Exciting news! We did it. We reached and exceeded our goal! A heartfelt thank you to all of our contributors and to our generous anonymous donor who matched $1,000 of new contributions from February 2nd to February 12th, 2016. Thank You!
We’ve set this campaign up to support Molly’s lifelong dream of becoming a writer.
The writing life is challenging enough, and especially so for Molly who is working full-time to put herself through college. Still, every single day, Molly takes at least twenty minutes to write, no matter what. It is the place where she is free, where her mind and heart can soar, where she can process the challenges and beauty of life, and where she can practice her craft. Molly longs to take the next step: to turn her words into books and an accompanying blog. For this, she needs mentorship, community, and the encouragement and support that Haven Writing Retreats ensures.
“Her voice is powerful. And the world needs to hear it. If we can get Molly here in February, she will be on her way to making her dream a reality.” - Laura Munson, Founder of Haven Writing Retreats.
Help us make Molly’s dream come true!
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You’ll receive email updates from Molly during her retreat, sharing her experience and her inspired writing!
You can also get special perks for making a contribution. See the list of perks on this campaign page.
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- Anita Shreve, author of The Pilot's Wife
"Ever hear about the power of positive thinking? Ever wonder what it looks like in real life? Ever run up against some rocky places in your relationship that scare the crap out of you? If you answered yes, read this book. Now. I for one devoured it in 24 hours. It's pure real life illumination."
- Dr. Christiane Northrup, author of Women's Bodies, Women's Wisdom
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Thank You! You’ll not only be supporting a young and promising writer in Molly, you’ll also receive great perks only available through this campaign, and you'll feel great for helping Molly! People who help others are happier, healthier, and feel better than those who don't. So click "Contribute Now" and support Molly!
MORE ABOUT MOLLY!
As she says, “When I write my heart flutters with purpose."
Molly’s been taking a full 18-credit course load at Portland State while working full-time to pay her way through college and cover her food and housing expenses.
Since 2011 she has kept a Word document of daily musings.
In her own words, “My Word document has gone through active spurts, dry seasons, entries with excessive cursing, and entries that led to a lot of tears being smeared on my keyboard (they have since dried but I remember they were there). It has never been printed. It has only been seen with someone else's eyes once, by accident. This past summer, it reached 100 pages. Its name has never changed, but the girl writing it sure has.”
With your support, Molly will have the opportunity to share these 100 pages at Haven Writing Retreats and bring them to life in a supportive environment, with a talented mentor, and a lasting community… with options to continue in additional Haven programs. Taking this step in her early twenties could be the thing that puts her on course for the writing life she so craves. Imagine if someone took this stand for you in the field of your dreams when you were that age. You just might have lived your whole life differently. We hope that Haven will give Molly the powerful start that she deserves!
Her memoir This Is Not The Story You Think It Is has been published in nine countries and was named Book of the Month Club’s top book of 2010. Laura’s work has been featured in The New York Times, The New York Times Magazine, Vanity Fair, Elle, O. Magazine, Redbook, Time, Newsweek, Women’s Day, Ladies Home Journal, Good Housekeeping, and many other newspapers and magazines across the globe.
Laura believes that our creativity should be as valued in our society as diet and exercise, and it is her mission to help empower people to find their unique voice on the page – whether they are seasoned writers or are just getting their start.
To support her mission, Laura started Haven Writing Retreats, an immersive experience focused on igniting the creative and artistic flame that lives within all of us, and helping people to find and share their authentic voice and stories.
Haven has been named one of the top five writing retreats in the U.S. It takes place in the beautiful natural landscapes of Whitefish, Montana. Hundreds of people have been positively affected by the opportunity to attend Haven, including people who have never written, people who are inspired to discover or re-discover their voice, and celebrity writers such as Kathryn Stockett (author of The Help) and Sukey Forbes (author of The Angel in My Pocket).
Haven Writing Retreats has a place for anyone who wants to write and set her or his voice free.

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“When I write my heart flutters with purpose.” - Molly Carpenter
