Basic essentials : the ground of being. The greatest pleasure ; Why silence? ; Meditation (sitting) ; Slow walking ; What is writing practice? ; Entry : the opening point ; A moment ; Happiness ; Some determination ; What is practice? -- True secret retreat essentials. Setting up ; Altar ; Schedule ; Orientation : first day (sitting), bowing, job list, meals, interviews ; Dreams and lying down ; Breaking silence ; Seven attitudes of mindfulness -- Elaborations. At the beginning ; Story of love ; Kiss ; Things to draw ; The list ; Loving a place ; A long chapter on a short practice : a week of writing in a café ; Six-word memoir ; Age ; A third thing ; Cynicism ; Letting go -- Encounters and teachers. Teachers ; The blazon ; Wang Wei : poetry, the one true thing ; Hemingway : what is not said ; Wendy : hints of the South ; Ikkyu : one heart, two gates ; Dogen : write with the whole body ; Gwen : closing the gap ; Blue chair : creating texture ; Cannot write this alone.

The author draws on her teaching background to share new writing guidelines and outline the steps for a personal or group writing retreat, providing coverage of such topics as working in silence and writing without criticism.