Over the last decade, Ellen Weeren, BA ’90 and MFA ’19, has been running the Facebook group A Reason to Write, serving a community of more than 750 writers at all stages of their careers with news, opportunities, and regular doses of motivation—and more recently, she’s taken that mission from the virtual world into the real one. Her home near Harper’s Ferry, WV, is now a literary center for classes, workshops, retreats, and more—inspired by Weeren’s own journey and her desire to support and inspire others on theirs.
This summer, we talked with Weeren about her mission and her work for an article for English Matters; here is the full transcript of our interview.
You’ve run the Facebook group A Reason to Write for a decade now, sharing news, building community, encouraging positivity and motivation, then hosting classes, and more. How did that Facebook group come about—and how did it turn into the in-person retreats and workshops under that same Reason to Write title?
One summer, I indulged in what I called the summer of Ellen and attended several writing workshops. After each one, I would create a separate Facebook group so the attendees could all keep in touch. Pretty soon, it made sense to just have one group. The page started with about 10 writers and has grown over the years to nearly 800 members. The group welcomes everyone—from those who are early in their journey to those who top the bestseller lists.
One of the retreats I attended is Trudy Hale’s The Porches near Charlottesville. I loved everything she was doing there and wanted to create something similar. After my youngest child left for her sophomore year of college in 2021, I moved to West Virginia with the goal of expanding my connections beyond the internet. I wanted to create a space where writers could escape the distractions of everyday life and focus on imagining and telling their best stories. A Reason to Write captures the purpose of the space perfectly. We all have a reason to write, and the retreat gives writers the opportunity.
This is your own house where you’re running this. Was there any hesitation about opening it up to retreats and meetings and classes and more?
Not really. The writing community is so small and connected that I know most of the people who reach out to come here (or know someone who does). The names I don’t recognize are pretty easily vetted through the application process. This space is gorgeous and inspiring, and I knew the minute I walked in the backyard, which faces the Shenandoah River, that it is a spot meant to be shared. The people who come here are serious about getting the work done. Most of the time, we don’t even see each other. They are quiet and contemplative and a joy to have around. I can feel the creative energy shift when they are here, and it inspires me to keep going as well.
How did your time at Mason—classes, community, professors, etc.—inform your decisions about pursuing your plans for A Reason to Write?
I earned my BA in Writing at Mason what now seems like a million years ago. I tried Psychology first and then Accounting. Finally, I decided to follow my heart instead of my wallet and majored in English. Richard Bausch and Cynthia Fuchs were two of my earliest writing teachers.
Mason opened a door for me I didn’t know existed, so getting my MFA at Mason felt like coming home. As I said, I’d done a lot of writing retreats and learned a lot, but I was hungry for the continuity and community that an MFA program offers. Susan Shreve, Helon Habila Ngalabak, Courtney Brkic, Deb Shutika, Art Taylor, Steve Goodwin, and Tania James live the life I want to live—writing and teaching. And I want to give others the chance to grow as writers in the same ways they have for me.
This Fall you’ll be hosting a week-long Flash Fiction workshop with Kathy Fish, and in early 2026, you have a session planned on helping authors to build their brand, their career. How are you balancing emphasis on the craft of writing and the business of writing? And how are you balancing in-person sessions vs. online ones?
For the online sessions, I’m asking members of the Facebook A Reason to Write group to teach the workshops and am paying them a small workshop fee. Then we offer the classes for free to the members of the page. This is my small way of supporting both sides of the community—those who have a lot to share and those who have more to learn. For the in-person retreats, I aimed high and invited well-known instructors like Kathy Fish and Tommy Dean to come to Harpers Ferry. Luckily, they accepted, and the results have been amazing. In-person is always better in my book.
Tommy Dean and I are working hard on the details of the 2026 Build Your Brand workshop. It’s intended to help authors who have a manuscript ready prepare for the arduous process of finding an agent. There will be critiques of first pages and query letters, lessons on websites and social media, opportunities for author photos, meetings with publicists and agents, and so much more. We are so excited to launch this unique opportunity to help writers to get ready for a life-long career in writing.
You’re a successful writer in your own right, of course. How has your work for A Reason to Write—serving others—ultimately encouraged, inspired, and motivated your own work?
It’s exhilarating to be around creative people in their element. I learn so much from and am inspired by the instructors as well as the attendees. One thing I’ve come to believe is that everyone has something to teach. I love sitting around a fire at the end of the day and helping someone puzzle out their story or recount their productive day. And I really love hearing writers read their own work. It makes me so happy to create a space for them. And it inspires me to keep at my own work. Writers often bemoan that writing is lonely work. But here, it doesn’t have to be.
I’ve had some very generous mentors support my writing along the way and nothing makes me happier than to do that for someone else. There is nothing quite like seeing the awe on a writer’s face when she or he or they have had a breakthrough or written something they are proud of.
August 08, 2025