A Quiet Place to Work on Your Book
West Hollow is a small, private, off-grid writing studio in the woods near Boaz, Alabama.
It is for writers who need something ordinary life does not always provide:
time, quiet, and distance from distraction.
There is no Wi-Fi at West Hollow.
No television.
No ordinary household activity competing for your attention.
You come to write.
Bring your laptop, notebook, manuscript, or outline.
Then settle in and work.
The Studio
West Hollow is intentionally simple.
It is furnished and comfortable, but it is not designed as a conventional office or coworking space.
In colder weather, a wood-burning stove heats the studio and gives the space much of its character.
You can spend the day drafting, outlining, revising, reading through a difficult section, or simply sitting quietly long enough to figure out what the story needs next.
When you get stuck, step outside.
Walk The Meadow.
Sit for a while.
Then return to the page.
The simplicity is part of the point.
When You Need to Reconnect
Sometimes writing requires disconnection.
Sometimes it requires research.
Writers using West Hollow also have access to The Library, a separate-entry room nearby with electricity, Wi-Fi, internet access, and a desk for research and online work.
That allows the two kinds of work to remain separate:
write at West Hollow; reconnect when you need to.
Food, Fire, and Time Away From the Page
Writers also have access to the nearby outdoor kitchen and fire area.
You can prepare something simple to eat, use the Blackstone, sit beside the fire ring, or step away from the manuscript for a while.
Sometimes the next scene arrives while you are writing.
Sometimes it arrives while you are walking, cooking, or staring into a fire.
There is room for both.
For Writers in the Year-Long Novel Program
West Hollow is at the center of my year-long program for beginning novelists.
Participants typically write here at least three days each week, usually for at least four hours at a time, with many writing days extending longer.
Some days include story coaching.
Others are devoted almost entirely to writing.
The program is designed around regular, protected time to do the work.
LEARN ABOUT THE YEAR-LONG NOVEL PROGRAM
Independent Writing Time at West Hollow
West Hollow Writing Studio is also available to writers who are not part of the year-long coaching program and simply want a quiet place to work.
Half Day — $49
Up to four hours.
Full Day — $79
Up to nine hours.
The reservation is for private use of West Hollow Writing Studio. Story coaching is not included.
Independent writers may also use the Meadow for walking and thinking, the Library for Wi-Fi, electricity, and research, and, when appropriate, the outdoor kitchen and fire area for a meal or break.
West Hollow is intended for writing, reading, thinking, and sustained creative work—not for general recreational use or events.
The writing time is yours.
Longer Writing Stays
Writers who want more than a single day at West Hollow may arrange a longer writing stay and bring their own camper to the designated area nearby.
Longer Writing Stay — $99 per day
One Week — $550
The rate includes use of the camper area and available utility connections, along with scheduled access to West Hollow Writing Studio.
Year-long coaching participants have priority use of West Hollow on their regular writing and coaching days, and I also reserve time there for my own writing. For that reason, a longer-stay writer should not expect exclusive use of the studio throughout the entire stay.
The camper area remains available throughout the reservation. Access to West Hollow is arranged around the existing writing schedule.
Longer-stay writers may also use the Library for Wi-Fi, electricity, and research, walk the Meadow, and make reasonable use of the outdoor kitchen and fire area.
The camper provides your living and sleeping space. West Hollow remains devoted to writing.
A two-night minimum applies to camper stays. Longer arrangements can be discussed individually.
What West Hollow Is
West Hollow is not a resort.
It is not a coworking space.
It is not built around entertainment.
It is a writing studio in the woods.
The purpose is simple:
come here and work on your book.
Where to Next
If West Hollow interests you, you may also want to learn more about the year-long coaching program or simply get in touch.
