Empowered and ready to
Write the Damn Dissertation!
"Empowered" Virtual Writing Retreat for Women Scholars
February 22-25, 2024
Virtual Writing Retreat Daily Schedule
You can attend as many sessions as you like throughout the retreat.
Hosted by Dr. Amy Boyd and the WTDD Coaches
(Dr. Amber, Dr. Luciana, Dr. Minnie, Dr. Stephanie, Dr. Tara, Dr. Vicki, and Dr. Yvette)
**All times are Eastern Time (New York Time) and presentation topics are to be announced.
DAY 1 - Thursday, February 22
- 5:00 PM - 5:30 PM - Welcome to the Retreat (Dr. Amy)
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7:30 PM - 9:00 PM - Session 1: Poms, Intentions, and Goals (Dr. Yvette) + 2 Pom Writing Sessions
DAY 2 - Friday, February 23
- 5:00 AM - 8:00 AM - 2 Pom Writing Sessions + Session 2: Thriving Versus Surviving During your PhD (Dr. Vicki) + 3 Pom Writing Sessions
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On your own time - 15 mins of Movement or Thought-Download
- 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM - Session 3: Finding Creativity in the Dissertation (Dr. Luciana)+ 2 Pom Writing Sessions + Session 4: Embracing the Uncomfortable (Dr. Luciana)+ 2 Pom Writing Sessions
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On your own time - 15 mins of Movement or Thought-Download
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7:00 PM - 10:00 PM - Session 5: Writing at a Rolling Boil (Dr. Amber) + 5 Pom Writing Sessions
DAY 3 - Saturday, February 24
- + 3 Pom Writing Sessions
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On your own time - 15 mins of Movement or Thought-Download
- + 2 Pom Writing Sessions
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On your own time - 15 mins of Movement or Thought-Download
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7:00 PM - 10:00 PM - Session 9: Heart Mapping (Dr. Amber) + 5 Pom Writing Sessions
DAY 4 - Sunday, February 25
- 1:00 PM - 3:30 PM - Welcome/Share-Out/Survey/Intensive Program + Session 10: Planning with Flexibility (Dr. Yvette) + 2 Pom Writing Sessions
The Dissertation does not have to Suck the Life Out of You.
Get to the root cause of writing resistance. Acknowledge it. Overcome it. Establish a daily writing routine with the peace of mind, confidence, and unstoppable progress and momentum that only comes with taking consistent action.
"Empowered"
is a transformative virtual writing retreat for female scholars desiring the ability to write with ease, and creating a slow and relaxed focus on productivity and output so you can make progress while also being fully present to the ones you love in the process.
Transform your writing time and unlock ease and flow.
Well-structured. Emphasis on overall good health. The spacing between activities. I absolutely loved learning my tendency. It explained a lot for me and was affirming in so many ways. I have begun to notice when I am actually wasting time by questioning the value of doing something, so I just do it (against my own will) and move on.
Ineda Pearl Adesanya
(Virtual Writing Retreat November 2022)
How will Empowered Help?
How will Empowered Help?
Break Through Writing Resistance
Break Through Writing Resistance
We help women uncover the root cause of writing resistance, so that you can understand why it happens, what to do to move past it, and how to get comfortable with being uncomfortable, so that you can uncover the joy in the writing process while still enjoying your life as you transform into the next version of yourself.
Sustain Focus and Motivation
We help you understand what time of day is your optimal writing time, help you find small pockets of time to write, and better understand what type of accountability motivates you to take action.
Save Time and Maximize Writing Efficiency by Focusing on Output
Stop putting your life on hold and missing out on the things you love while you lock yourself in your house to “write” for a whole day on the weekend. You write along side other women in the program, keep track of progress and celebrate your progress with the other amazing women in the program. You get to make progress on your dissertation while still enjoying spending time doing the things you love most.
Thrive with a Daily Writing Habit
You will identify and eliminate the habits that are not serving you and the goals you have set for yourself. We help you take on a consistent writing habit by shifting your focus from the doing and onto your identity as a writer. We focus on the writer’s ways of being.
Slow and Relaxed Focus
No more “hair on fire” writing, or rushing to meet deadlines with very little time. We help you identify your milestone goals so that you can approach your writing with a slow and relaxed focus that keeps you moving toward progress.
Save Time and Maximize Writing Efficiency by Focusing on Output
Save Time and Maximize Writing Efficiency by Focusing on Output
Stop putting your life on hold and missing out on the things you love while you lock yourself in your house to “write” for a whole day on the weekend. You write along side other women in the program, keep track of progress and celebrate your progress with the other amazing women in the program. You get to make progress on your dissertation while still enjoying spending time doing the things you love most.
Thrive with a Daily Writing Habit
You will identify and eliminate the habits that are not serving you and the goals you have set for yourself. We help you take on a consistent writing habit by shifting your focus from the doing and onto your identity as a writer. We focus on the writer’s ways of being.
Slow and Relaxed Focus
No more “hair on fire” writing, or rushing to meet deadlines with very little time. We help you identify your milestone goals so that you can approach your writing with a slow and relaxed focus that keeps you moving toward progress.
We include everything above, with the most important element of the program. A sisterhood of other women writers just like you, juggling multiple competing priorities in life while also achieving the goal of the terminal degree.
This structure writing retreat is based on the research of Dr. Rowena Murray.
What's it like Working with Write The Damn Dissertation
The Stuck to Unstoppable program provides you with a community which helps you feel supported and can really make a huge difference! The tips that they provide on how to organize and how to process your thoughts and feelings are wonderful tools that can continue to be used!
Dr. Andrea Ramirez-Cristoforo (March 2021 cohort; defended June 2022)
Sometimes the journey to your degree seems long and lonely. Surrounding yourself with a community of women who can share the ups and downs with you--particularly a community with the support and resources like the Write the Damn Dissertation Team--is a huge key to success.
Dr. Samantha Streamer Veneruso (October 2020 cohort; defended March 2022)
This group gave me exactly what I needed when I needed it most! I felt so completely discouraged. I had no idea that there were other women out there, just like me, who had gotten stuck in their journeys too. Once I knew I wasn't alone, saw their struggles and wins firsthand, I finally let myself believe I could see this through...and I did!
Dr. Angie May (March 2021 cohort; defended April 2022)
The last 6 months have been an amazing journey with my Stuck to Unstoppable sisters. I am in awe of the progress that has been accomplished by the participants. This program was a godsend for me. I will be forever grateful.
Dr. Carla Clements (January 2022 cohort; defended June 2022)
Stuck to Unstoppable was invaluable as it gave me a community of understanding and supportive women pursuing the same goal. It also added fun, humor, pertinent teachings for personal and professional growth, and encouragement at pivotal moments in the process. Thanking God for meeting all of the amazing future Doctors whom I never would have otherwise had the pleasure of connecting with.
Dr. Betty Parker Sellman (October 2021 cohort; defended April 2022)
I actually felt a sense of community - which was awesome! I thought the sessions were relevant and well distributed topically throughout the day. The whole team did a great job maintaining energy until the end.
Kassia Shaw
(Virtual Writing Retreat November 2022)
And here are some love notes from our previous Virtual Writing Retreats
Holistic approach - discussion of healthy food, exercising together, group discussions helped my anxiety even when it didn’t apply to me.
Amy Semerjian
(November 2022)
I loved the action every day and the inspirational talks before heading into poms.
Roxanne Marterre
(November 2022)
I like the mid-day discussions prior to the POMs. I also liked the wrap-up so that there was a conclusion and steps to move forward.
Kimberly Stewart
(November 2022)
The sense of camaraderie and support from the community of women; the structure of the sessions with instruction and then POMs.
Tara McLellan
(November 2022)
I loved the brief presentations that happened before the afternoon and evening POMS. They were great reminders for those of us who have not touched our work for quite some time. I also like that we could go into Circle to share our WINS and to connect with others in the retreat.
Tabatha Cotto
(November 2022)
I really like the sense of community and positivity.
Roslyn Pursely
(November 2022)
I loved the dedicated time every day to get things done - it was so nice having a mini session followed by poms and i really enjoyed working with the other women by my side.
Kimberly Stewart
(Virtual Writing Retreat November 2022)
Your Wins
It doesn’t matter if you are just starting the writing process, or if you have been stuck for years. Empowered will help you identify and let go of habits that are not serving you, so you can establish and sustain a writing routine.
- Gain Clarity. Discover the root cause of writing resistance.
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Make Progress. Learn to write with a slow and relaxed focus.
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Maintain Self Integrity. Keep your word to yourself and hit your goals.
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Work to Produce. With a focus on output, make the most of your writing time.
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Enjoy Non-Writing Time. Since you are focused on output, you get to relax and be fully present while doing things that bring you joy when you are not writing.
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Practice Self-Kindness. That means being warm and understanding to all the complex parts of ourselves.
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Be Connected and Supported. Be seen and supported by the amazing women in our writing community.
Who Can Attend the Empowered Women’s Virtual Writing Retreat?
The Empowered Virtual Writing Retreat is open to any woman scholar who wants to step into the identity as a writer, and transform their writing practice from the inside out. Our ideal participants are women writing their doctoral dissertations or women academic writers struggling with writer’s block.
How do I know if the Empowered Retreat is for me?
This retreat is for women writers who:
- Want to recommit to their writing practice
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Value community connection and support
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Want to uncover the root cause of writing resistance
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Are ready to ditch the belief that writing must suck the life out of you
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Are committed to an intentional writing practice
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Feel like if they could just have some protected time to be cared for, and to write and reflect, that they could make progress and Write the Damn Dissertation!
This retreat is NOT for women writers who:
- Just want to be alone by themselves to write
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Aren’t looking for a community to connect with
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Are already making great progress and are just looking for a place to write
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Need some “hair on fire” writing time… you have a serious deadline to meet and only have a week to do it
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Have no desire to talk about feelings and emotions and how they impact the writing process
The Empowered Virtual Writing Retreat Includes
- Daily Writing Coaching - We provide you with coaching to tap into your writer identity. We will have different topics each day throughout the retreat.
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Writing Time - There will be writing blocks daily, so there will be plenty of time to write.
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Scheduled Time for Movement and Reflection - The sessions are designed to keep you refreshed, centered, empowered, energized, and ready to write.
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Community Connection with the most amazing community of women writers. They are Just like you. Juggling multiple competing priorities while also writing. We have the most warm and supportive group of empowered women in our circle!
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Tools and Resources to help you continue the momentum after the retreat is over, integrating what you have learned in the retreat at home in your daily life.
Sign up for the retreat for $199!
What is the structure of the retreat?
Every day will include an opportunity for movement/exercise to energize us throughout the day. Then the WTDD coaches will present 10 sessions through out the retreat with topics focusing on dissertation writing, productivity, mindset, and organization. The coaches will also host writing time (broken into Pom Sessions). These sessions are grouped across the day.
What can I expect in terms of coaching?
We spend some time in reflection and discovery at the beginning of the retreat, with a focus on the future and possibility. We will interact with each other via small group, large group, and individual reflection. You are free to share during our time together if you feel comfortable doing so. Our reflection and discovery times are not therapy sessions. Instead, we bring awareness to what has been holding you back from being the writer you want to be. Our work is informed by our past, but focused on the present and the future.
Is this retreat only for women?
This retreat is for women and non-binary individuals who are aspiring to complete their dissertations to become their new Doctor selves! Some attendees have been with WTDD for a while and are familiar with the community. Others are brand new to our program and experiencing our community for the first time. All are welcome as we push forward to get Phinished!
What form of payment do you accept?
We accept all major credit cards at Write the Damn Dissertation.
Something came up and I won't be able to attend the retreat. How can I cancel my registration?
Strictly NO REFUNDS and NO CANCELLATION under any circumstances for this Virtual Writing Retreat.
What if I have more questions?
You can send an email to [email protected], and we'll be happy to answer any other questions you have!
Allow yourself to be pampered for the week.
You are worthy of all the opportunities coming your way.
© 2024 Dr. Amy Boyd, LLC