Super Short Summary

In Julia Bartz's 2023 debut novel, The Writing Retreat, protagonist Alex receives an unexpected invitation to a writing retreat at the haunted estate of Roza Vallo, a best-selling author and Alex’s favorite writer. Alex's enthusiasm is tempered by her ex-best friend Wren's participation and her own persistent writer’s block. The retreat soon turns competitive as Roza pits the writers against one another for a chance at publication, leading to high-stakes conflict and unforeseen dangers. The story explores themes of creativity, rivalry, and the hunger for artistic recognition. This novel contains fictional portrayals of violence, murder, psychological abuse, and occult activity.