About Us

The Writer's Well retreat in Georgia is a peaceful and scenic safe haven for female writers who want to activate their literary voices. Located on a sprawling southern property of 1.8 acres in Sharpsburg, this serene and private place provides the perfect natural setting for serious writers to create without distraction. Georgia pines, oaks and maple trees embrace the retreat, fashioning a woodsy serene environment for writers to walk, breathe and write. The retreat is dedicated to nurturing women writers in a setting that celebrates sisterhood and unity where women come to unlock their creativity, listen to their inner voices, and push their literary limits.

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The retreat features two spacious studios and a spiritual room for meditation, yoga, music, etc. Writers have access to wireless internet, a fax machine, CD, cassette player and television. Bicycles and yoga mats are also available. A healthy continental breakfast is included. The staff has a list of other venues for dining in the area, and on-property delivery as well as information on businesses providing massage, yoga, and meditation sessions. Each studio has a desk, chair, and reading lamps, queen-size beds and comfortable chairs, one shared bathroom, and air conditioning/ceiling fans. Residents may use the kitchen to cook meals. For your convenience, there are large grocery stores in Sharpsburg and plenty of restaurants. 

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The on-site mentor, Adilah Barnes, is a writer, actor, acting instructor, producer, Internet talk show host and lecturer. She will recur in the upcoming CW series 4400. She has appeared in television and film productions that include NCIS, The Middle, Harry's Law, Prime Suspect, Roseanne, Cold Case, Erin Brockovich, and Iron-Jawed Angels. Her one-woman show, I Am That I Am: Woman, Black began in 1990 and toured three continents: North America (including the Caribbean), Africa, and Europe. In the United States, the show has toured forty states. 

Adilah Co-Founded the Los Angeles Women's Theatre Festival in 1993 and has produced over 600 solo artists from around the globe. An acting instructor, Adilah extends her knowledge of film and visual culture to the community by teaching solo writing classes entitled Jumping Into the Deep Waters, From Thought to Pen, Connecting the Inner Dots, and From Page to Stage. More than twenty solo pieces have been produced from these classes as part of the Los Angeles Women's Theatre Festival's homegrown Hot Off the Press series. 

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Adilah earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Theatre Arts from the University of California, Santa Cruz. She served on the elected Alumni Council at UCSC for seven years. She was honored as one the 50 most influential alumni at UCSC in 2010.

Her book On My Own Terms: One Actor's Journey was named an Essence Magazine Bestseller in June, 2009, behind President Obama's two books.