Return to the Wild: Craft & Query

from US$3,150.00
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10% off Solstice Special until June 26th! Discount will automatically apply at checkout 🌿 Return to the Wild goes behind the book with the Query Letter Sessions. September 28 - October 2, 2026! This exclusive summit retreat runs like no other. Whether you’re hoping to improve your craft, build your community and confidence, or strengthen your query letter, this retreat is for you! Choose your focus, explore the island where Carly Fortune’s Every Year After was filmed, and make connections that will last a lifetime.

(Scroll to learn more and choose the perfect room!)

10% off Solstice Special until June 26th! Discount will automatically apply at checkout 🌿 Return to the Wild goes behind the book with the Query Letter Sessions. September 28 - October 2, 2026! This exclusive summit retreat runs like no other. Whether you’re hoping to improve your craft, build your community and confidence, or strengthen your query letter, this retreat is for you! Choose your focus, explore the island where Carly Fortune’s Every Year After was filmed, and make connections that will last a lifetime.

(Scroll to learn more and choose the perfect room!)

Return to the Wild

& The Query Letter Sessions

Bowen Island, BRitish Columbia, Canada

September 28 - October 2, 2026

What’s it all About?

A week dedicated solely to the business of your art, your purpose, your dream, in one of the most stunning places in the world. This experience will challenge you to step back from the story you've created and look at it from an agent and editor’s lens. Learn how to pitch your ideas, uncover the real hook in your story, and help shape the course of your professional writing life.

Our days will be spent immersed in our practice, pitching, workshopping, writing, and even a little exploring around our tiny forested island where Every Summer After was filmed. There is also plenty of down time so that you can put your craft & your freedom first. This retreat is punctuated with delicious food for every diet, Return to the Wild’s Nature Walks, and plenty of time for storytelling!

“Take the leap! It’s such an incredible experience being surrounded by like-minded writers who will support you and cheer you on.”

— Julia R

What’s Included.

  • Nectar Yoga Retreat is a healing space that sits on 20 acres of forested land on Bowen Island, just a short 20 minute ferry ride from Vancouver. Nectar acknowledges and honours that NexwlĂ©lexwm (Bowen Island) is the ancestral and unceded territory of the SkwxwĂş7mesh (Squamish) Nation.

    Here’s a blurb from Nectar about their space:  

    “Our life's work is the stewardship of this land, to care for and know its forests and waterways… By holding space for guests to slow down, our intention is to seed consciousness that naturally comes from immersing oneself in the land.

    Our modern, Scandinavian-inspired cottages provide the container for an easeful getaway in nature. Rest and recharge among the Alder trees, and vast varieties of Pacific Northwest flora and fauna.”

    Nectar has been host to brands like Lululemon and Arc'teryx and featured by The New York Times, British Vogue, Condé Nast Traveler, and more!

    See available room options below

  • Nectar will be providing catering for us. The vegetarian menu will be emailed 14 days prior to the retreat. All meals are vegan adaptable, gluten-free adaptable, and peanut-free. Nectar can accommodate allergies; however, they do not cater to specific diets such as smoothies-only, sugar-free, keto, no/low carbs etc.

    Nectar is a fish and meat-free kitchen. They are not a gluten-free or nut-free kitchen. However, they do make great efforts to avoid cross-contamination, although they cannot guarantee it. If you do have any allergies, an opportunity to disclose will be available to you upon enrollment.

    Return to the Wild and Nectar are not liable for any allergic reactions or conditions that may arise due to the consumption of food and drinks provided by Nectar.

  • You can choose between elevating your book’s pitch or your query letter during our elevation sessions.

    If you’d rather focus on your craft and leave the querying for another time, that’s okay too!

    Query Critiques are best for querying writers. If you’ve been in the trenches for a while or if you’re about to dive in the first time, we’ll go over your query letter and help you elevate it, so it is as strong as it can be.

  • Small Group Sessions to improve your writing with published authors!

  • As a compliment to our elevation sessions, your publishing faculty will provide daily talks on all things industry and craft!

  • A goodie bag to greet you upon arrival and inspire the magic of our retreat week to come!

  • To shake off the cobwebs, writers will have access to Nectar’s venue as well as access to personal bookings for

    • Massage
    • Tarot
    • Reiki
    • Breathwork
    • Yoga
    • Meditation

    at your own expense.

    Online booking platforms will be provided 20 days before the event. Please be mindful of our schedule before booking.

    Please be mindful of allotted free time so you don’t miss out on group sessions. A schedule will be provided as early as July 2026.

  • Mist Thermal Sanctuary at Nectar offers a calm pause to return to your elements through private forested saunas and reviving hot-cold waters.

    Mist uses mineral-rich spring water from an aquifer beneath our premises, enhancing resilience against water scarcity caused by climate change.

    Optional Mist Thermal Spa Add On for a discounted rate of & $55 USD ($67 CAD).

    Two Mist Spa experiences have been donated to Behind the Book. If you would like to claim one of these spots, please contact Marina. Securing your Mist Thermal Experience will be available post-enrolment.

  • Before the retreat, Marina will give you the keys to the private writer’s community called The Meadow where you’ll have an opportunity to get to know fellow retreat attendees. You’ll have a chance to bloom with this community which is filled with fellow Return to the Wild Retreat alumni and other like-minded writers for three full months post-retreat. For more information on The Meadow Writer’ Blub, click here.

  • MARINA GREEN

    LITERARY AGENT, EDITOR, & HOST

    By day, Marina is literary agent, previously a Big 5 acquiring editor. Avid supporter of the Oxford Comma and the em dash, Marina is also a freelance editor by night, founder of Marina Edits and Return to the Wild.

    In her free time, you can find Marina with her nose in a book or clicking away at her laptop, chasing new stories and wrangling them into wild submission. When she isn’t immersing herself in story, you can find her with a cup of tea in hand, trying a new yoga asana—never at the same time—or practicing Armenian, the language of her ancestors.

  • Kelsey Evans

    LITERARY AGENT & WRITER

    Kelsey Evans is a publishing professional with a background in communications, marketing, and editing.

    After a decade helming marketing strategy and content development for agencies with major clients like AAA, Dannon, and Target, she transitioned into publishing. She began as an editor, helping writers shape their work through developmental feedback, query critiques, and revision guidance. Later, she moved into agenting, interning with Triada US and Creative Media Agency (CMA), where she gained hands-on experience in manuscript evaluation, submissions, and client development.

    Passionate about championing authors, Kelsey now combines editorial insight with marketing expertise to help writers navigate both craft and career.

  • Surprise Bestselling Author Faculty

    NO SPOILERS HERE! Our Surprise faculty will be announced to enrolled writers shortly before our retreat!

  • Surprise Literary Agent Faculty

    NO SPOILERS HERE!

    Our Third Faculty Member will be revealed anon! Keep your eyes peeled for this incredible human who carries a wealth of knowlegde!

  • Surprise Faculty Author Faculty

    NO SPOILERS HERE! Our Surprise faculty will be announced to enrolled writers shortly before our retreat!

The Workshop Sessions

Our craft workshop & pitch sessions are designed to arm you with the knowledge you need to literally put your best story forward. Get it seen, be heard, and learn to view your art from a professional lens. We’ll also help you build the necessary armour it takes to put yourself and your books out there (gently, of course!). At the end of the week, you’ll leave with a sturdily reconstructed query, pitch, and/or hook.

Daily Itinerary

  • Start your day in the lodge with a delicious breakfast.

  • A Return to the Wild staple! Marina will lead the group on a nature-based forest walk. Be sure to wear comfy shoes and bring something to write with.

  • Embark on a story elevation session as a group. Attendees will choose to critique their pitch or their query letter. Each attendee will have up to an hour of critique time.

  • Lunch at the lodge to energize and nourish.

  • Embark on the second story elevation session of the day. Attendees will choose to critique their pitch or their query letter. Each attendee will have up to an hour of critique time.

  • Use this time to write or go on an adventure with Marina. No spoilers here!

  • A delicious vegetarian meal in the lodge followed by dessert + tea.

  • Relax in the lodge or outside, connect with other guests, or wind down in your cabin. Prepare for a great night’s sleep however you wish!

Accommodation

The 2026 Return to the Wild Retreat will be hosted exclusively at Nectar Retreat Centre

Nectar Yoga Retreat is a healing space that sits on 20 acres of forested land on Bowen Island, just a short twenty-minute ferry ride from Vancouver.

We acknowledge and honour that Nexwlélexwm (Bowen Island) is the ancestral and unceded territory of the Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish) Nation.

Breathe in. Feel the serenity of the trees, the whispers of the wind, the beauty of unspoiled nature. Breathe out. Let go of the daily grind. The meetings. The screens. Feel life’s chaos give way to a sense of oneness with the world around you, deep in your bones. This is our promise of a deeply healing space for inner connection and outer exploration. This is Nectar.

There are only 10 spots available! Get them before they’re gone!

Sunstone, Jasper, & Opal A-Frame Cottages

  • After June 26th: $3,250 USD (private)

  • Warm, pine-clad angled walls welcome you at our modernized 60s-throwback A-frames. The comfy beds and cozy linens await your dreams, while the picture window and its lush foliage views await your daydreams. Use the space for creative pursuits, or as a basecamp for a walk in the forest. Rainy day? Sit outside on your covered porch and enjoy the fresh, pine-scented ocean air and the sound of raindrops caressing the old-growth trees.


    • Sleeps 1 guest

    • 1 double bed

    • Covered front deck with year-round seating

    • 3 A-Frames share 2 detached bathrooms (10 meter outside walk away), with showers

    • Natural, locally-made toiletries 

    • Wi-Fi available in the Onyx Lodge

Moonstone Cottage

  • Summer Solstice Special:

    • Shared room (1 twin bed per person) $2,835

    • Private room $3,105 USD

    After June 26th:

    • Shared (1 twin bed per person) is $2,750 USD

    • Private room rate is $3,450 USD

  • This cottage offers similar amenities as our deluxe cottages with added seclusion. Wake up to sunbeams illuminating the room through the windows before sipping tea on your porch nestled on the edge of our Alder grove. A rustic outdoor shower awaits you with sweet-smelling natural products to lather on.

    • Sleeps 2 guests (we suggest booking with a loved one as the beds are close together)

    • 2 twin beds or 1 king bed

    • Private deck

    • Reading chairs

    • Mini fridge

    • Ensuite bathroom (toilet and sink inside, shower outside)

    • Outdoor shower (located on the deck, maximum 7 minutes of hot water)

    • Natural, locally-made toiletries 

    • Wi-Fi

    • Smart TV

Jade Cottage

  • One of 2 XL twin beds on the ground floor

    After June 26th: $3,150 USD

  • Our modern, Scandinavian-inspired deluxe cottages were designed with simplistic coziness in mind. Comfy beds, soft linens, fluffy pillows and a reading window seat offer perfect places to snuggle up to a loved one, or with a good book. Wake up and take a morning shower in the gorgeous bathroom, or take it outside in the steamy, outdoor shower adjoining the bathroom. A covered porch lined with warm cedar perches you with a perfect view of the property’s centerpiece, our magnificent maple and alder trees.

    • Sleeps 2 guests

    • 2 XL twin beds or 1 king bed & one lofted bed

    • Covered front deck with year-round seating

    • Reading nook with picture window

    • Writing desk

    • Mini fridge

    • Ensuite bathroom with indoor and outdoor shower

    • Natural, locally-made toiletries 

    • Smart TV and in-room Wi-Fi 

Amethyst Cottage

  • One of 2 XL twin beds on the ground floor

    After June 26th: $3,150 USD

  • Our modern, Scandinavian-inspired deluxe cottages were designed with simplistic coziness in mind. Comfy beds, soft linens, fluffy pillows and a reading window seat offer perfect places to snuggle up to a loved one, or with a good book. Wake up and take a morning shower in the gorgeous bathroom, or take it outside in the steamy, outdoor shower adjoining the bathroom. A covered porch lined with warm cedar perches you with a perfect view of the property’s centerpiece, our magnificent maple and alder trees.

    • Sleeps 2 guests

    • 2 XL twin beds or 1 king bed & one lofted bed

    • Covered front deck with year-round seating

    • Reading nook with picture window

    • Writing desk

    • Mini fridge

    • Ensuite bathroom with indoor and outdoor shower

    • Natural, locally-made toiletries 

    • Smart TV and in-room Wi-Fi 

Quartz Cottage (Sold Out)

  • One of 2 XL twin beds on the ground floor

    After June 26th: $3,150 USD

  • Our modern, Scandinavian-inspired deluxe cottages were designed with simplistic coziness in mind. Comfy beds, soft linens, fluffy pillows and a reading window seat offer perfect places to snuggle up to a loved one, or with a good book. Wake up and take a morning shower in the gorgeous bathroom, or take it outside in the steamy, outdoor shower adjoining the bathroom. A covered porch lined with warm cedar perches you with a perfect view of the property’s centerpiece, our magnificent maple and alder trees.

    • Sleeps 2 guests

    • 2 XL twin beds or 1 king bed & one lofted bed

    • Covered front deck with year-round seating

    • Reading nook with picture window

    • Writing desk

    • Mini fridge

    • Ensuite bathroom with indoor and outdoor shower

    • Natural, locally-made toiletries 

    • Smart TV and in-room Wi-Fi 

“The trip ignited my creativity and got this draft moving!”

Kelly K.

More Details

  • Yes! if you would like to room with your friend, please coordinate before enrollment so that you both choose the same type of room. After enrollment, you will be provided opportunity to disclose your chosen roommate. We will do everything in our power to accommodate roommate requests to the best of our abilities. 

    If you do not have a specific roommate in mind or if you do not get your requested pairing, don’t worry! You’re coming to a place with like minded people who you could very well make life-long connections with. You will also have tons of time during the day to spend time with all of your friends—new and old.

  • We will provide a detailed packing list in July. If you like to prepare extra, extra early, think early autumn in Canada. Cool gusts of wind, potential warm spells, mud, rain, and sunshine. Among other things, Marina will be bringing an umbrella and (waterproof) jackets to layer.

  • Absolutley not! At Return to the Wild, you never have to do anything you don’t want to (besides being kind!). While the pitch sessions are built into the curriculum, if you’re here just for the Return to the Wild experience, with no intention of querying any time soon, you’re more than welcome to sit those sessions out and take the time to write, use the MIST thermal spa, or even take a well-deserved nap!

  • To get to Bowen Island, you will need to take a ferry from Horseshoe Bay in West Vancouver. The ferry terminal is located at 6755 Keith Road, West Vancouver, BC. BC Ferries operates regular sailings between Horseshoe Bay and Snug Cove on Bowen Island. The ferry crossing takes approximately 20 minutes.

    If you are driving, follow signs to Horseshoe Bay from Vancouver or the surrounding areas, and purchase a ticket for your vehicle and passengers at the terminal. There is also passenger-only service; you can park in the Horseshoe Bay area and board the ferry on foot. It is recommended to arrive early, especially during peak travel times, as the ferry can fill up.

    Once on Bowen Island, the ferry docks at Snug Cove, where you can access local transportation, taxis, and walking trails. Public transit options on the island are limited, so it’s advisable to plan your transportation in advance.

  • Participants must be at least 19 years old. Most guests are in their 20s through to their 60s.

  • Life happens. Don’t we know it. We highly recommend you purchase good travel insurance to protect against rare incidents like this!

  • Yes! Although, if you’re an extra hungry hobbit like Marina, consider bring your own non-perishable stash just in case you get peckish!

  • Retreat fees do not include airfare, so participants must book their own flights. If you’d like help selecting the best option, we’re happy to assist—just get in touch.

  • Depending on the Reading Retreat, a complimentary transfer might be available. See the specific retreat listing under the MORE DETAILS SUBHEADING “How Do I Get There” for full details.

  • Thirty days before the retreat, you'll be added to a private group in The Meadow and a WhatsApp chat with fellow guests so you can connect ahead of time.

  • Yes! We accommodate all dietary needs. Before the retreat, you’ll receive a preference form where you can list any requirements in advance.