RELAX AND WRITE NANOWRIMO!

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I’m thrilled to announce a special NANOWRIMO retreat at Burleigh Heads!

5:30pm FRIDAY 8 November to 1 pm SUNDAY 10 November 2019 at CYC Burleigh Heads

Super boost your writing this November at this special retreat in Burleigh Heads. Whether you’re aiming to get a novel written in a month Nanowrimo style, or if you have a manuscript almost done, this is the retreat for you!

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Connect with like-minded women in a beautiful location, be inspired by practical and informative workshops, stretch and relax with yoga and release your inner-goddess dancing under the stars.

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This retreat has two streams:

  1. NANOWRIMO – for those writing up a storm, with a group writing room and plenty of time to write
  2. FEEDBACK AND REVISION – pay slightly more to receive individual feedback on your writing and share your work with other writers at a similar stage for more input on how to best redraft your book. For hints and tips on how to get started on your rewrite see my post HERE.

Workshops suit both streams, focusing on finding the heart of your story, structuring for success and publication pathways.

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At this retreat, Edwina will again be joined by special guest, Creative Dance instructor – the lovely Lalita Lakshmi, who will get us all swaying our hips and dancing.

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Also joining us is fabulous masseuse, Monique De Goey, to help ease those writing-induced aches and pains. Extra cost.

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The program includes two yoga/dance sessions, dance night and three creative writing workshops. Two nights basic but comfortable, airconditioned accommodation plus all meals are included in the cost.

It’s all set among the stunning surroundings of Burleigh Heads National Park, staying at cheap but cheerful CYC Burleigh. Yes it’s a youth camp but we’ll have it all to ourselves, and all the rooms are air-conditioned and have ensuites.

Just a minute’s walk down the street is the National Park with fabulous walks through ancient rainforest,

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around the headland,

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to the surf beach on one side

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and on the other side, glorious Tallebudgera Creek were the water glows turquoise.

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For the weekend of writing, fun and feasting, including accommodation, all meals, 2 yoga/ dance sessions, 3 creative writing workshops and a dance night. Transport not included.

  1. NANOWRIMO Twin Share $350 Single $400
  1. FEEDBACK Twin Share $400 Single $450

OR Pay your $200 deposit before 15 SEPTEMBER 2019 for EARLY BIRD PRICES

  1. NANOWRIMO EARLY BIRD twin share$320/ single $370 or
  2. FEEDBACK EARLY BIRD twin share $370/ single $420

PAY YOUR DEPOSIT HERE

When paying your deposit please put your surname and either 1 or 2 so I know which stream you’d prefer.

or CONTACT ME DIRECTLY for more info or to pay by Direct Deposit (preferred)

Here’s what a participant at my last retreat had to say about the experience

“I attended the Magnetic Island Relax and Write retreat in June with twelve other women. There was a good mix of experienced and novice writers, a nice mingling of yoga, writing and dancing. The act of writing is so solitary that any gathering of like-minded people is a celebration to me but it is particularly valuable when it is facilitated by an experienced teacher who knows how to cater for a variety of interests, personalities and levels of skill. Edwina is an experienced teacher of both yoga and creative writing, and her steady hand manages to calm down the nervous, encourage the shy and steady the excited. One can never predict what gems may be revealed in any of the writing sessions.

This year’s addition of a vivacious dance teacher was such a delight and novel experience to me that I can’t wait for a new opportunity to do it all over again.”

Vahida Berberovik July 2019

So what are you waiting for? Secure your place now 🙂

Come along and join the fun!

Until then, happy writing.

Lots of love

Edwina xx

 

 

The Magic of Magnetic Island

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Oh yes, it really is that beautiful! I arrived home last night from a wonderful extended stay on Magnetic Island, just off the coast from Townsville in North Queensland. Wish you could have been there too! Traditional home of the Wulgurukaba People and a true piece of paradise.

We had so much fun on retreat. A fabulous group of writers, from absolute beginners to those with books under their belts. Now freshly-minted mermaids!img_3710.jpg

It all started with drinks on the verandah with tame blue-winged kookaburras eating out of our hands. Those beaks were a bit scary!

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Champagne still in hand, workshops started and writing dreams began to take shape.

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Then dinner up at the Amaroo restaurant with all the gang : )

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Mornings were filled with yoga and dance with our resident dancing queen Lalita Lakshmi!

Then we got stuck into the business at hand – writing! With two writing workshops covering all the basics and focusing in on character development to shape plot we were plenty busy enough. We got lots of writing done and had masses of information to absorb, so we needed our princess naps in the afternoon.

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Some  retreaters took advantage of the extended break and explored the beautiful island and had a walk and a swim.

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Dinner on Saturday night was at Bikini Tree Restaurant where my friends Jen and Dan had prepared a delicious and plentiful Indian feast.

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Even though we were stuffed to the gills (as mermaids get very hungry!) we managed to rouse ourselves for my personal highlight of the retreat  — candle dancing on the beach! The photo is blurry but you get the general idea of the fun of it. Lalita led us all in a joyful and playful celebration of life. I’m definitely keeping Lalita and dancing as part of the retreats.

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Sunday and more yoga and dancing and deep relaxation, some goal setting and another favourite part of the retreats, collage! Some collages were fun, some surprising, and others full of wonderful wishes that I hope all come true.

After farewelling all the lovely retreaters, my friend Vahida and I stayed on at Magnetic for another week, working on our own projects. Then Vahida left too, and I worked on in paradise editing a book for a friend of mine who lives on the island. Took the manuscript to the beach and worked on the sand : ) Yes! It’s not a bad life.

So now I’m home and back in the saddle, ready for more.

Life Writing Workshop this weekend at the CYA Conference Everything is a Genre Day. For the weekend (or day) ticket you get as many fabulous workshops as you can handle.

The following weekend I’m presenting Building Your Career as a Writer, at the QLD Writers Centre. You can come along in person or particpate online as the session is streamed. I call this workshop – Many Fingers Many Pies, because it’s all about how to make money writing or doing things related to writing. We all have bills to pay, but it’s very nice to pay them by doing what we love.

And on Saturday 20 July I’m at Sunnybank Hill Library for a FREE WORKSHOP on the basics of creative writing. Would love to see you there. Come along and say hi : )

While I was away I also received feedback on my feature film screenplay from a Los Angeles script editor, so I’ll be busily redrafting over the next few months. Cross fingers it makes it to the big screen.

Coming soon is the launch of Bjelke Blues, a book of stories about life in Queensland under Premier Joh Bjelke-Petersen, that I’ve been collecting and editing for AndAlso Books. Super excited about that. It’s heading to the printers very soon. As soon as I have the cover I’ll be showing it off. Launch is booked for Friday August 23. More on that later,

Next retreat is set for November 8 – 10 at Burleigh Heads. I’m designing it as dual purpose.

A planning and writing retreat to super boost people doing NANOWRIMO.

And for those women with a finished manuscript (or almost finished) already done, a feedback and redrafting weekend, with personalised feedback from me on the first 10 pages and your synopsis and also feedback from a small group of your peers. That way you get to talk about the book you’re working on with people who understand just how much work you’ve done and how precious your project is.

If you’d like more information about the Burleigh Retreat, would like to secure your spot, or just sign up for newsletters to keep you up to date with the retreats or to receive my hints, tips and opportunities GET IN TOUCH.

Hope to see some of you soon at one of the workshops.

Happy Writing till then!

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Lots of love,

Edwina xx