants.

TESTIMONIALS FROM SELECT 2024 PARTICIPANTS

“Courtney is a genius. She has Xray vision when it comes to book manuscripts and their structure. In each and every workshop, she drilled down deep into the soul of the project, found its vibrating heart, skeleton, and viscera and with scissors, color-coded construction paper and tape, rehabilitated the patient on the operating table – performing triple bypass surgery – and allowing our work to trippingly emerge into the sunlight, trying out new dance steps that were previously unimaginable.” - Professor and author Elizabeth Dillon whose racial history of sugar, Sweetness and Ruin, will be out in 2026. 

“Turning Points has proven invaluable to me as a newcomer to the industry. The workshops were tailored to our projects, but by offering holistic advice, Courtney provided information that could be applied to all of us. I found myself frantically scribbling notes at every workshop and came away with ideas for other projects, as well as confidence and a new energy for my work. Courtney put together an amazing group of attendees and we learned from each other during meals, hikes, cattle roping, or cold plunges. We built friendships and have remained in touch. An added benefit to this retreat was the remarkably supportive staff at the ranch, who prepared incredible meals, took us on guided hikes, and helped with any issues that came up.” - Texas-based writer Dani Macedo who is working on a fantasy novel and building up her literary connections

“Turning Points is a life changing experience. You'll have the opportunity to work one-on-one with Courtney Maum on your book length project, whether a novel, memoir, or essay collection. Unlike traditional workshops where you have an excerpt dissected and critiqued en masse, Courtney approaches your work looking at the big picture. Does your premise work for a book length project? How can you best structure your ideas? How can you sell you book? Most importantly, how can you, the writer, get out of your own damn way? She's honestly a genius at tapping into the pivotal problems of your work. Just as in her book, Before and After the Book Deal, she breaks down the shroud surrounding the literary world in her own off beat, kind, and humorous fashion. This is the workshop you need to reset yourself and reenergize a project that may have grown cold. You also get to meet other amazing writers. I met an anesthesiologist, biologist, academic historian, teacher, former actress, and full-time freelance writer, to name a few, who had projects that ranged from a nascent idea to full scale revisions. Some have published extensively before, some are working on their first byline. I learned so much from every single workshop. I also felt ridiculously pampered by the beautiful ranch setting. You get quiet space and time to write. You get locally sourced, home cooked meals. When you're there, you'll feed off the energy of the other writers and the beauty of New Mexico. If there's one reason not to consider this retreat, it's that you may not want to go home!” - Dr. Melissa Desa, who is working towards completion on her first novel

”Turning Points was my 60th birthday gift to myself. It was nothing short of amazing. Not only for the respectful, unique approach, time and consideration that Courtney Maum gave to my and each writer’s project, but the heart, passion planning and gusto she puts into the entire week. Having this experience under a wide open New Mexico sky with supportive fellow writers and enjoying the most delicious healthy meals prepared by Chef Daniel Garcia and sous-chef Mel was the best gift I could have given myself this year. Or any year. Do yourself a favor! If you’re stuck in a rut, like I was. Or need a nudge to move forward, like I did. Or have stopped believing you’re a writer, like I had. Or need to hear your work workshopped in a community that is loving, wise, skilled, and respectful… this is a place to honor and receive whatever you need to continue. I also made some amazing new friends.” - Staci Greason, writer, actor, performer

“Turning Points subverts the traditional workshop format, allowing space for writers to come to the table of their work with curiosity and openness. In an industry that can often feel isolating and competitive, Courtney has created a space where everyone feels welcomed and encouraged, and where every creative project feels valued and considered. During my week on the ranch, I was surrounded by a group of profoundly kind, intelligent, creative women who, through direct encouragement and dedication to their own work, reminded me that I am capable of everything I set out to do. The friendships I made at Turning Points have sustained me since returning home, and I hold them close as I continue along the path of my creative life. Logistically, the stunning location lends itself to expansive creative thought while meal after delicious meal kept my body nourished, freeing my mind to focus on my writing. Courtney’s warmth and guidance pulled the entire experience together, and her dedication to building a supportive, inclusive community is what makes the whole week truly unforgettable." - Writer and memoirist Elizabeth Austin, who also penned a beautiful essay about her time at Turning Points for her Substack

“Courtney Maum’s Turning Points workshop is the antidote to the tangled, chaotic murky middle of a book project. Fresh air, incredible food, the full attention of a cadre of smart, generous, caring writers, all against the dramatic backdrop of New Mexico’s wide open skies. I have attended many writing getaways, but I’ve never seen a leader as dedicated and generous as the brilliant Courtney Maum, who has X-ray vision when it comes to spotting the problems tripping up a manuscript. I wanted to chain myself to the table leg at the ranch and refuse to leave this gorgeous, supportive, productive place.” - Writer Suzanne LaFetra who will soon be going out on submission with her satirical novel about late-stage capitalism.

TESTIMONIALS FROM SELECT 2023 PARTICIPANTS

“Turning Points breaks the mold of traditional writing retreats with its holistic approach to craft and professionalization. Courtney provided an invaluable perspective on each writer's unique objectives and challenges, helping participants strategize about the next best moves for their creative careers, while workshops and the many opportunities for artistic exchange and recreation on the ranch established a supportive writing community and fostered the lifelong friendships that are so vital to surviving--and thriving--in the book business.”  - International best selling author, M.L. Rio

“Turning Points is the poignant combination of instruction and camaraderie you need to move forward as a writer. Jam-packed with actionable value I applied immediately to my craft upon return, Courtney also created a safe environment to be vulnerable and explore deeply to gently uncover truths as to what's really holding me back from reaching that next level as a writer. I made life-long friends with other attendees who will, no doubt, help me when I get stuck, commiserate with the writing experience, or just send a laugh my way when I need it most. There's magic in getting away with fellow writers and being guided through the journey by Courtney's wisdom and expertise, drawing out and magnifying the resonant moments. I will carry the warm memory of this retreat in my heart with me always. That might sound dramatic or cheesy, but I can scarcely imagine a better value-per-dollar if you're looking for spiritual and emotional—but also technical and practical—growth as a writer. This retreat has it all and is well worth the investment in you. I'm a little jealous of all future attendees and really just wish I could go back again and again.” - Writer and journalist, Bree Cox

“Turning Points is an amazing writing retreat set on a remote ranch in New Mexico. From gourmet meals to cattle roping and desert hikes, the experience was as unforgettable as the landscape. Courtney’s innovative workshop structure focused on strategy and process, creating an inspiring, collaborative atmosphere among a diverse group of women facing different writing challenges.” - Writer and brand strategist, Melinda Howard Belcher

“Turning Points was an extraordinary experience, including five-star food, a stunning ranch, and an exceptional group of smart, supportive, generous writers who became dear friends and trusted writing tribe members by week’s end. Courtney Maum is an exceptional coach, cheerleader, and businesswoman who breathed new life into my work and my writing life.” - Writer and journalist, Amy Lyons

“Offering a way for writers to gather in such a remote place opens so many doors to the self...Being away from (at least to some degree) technology, away from other people, away from "running into town" allows one to be with oneself in a way that we don't often get to experience in these times. That space and time with the self motivated and energized me, all the while being within a small group of others! The breakdown of the day flowed nicely— I loved the workshop setup, letting Courtney and the writer work through things together and being witnessed by the group with the time for feedback at the end. I thought it was genius that members of the group got to lead some workshops. Empowering people by letting them share their expertise.” - Writer, artist, memoirist Erin Harris

“Turning Points provides the solitude, camaraderie, and guidance needed to support and propel any writer, whether they are seasoned authors or have yet to be published. Not only did I receive tailored, gentle, and insightful guidance on my own work in progress, but I learned an immense amount from the other attendees and their projects. I came away with more confidence in my writing and a supportive group of writers that I now call friends.” - Writer Rachel Theler