Find your story

Explore the intersection of self, place, nature, and history

Summer sessions

July 1–4: Farmhouse Women’s Wellness & Writing Retreat –
Colrain, MA →

July 22–Aug 26: The Grounded Writer’s Circle –  (Online) →

Why Write with a Sense of Place?

By starting with place, you’ll be guided into stories that matter to you. You’ll explore memory, meaning, and voice and uncover ideas, imagery, and themes that bring your ideas to life.

Whether you're a seasoned writer or someone seeking clarity and inspiration, there’s a program here for you. These offerings will help you find your voice, deepen your craft, and nourish your creative spirit.

  • Non-fiction writers, essayists, poets, storytellers, and memoirists

  • Naturalists, historians, educators, park rangers, and other professionals

  • Creatives, soul seekers, and published authors

  • Anyone longing for a meaningful writing practice

Sense of Place Writing Is for All Kinds of Writers:

Choose Your Writing Path

Classes, Retreats and Mentoring. Onsite and Online.

The Creative Compass

Find Your Stories.

Perfect for anyone feeling called to explore their inner life and find more clarity.

Through a series of creative explorations, this path will lead you to the foundational stories you’ll use to explore your life and use in your writing or any creative work you want to do.

Get on the mailing list to learn about upcoming programs

The Writer’s
Path

Hone Your Craft. 


For writers who want to grow their skills and deepen their work. Group classes, private mentoring, residencies, and project support.

Join a wonderful community of writers. Reach out to discuss which program is right for you.

Get on the mailing list to learn about upcoming programs

Seasonal
Retreats

Nourish Your Muse.

Quarterly retreats to reconnect with your creativity. Inspiring and soul-nourishing. These retreats are for everyone and crafted to keep your inner creative self recharged and aligned.

Use to deepen your writing practice or just to recharge.

Get on the mailing list to learn about upcoming programs

Hello, I’m Erica Wheeler,
your story guide.

I'm an award-winning songwriter, interpretive trainer, and seasoned guide in the art of personal and creative discovery.

I’ve helped writers, creatives, seekers, and professionals of all kinds uncover their stories, complete their projects, and rediscover their sense of voice and place.

I offer a proven framework and approach that contains the tools, practices, and inspiration you need to uncover and develop your stories.

Whether you're looking to uplevel your professional writing or dive into a nourishing creative experience, my classes and retreats will help you discover a deeper sense of place, find the stories you’re called to tell, and become the writer you are inside.

My writing classes are intentionally small in size, so that as your writing guide, I can be deeply attuned to what you need to navigate the twists and turns of your writing journey. I will share with you tools and techniques grounded in experience, knowledge, and intuition to help you get where you want to go.

I’ve worked with published authors, curious creatives, naturalists, historians, scientists and seekers, and those who never considered themselves ‘writers’—all of whom left my classes not only writing more but seeing themselves and their stories in a new light.

Participants have unlocked stories and completed projects.They have written essays, books, articles, personal reflections, and more.

  • “A great place to expand your skills.” "I heartily recommend this class as a great place to find your voice and improve and expand your skills. It is appropriate for those with vague goals as well as those with works in progress. The practice of blending history, personal experience, theme, and descriptions really led to some good solid pieces. Through Erica's focused individual guidance, we were each treated like writers instead of students."

    Beth Arrowsmith, Colorado
    Educator, Photographer

  • “Never fails to make my imagination leap.” “Erica weaves an experiential class of stories, writers, and inspiration together around Sense of Place that never fails to make my imagination leap. Her classes always deepen my connection with my current and past places which drives me to further explore my attachment to places that I would never have considered writing about before."

    James McMenamin, Switzerland Heritage Photographer

  • “Helped me find my writing voice.” "Working with Erica has moved my writing in directions that I never thought possible. It has helped me find my writing voice and helped my ideas coalesce into a set of connected essays. Erica has a sort of magic to her teaching, where she is more of a guide than a teacher who can pick up on what individuals need in the way of direction. It is a writing journey with others, and they are the best travel companions!"

    Julia Clebsch, New Hampshire, Naturalist, Retired Park Ranger

  • “I have not written this much or as easily in my 30+ years in academia” "I highly recommend Erica Wheeler and her writing classes! I have had a great deal of experience writing academic articles and chapters, which in turn meant I had little to no opportunities for descriptive or creative writing. I have not written this much or as easily in my 30+ years in academia. The classes are supportive and keep us actively writing, but also allow us to go at our own pace and take on as much or as little that meets our schedules."

    Jeanne Stanley, Ph.D., Pennsylvania, Psychologist, Graduate School Consultant

  • “I learned to write much more expressively” "I took Erica's class to get back to a regular writing schedule and pick up on a writing project I had sidelined a long time ago. Erica creates a warm and inviting space for participants to develop their writing without fear of judgment. It gave me permission to use my voice and lean into creating a scene through vivid details. I learned to write much more expressively because of it!

    Shae McWilliams, Rhode Island
    Sales and Development

  • "You've given me a whole new way of thinking about place. "Living in a place where I really don’t feel connected, this process has really helped me come to terms with it, and how that’s okay. I can write about that."

    Christina Campell, Iowa
    University Professor and Knitting Blogger

  • “Opened my eyes.” “l had never taken another writing class, so this was a new experience. I had never thought of myself as a poet, but Erica stating that the rhythm of one of my pieces sounded like poetry opened my eyes. I valued the opportunity to do writing in class and was always surprised when short pieces I wrote turned out to be good!”

    Andy Smith, New Jersey
    Minister, Photographer

Let’s Write Together

Curious which class is for you? You can schedule a call so we can learn more about each other and explore what path might be the best fit for your writing needs. Reach out and we can find a good time to set up a call or Zoom, or book a slot on my calendar.