Discover the writer in you.

Workshops · Consultation · Retreats

Offerings

A person wearing a gray sweater writing with a red pen in an open orange-edged notebook. The scene appears to be indoors with blurred background elements.

Writing Workshops

For the seasoned pro and timid novice alike, wherever you are in the creative process, Words in Play offers instruction on craft, quality feedback, and the motivation and camaraderie inspired by a supportive writing community. 

Discover More
Wooden signpost with multiple signs pointing in various directions, including the words 'Go' and 'Beyond'. The signs appear weathered and are set against a landscape with a cloudy sky and distant hills.

Writing Consultation

Need an editor to review your manuscript draft-by-draft, or perhaps a coach to help you crystalize your ideas? I can help. If you are at a standstill in a project, I can offer techniques to get you to the next stage.

Discover More
View of rolling hills of Italy and fields with scattered trees and houses, seen from a balcony with potted flowers, a cup, and an open book in the foreground.

Writing Retreats

Restore to wonder at a writer’s dream escape. Mingle with other writers on the beach, in a secret garden, or at a Tuscan villa . . . our retreats are designed to inspire, ignite, and encourage your craft while nourishing your creative soul.

Discover More
A woman with short, wavy brown hair and wearing a white shirt over a maroon top, smiling at the camera, seated in front of a blurred gray background.
A woman with short, wavy brown hair and wearing a white shirt over a maroon top, smiling at the camera, seated in front of a blurred gray background.

Hi, I’m Deb

Teacher, writer, mentor, creativity catalyst—I help people discover the joy of writing. Words are playful–they want to sing and dance, climb trees, swim in the ocean, fly like birds. I inspire writers at every level to allow their creative spirits to rise above the blocks, and I show writers how to have fun in the process.

More About Deb

Upcoming Workshops & Retreats

“Italy is a dream that keeps returning for the rest of your life.”

~ Anna Akhmatova. Russian Poet

Next Destination: Tuscany, Italy (Fall 2027)

Learn more

Clients’ Published Works

Illustration of a butcher bird with black and brown feathers, sharp beak, and striking eye, from the book 'Butcher Bird: Tales from Down Under' by Geraldine M. North.
Cover of a religious book titled 'King of the Shattered Glass' by Susan Joy Bellavance, featuring a stained glass window scene of a woman and a girl, with decorative borders.
Cover of a book titled 'Writing with Class: Stories and Poems' by multiple authors including Helen P. Bridge, Jenny Menning, Susan Joy Bellavance, Trudy Cohen, Roberta Baldwin Stoneman, Sally L. Wright, and Joan Chandler, with a black ink splatter and a red pen illustration.
Book cover for "Mingled Souls: A Love Story in Letters 1916-1920" by Sheila Harvey Tanzer. The cover features two vintage black-and-white photographs of a man in military uniform and a woman in a hat with fur trim, set against a background of handwritten letters.
An owl with the face of a person, wearing an owl costume, in flight against a blurry natural background, with text reading "Journey with the Owls" and additional text about a bonus DVD.

Get in Touch

Please fill out the form below to contact Deb McKew about workshops, retreats, or general inquiries.

Contact