Writers of memoir often find inspiration in experiences of surprising, radical, or gradual personal change. How can we recreate these transformations with language so that they become available to our readers? In this week-long retreat we will generate personal narratives about changes both ordinary and profound. We will also learn practical techniques to transform our writing so it brings readers along on our experiential ride, such as exploring the periods before and after as well as during the transformation; articulating expectations; using chronology so as not to steal your reader’s surprise; and linking the movement of the outer story (the surface action) to the inner story (its emotional import). This retreat will offer time to contemplate memories of transformation and, in doing so, deepen our writing.