Hideout alumni launch new creative projects

Dustin Patrick Winter and Brigitte Winter joined us last year from Baltimore, MD for a one-week residency. We caught up with Dustin and Brigitte recently to learn more about the launch of their projects and hear more about their time at The Hideout.

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Tell us a bit about the project you worked on during your week at The Hideout.

For that glorious week in PEI, I got to dedicate some valuable time to my forthcoming tabletop role-playing game, Against the Gloom. In the game, players assume the roles of Gloomfarers, pirate rockstars on tour aboard flying ships, playing gigs on these floating island oases. The venues are surrounded by a sentient and malicious void— the Gloom—that wants to gobble up everything, but that is vulnerable to music. So the Gloomfarers have to use their musical powers to push the Gloom back and protect people. I wanted to create a space where people could revel in the joy of music and tell their own fantastical stories about music’s power.

Against the Gloom is crowdfunding on Kickstarter now, until March 15, and available for pre-order after that, so if folks are curious, they can check it out. Brigitte and I are partners and co-founders at Scryptid Games, the press that is publishing Against the Gloom.

While I was busy rolling dice on the cottage floor and losing them under the furniture, Brigitte was working diligently on her novel, The Normal Monster Club, a queer, small-town paranormal mystery that explores themes of memory, grief, monstrosity, desire, and queer self-actualization. She describes it like the movie Now and Then meets The Monster Squad. With cryptids. Or The X-Files if Mulder and Scully realized they were the monsters all along. She completed her first full draft in the months following our time at the Hideout, and I’m excited to see where this project goes next.

What did you enjoy most about your residency week?

Honestly? Oysters! Ha! We love seafood and oysters especially, so we made a real game of trying oysters and other seafood at all the local joints. I think my favorite place was Landmark Oyster House in Victoria. We toured all over the island, including out to Charlottetown and across the bridge one day, and I felt the most relaxed sitting at the little hightop counter on Landmark’s screened porch, talking with Brigitte about our writing and reflecting.

I also can’t overstate how great it was, while working on a game about the joy and power of music, to have a turntable, record collection, and a little clock radio tuned to the local station in the cottage. My game is also about island communities, so what better place than PEI in the off season?!

Brigitte recognized how much care had gone into the cottage, in preparing a comfortable space for us, one that would give us everything we needed to reconnect with our creative practices. More than that, she felt cared for, which is not the case with every residency or workshop. I absolutely agree! So many little things, like the chocolates sprinkled around, the local coffee left for us, or the beer and soft drinks in the fridge.

The week after our stay at The Hideout, we traveled to Martha’s Vineyard: Brigitte was accepted to Viable Paradise 2023, an intensive writing workshop. I think the time we spent at the Hideout, reabsorbing creative practices and the connection we had with our works, and time with only ourselves and each other, really helped with surviving a week of non-stop critiques, socialization, and writing at Viable Paradise.

Brigitte and her fellow writers from that workshop are currently publishing an anthology of short fiction, also crowd-funding now on Kickstarter, called New Year, New You: A Speculative Anthology of Reinvention. So obviously the week at The Hideout did something magical for us both.

Why are residencies and retreats so vital for writers and creatives?

The work I did at the Hideout is work I couldn’t have done at home. I can easily get buried under the home stuff and it gobbles up all of my creative time or intrudes on it. At home, we all have to walk the dog, fix the sink, do the laundry. I need time away from all that—from the distractions, all those things begging for my attention, and just focus on one thing: my creative work. I struggle with ADHD. A single tiny distraction can derail me in a big way. So breaking away from those things every now and then is vital to my process. I need to get away from the distractions, re-engage with the creative work, then come back home fired up and ready to keep those other things in their place.

I know for Brigitte, that week was important as a recommitment to her work. We came from a long way off—Baltimore, Maryland in the United States—and that time and distance helped to create a sense of significance, of import, for her. It helped turn it from a “creative vacation” into a turning point for her as an artist. And without that week, I don’t know if she would have been able to reconnect with her novel the way she has.

Any tips for folks thinking about applying for a residency?

When applying, go ahead and tell your story, the one you live every day as a writer. The one that makes you unique and special because no one is doing exactly what you are doing, and that’s beautiful. No one can make art like you make art.

When you come home, bring it home with you. What you do at the residency, I mean. The practice. The commitment. Don’t leave it there. Both of us brought it home and now we have a novel manuscript and two projects funding on Kickstarter.

A residency, to me, is a disruption, a sledgehammer I use to bust down the things holding me back or that I assume aren’t reasonable or possible. A residency is a starter, not a finisher. And sometimes you need to do it all over again. Sometimes we need more than one reminder of how important it is that we make beautiful things.

Montreal writer Christopher DiRaddo named inaugural Hideout writer-in-residence

Credit: Marlon Kuhnreich.

Montreal-based novelist Christopher DiRaddo has been named the inaugural writer-in-residence at The Hideout in Prince Edward Island. Now in its fifth year, the Hideout Residency program welcomes writers, artists, and self-care practitioners from across Canada and internationally to PEI’s south shore each spring and fall. A new writer-in-residence component of the program is being launched to mark the fifth year anniversary of the Hideout residencies, with the goal of inviting prominent Canadian writers to visit the Island each year to engage in new work.

Christopher DiRaddo is the author of the novels The Family Way (2021), shortlisted for the F.G Bressani Literary Prize, and The Geography of Pluto (2014). His essays and short stories have appeared in First Person Queer: Who We Are (So Far), Here & Now: An Anthology of Queer Italian-Canadian Writing and The Globe and Mail. He has also written for several publications, including Elle Canada, Xtra magazine and enRoute magazine, for which he won a National Magazine Award. In 2014, he created the Violet Hour Reading Series & Book Club, which has provided a platform for more than 200 LGBTQ writers in Canada. He lives in Montreal.

“We’re so thrilled to welcome a writer of Christopher’s calibre as our first official Hideout writer-in-residence,” says Trevor Corkum, co-owner of The Hideout. “In addition to being a talented and highly-respected novelist, Christopher has been a vital force in Canadian literature and a powerful champion for sharing LGBTQ stories.”

DiRaddo will spend a week at The Hideout next fall, working on a new novel and connecting with local writers.

“I’m thrilled to be The Hideout’s first writer-in-residence,” says DiRaddo. “I have long wanted to come to PEI and experience the creative haven that Trevor and Joshua have created for artists. To have dedicated and uninterrupted time to work on my next novel in such a serene and stimulating environment is a huge gift and one I do not take for granted. I’m also looking forward to learning more about the community of artists living on the Island. My writing is heavily inspired by place, and I’m excited about the ways that The Hideout, and PEI, will make its way into my future work.”

About The Hideout

Created by writer Trevor Corkum and psychotherapist Joshua Lewis, The Hideout offers retreat and vacation space to writers, creative folk, and visitors from across Canada and around the world. The Hideout is located on the scenic South Shore of PEI, a few minutes outside the village of Victoria-by-the-Sea. The Hideout Residency program was founded in 2020.

Applications Now Open for 2024 Hideout Residencies

Scholarship deadline for Maritime writers is March 1

Now in its fifth year, the Hideout Residencies welcome writers, artists, and self-care practitioners to a quiet rural setting on PEI’s south shore each spring and fall. Residencies are a week in length and allow for uninterrupted time to work on a creative project. The 2023 Hideout residency scholar was PEI writer Lauren Jean Lawlor.

In order to support Maritime writers and practitioners, one full scholarship covering residency costs is available to an emerging or established writer or practitioner with financial need. Writers or wellness practitioners who identify as BIPOC or 2SLGBTQ+ are especially encouraged to apply. The scholarship deadline for 2024 is March 1. For more information about the Hideout Residencies, the application process, or the scholarship, visit our residency page.

Further information

Writers and other residents should plan to work on a project or engage in practice for a minimum of one week (6 nights). Residents will arrive on a Saturday afternoon and depart the following Friday morning. Both units feature queen-sized beds and bedding, self-catering kitchens, wifi access, yoga mats and props, space to write and practice, outdoor space, and access to trails and bicycles.

Have more questions? Check out our handy FAQ page, or be in touch for more information.

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Two years ago I began working on a young adult fiction novel Dear Lisa. Winning the residency at The Hideout provided me with the ideal opportunity to reacquaint myself with the story and characters. Trevor and Joshua ensured that I had everything I needed to allow me to immerse myself in the creative process. I would highly recommend The Hideout to anyone in need of a retreat and some time to relax and unwind.”

-Debbie Langston, 2022 Hideout residency scholar

Looking back: Hideout resident Robin Sutherland polishes a trio of short stories

To celebrate the fifth year anniversary of The Hideout residency program, we caught up with a number of previous Hideout residents to learn more about their writing projects and their advice for those considering a residency at The Hideout.

Writer Robin Sutherland joined as at The Hideout in 2021 (the height of the pandemic!) to work on a linked collection of short stories.

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Tell us a bit about the project you worked on during your week at The Hideout.

I was at The Hideout in the spring of 2021 to work on a collection of short stories that are based on my experiences as a lifeguard in the Toronto suburbs in the late 1980s and early 90s. More specifically, I wanted to develop three key stories: two of them start and end the collection, so I knew they would need to do a lot of heavy lifting in terms of introducing readers to my aquatic world and the main characters, and in establishing the atmosphere and central themes. The third story occurs about mid-way through the collection, so I envisioned the trio serving as a sort of spine for the whole collection.

What did you enjoy most about your residency week?

I'm all about a good daily routine to help keep me (and my writing) humming along. But too much of this good thing can bog me down, since routine involves same-old spaces and same-old time commitments. Retreats shake all of this up by providing you with a new space in which to work, and by disconnecting you from all of your regular commitments. It's like pressing a refresh button on your writing life. In my case, I was also at The Hideout a year into the pandemic, so getting out of my house was in itself a much-welcomed change.

Why are residencies and retreats so vital for writers?

It can be difficult to explain the job of writer to people who are not writers themselves, and for this reason, it can be equally as difficult to safeguard and privilege the task of writing. Residencies and retreats are hosted by people who 'get' that job, so in addition to gaining the space and time I mentioned above, you also gain a nice sense of validation or legitimacy as a writer.

Any tips for folks thinking about applying for a residency?

After my residency, I returned home—exuberant—because I accomplished what I set out to do: I had written a brand-new draft of the first story and had also fleshed out ideas for the concluding and mid-point stories. If I did not finish the whole collection during the retreat (I was in for another two years of hard work), I had made essential progress. My literary beast now had a sturdy backbone, and for the first time, I could also see the overall narrative arc of the collection. So my advice to anyone considering a retreat? Think small. Think specific. You want to come away from a retreat feeling like you are one step closer to where you want to be. I also advise writers to choose a place that offers them a chance to get away from their computers and recharge their bodies and minds. Thanks to the beautiful property surrounding The Hideout, and the complimentary yoga equipment, I was able to do just that on my breaks.

Born and raised in Toronto, Ontario, Robin Sutherland is a writer and educator who now lives on Prince Edward Island. She writes short fiction and memoir, as well as Christmas feature scripts through Sea Stone Pictures, a company she co-founded with two other writers. Her short fiction has appeared in SPLASH!, The Broken City, lichen, Room of One’s Own, and Zygote.

Looking back: Hideout resident Deidra Dallas on getting away from it all

To celebrate the fifth year anniversary of The Hideout residency program, we caught up with a number of previous Hideout residents to learn more about their writing projects and their advice for those considering a residency at The Hideout.

Hideout Resident DEidra Dallas Visits the Goats at Island Hill Farm in Hampshire, PEI.

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Inspired by her love of PEI and Anne of Green Gables, Deidra Dallas returned to Prince Edward Island in 2023 for a weeklong residency at The Hideout, working on her novel-in-progress, The Goat.

Tell us a bit about the project you worked on during your week at The Hideout.

I worked on my novel The Goat: A Novel in 2 Acts, a humorous novel that incorporates elements of playwriting as well as traditional narrative elements to tell the story of Beatrice Smalls, a 32-year-old woman who moves back to her small West Texas hometown after the death of her father. Beatrice takes on the role of high school theatre teacher, and throughout the school year she falls a little bit in love with her new students, a lotta bit in love with the local agricultural teacher, and learns why living with your mother after the age of 18 is a terrible idea. Also, she adopts a goat. Chaos ensues. 

What did you enjoy most about your residency week?

That it wasn't home! I got to get away from all of my responsibilities and obligations and put my writing at the forefront of my mind and to-do list. My favorite part of my residency, though, was that I was on PEI, my absolute favorite place on earth. I got to spend time on the Island visiting places that inspire me (like Green Gables and the L.M. Montgomery homestead) and places that gave me much needed experiences that will help develop my novel (like Island Hill Farm, a local goat farm). And there's something magical about being in nature without worrying about whether or not you should be mowing the grass that really helps me to refocus my creative energy. 

Why are residencies and retreats so vital for writers?

Writing is such hard work mentally and emotionally, and it's especially hard to give it the commitment it needs when you have other mental, emotional, and physical draws on your time and energy. Getting to put everything else aside and focus on your craft is vital to anyone who wants to take their writing seriously. Residencies and retreats allow you to reset yourself and recommit to the big ideas swirling around inside your brain. 

Any tips for folks thinking about applying for a residency?

I suggest looking at places that you know you'd like to visit to help make your list of potential residencies (like PEI or Wales or Providence, Rhode Island--all places I've done writing retreats!). And then look at the financials. Money can be a big deterrent, so finding a way to get the most bang for your buck and making it a bit of a working vacation--the work being your writing!--is always something that helps me make the decision. And most importantly--just do it! If you are serious about writing, make time for your writing, and residencies are some of the best ways to prioritize yourself and your art.

Deidra Dallas is a freelance editor and quilter living in Ballinger, Texas. She earned her MFA in Creative Writing from Lesley University in 2022 and has been published in Go World Travel where she wrote about a solo trip to Prince Edward Island in the middle of winter. In her free time, she assists with the Ballinger High School band, travels as much as she is able, and follows her niece and nephews around to all of their respective sporting and artistic events.