IN - PERSON
Workshops & RETREATS
My workshops and retreats are guided by the principles of the Imaginative Storm, developed by me and my collaborator James Navé during more than 20 years of teaching workshops together.
Powerful, original writing is born in the imaginative intelligence. It’s not something you can “think up” or produce to order. Instead, the key is to ignite and nurture your imaginative intelligence, and let it take the lead as you generate material.
What is your imaginative intelligence? That vast cosmos of knowing that is stored in your memories, your forgotten history, your deep character, your body, your emotional self, perhaps even in your genes.
As you write in the Imaginative Storm, you’ll quickly silence your inner critic and teach it to appreciate your strengths. You’ll hear your strong, original voice as you read the words you put on the page. You’ll learn easy techniques to pack your writing with emotional power. And you’ll say goodbye to writerly stress and anxiety for good!
5-day MEMOIR RETREAT
in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia - a UN World Heritage Site
October 2025
Limited to 8 participants
Organized by Sparks Fly Retreats and based at the Blue Nose Lodge in Lunenburg, my 5-day memoir retreat is now an annual event.
We meet as a group in the mornings, writing to 5- and 10-minute prompts designed to discover the story your imaginative intelligence wants to tell, and bring it to the page with emotional power and your own unique, original voice.
Your imaginative intelligence knows far more than your rational mind. It’s my job to help you bring its gifts onto the page, in your own unique and original voice. You’ll find the emotional core of your story, and discover your own transformation at the heart of it.
In the afternoons, I meet with each participant one-on-one for an hour, twice in the course of the 4 days. The agenda is simple: how can I help you? We can talk about structure, story, your personal voice, other ways and places to write—it’s up to you.
With just 8 participants, I can give close and continuing personal attention to everyone.
“Allegra is my new favorite writing mentor! The Imaginative Storm philosophy and writing method is the most effective one that I have had the pleasure of experiencing in my last six years of writing circles. Our group of seven bonded almost immediately through Allegra’s relaxed and authentic style and belief that we all have a story within us. Thank you Allegra for empowering each of us to fly in our spacious imaginations. I shall return for more!”
— Doley Henderson, MFA
“What a wonderful workshop. The Imaginative Storm process is phenomenally successful. it’s had an enormous impact on the way I think and the way I write. I’m really looking forward to next year.”
— Karen Anderson, Associate Professor, Department of Sociology, York University, Toronto
"Allegra is a very sensitive and intuitive teacher - so encouraging and sincere. I loved my week. I returned home to 'Oh wow, Amy - you look so well rested and happy!'"
— Amy Gray, founder, New Leaf Speakers
“The Imaginative Storm method is so productive; it efficiently gets you right down to the heart of the matter. And the best part of all is that it’s fun and full of surprises! It’s Allegra’s gift of inspiring us to immerse ourselves in the creative process—she is uniquely warm, honest and encouraging. I’m so glad I did this workshop!”
— Terry Varner, writer
“Allegra has the rare ability to help your writing at two different levels: rational analysis of the elements and structure of your memoir, and the emotional capacity to read between the lines, to recognize and empathize with the yelling or whispering of your heart. I learned a lot in her workshop: her lessons were easy to understand and remember but deep and specific on the points where I needed to improve—and delivered with kindness and joy.”
— Jamil Mahuad, former president of Ecuador
“A fantastic, life-affirming experience. The writing prompts bring forth a style of writing that is surprising in its intensity and invigorating in its ability to communicate deep memories and emotions. This is a gift any writer should give to themselves. It will change your life!”
— Allison Kleinsteuber, art teacher
“Allegra's memoir workshop was pure sustenance for my soul. I felt immediately engaged in her process of cultivating one's intuition to create writing that's powerful, interesting and real, with a sparkle of discovery and surprise. Loved every moment!”
— Jack Gewalter, veterinarian
“The workshop was transformational. It offered incredible insight and a playful, creative method of writing. At the first session of the workshop I made the mistake of saying I was not a writer. Poor choice of words that were quickly challenged by Allegra. Her passionate belief that we all have the ability to write was infectious and resonated with me for the duration of the week. Grab the first opportunity you get to work with her. “
— Doug Raphael, architect
4-day “WRITE WITHOUT LIMITS”
in legendary artists’ colony Taos, New Mexico
April 20 – 24, 2025
Limited to 12 participants
This Imaginative Storm retreat, based at historic Hacienda del Sol, is an immersive exploration of your imaginative intelligence. You’ll learn how to write what you don’t know as you write to prompts designed to ignite your imaginative intelligence, covering the many facets of telling a story.
My creative collaborator James Navé and I will lead group sessions each morning. In the afternoons, I will meet with participants individually, while James holds an optional salon-style conversation ranging far and wide.
Each participant will have 2 hour-long sessions with me: one during the 4 days, and the second to be arranged either in person immediately after the workshop or on Zoom within the next two weeks.
This retreat is for writers of all genres, and those who are exploring writing as a creative pursuit. Whatever your level of experience, we promise you will write in a way you’ve never written before—and the results will amaze you!
“I am without adequate words to express how perfect these last five days have been. You created magic.”
— Lyn R., writer
“I loved the workshop and the group. It was valuable for me to get out of my head and into my heart a little more. I really appreciated the small group size and the valuable individual time with Allegra. Many thanks for your wisdom, energy and kindness.”
— Virginia H., writer
“I loved how we all helped one another expand horizons, plumb depths, make discoveries and support one another in that process. Really enjoyed Navé’s “improv” time, such fun to observe as well as to try out.”
— Marianne F., writer
2-day “write what you don’t know” intensive
in lovely Paonia, Colorado
May 16 – 17, 2025
Limited to 10 participants
Minimum time, maximum benefit!
This quick dunk-’n’-dash into the Imaginative Storm method will instantly get you comfortable with “writing what you don’t know.” We’ll meet for two 2.5-hour sessions a day, with a long lunch break. I plan to have lunch and dinner with the participants, so there will be plenty of time for discussion and more personal conversation.
These two speedy days will equip you with a powerful set of tools to take into the rest of your writing life. No more writer’s block! No more vicious inner critic! No more feeling like the writing on the page doesn’t sound like you! You’ll amaze yourself: I promise.
Paonia is a bucolic, arty small town in western Colorado, within easy reach of Aspen and Grand Junction.
“If you want to write more of yourself onto the page, I can't think of a better place to do it than with Allegra in Paonia, Colorado. Never heard of Paonia? It's a peaceful, artsy and colorful Shangri-La in southwestern Colorado. And, under Allegra's gentle prompting, forgotten pieces of you dance into the light. It was worth every moment of the 2,273 miles it took to get there and come back renewed, refreshed and reignited.”
— Joyce Wycoff, writer
“When my friend asked if I'd have any interest in attending a writing workshop, I immediately said YES. For the long month in wait I waffled, I was stressed, I felt the pressure, I wanted to cancel. Then, Allegra taught us an incredibly simple way to unlock our creativity. "Writing what you don't know" is an engaging and fun process that opens up deep wells of ideas and provides a structure that I was able to easily put words to paper. She is an amazing teacher. So incredibly grateful I held to my mantra of ‘Do things that push your boundaries’!”
— Brenda, business owner
