Is your creative spirit crying out for a little TLC? Always wanted to write but don’t know where to start? Need to reboot your writing mojo and be inspired to tackle that project you’ve been thinking about forever?
Come along and regain your love of writing and life at the next Relax and Write Retreat From midday FRIDAY 20 October – 3 pm SUNDAY 22 October 2023
Join like-minded women in a fun and supportive environment discovering just how much some deep relaxation can ignite your imagination and get you writing again. Relax and unwind with gentle morning yoga sessions and be inspired by innovative workshops to help move those stories out of your head and onto the page.
“I feel transformed, as a writer and as a human being.”
Bianca Millroy – writer and retreater
The program includes two yoga sessions, four workshops to get you writing, plus advice on submitting your work. Two nights comfortable single accommodation with bathrooms shared between two women, plus delicious vegetarian meals and a special readings night around the fire are included.
“The fully-catered retreat environment was comfortable and stress-free. An atmosphere that encourages, motivates and inspires.” Gay Liddington – writer and retreater
Connect with other creative women in a beautiful, peaceful location and remember your creative self. No more putting your dreams on hold. Treat yourself to this special weekend nurturing your writing spirit. You deserve it!
RETREAT PROGRAM
All activities are optional
FRIDAY 18 OCTOBER 2024
ARRIVAL from midday
4 pm – Meet and Greet
4:30 – 6:30 WORKSHOP 1– Your Stories
6:30 DINNER
SATURDAY 19 OCTOBER
7:15 am – 8:30 – Gentle morning yoga and breathing
8:30 – BREAKFAST
10:00 am – 12:30 pm – WORKSHOP 2 – Character and Dialogue
12.30 pm – LUNCH
1 – 4:00 – FREETIME and FEEDBACK SESSIONS
4 – 6:00 pm – WORKSHOP 3 – Writing from start to finish – developing a plot and a plan
6:00 pm – DINNER
6:45 – 7:30 pm – Readings around the fire
SUNDAY 20 OCTOBER
7:15 – 8:30 – Gentle morning yoga and breathing
8:30 – BREAKFAST
10:00 – 12:30 – WORKSHOP 4 – Where and how to submit work, goal setting, questions and collage
12:30 – LUNCH
3 pm DEPARTURES
Editorial feedback sessions with Edwina available on request $75 extra for those needing advice on a project. Massages will also be available.
HOW MUCH?
COST for the weekend of writing, fun and feasting, including comfortable single accommodation, with bathrooms shared between 2, all meals, 2 yoga sessions, 4 creative writing workshops and a readings night. Transport not included.
As the streets of Hoi An filled with flowers for Tet (Vietnamese Lunar New Year) a group of talented writers from all around Australia, and from as far away as the Welsh mountains, gathered at beautiful An Villa on the river to write up a storm!
Every day started with yoga in a lovely yoga shala over the water, kept company by a turquoise kingfisher that flew around us encouraging us to also take flight, and enormous colourful Koi fish who swam below us, reminding us to be calm and flow with life. The kitchen staff at An Villa fed us so well we felt like geese being fattened for a French market. Even breakfast had dessert! Banana pancake with chocolate anyone?
After breakfast we had our daily workshop covering all aspects of the writing craft, with plenty of writing prompts to get people sparking. As always, we were blown away by the inherent talent of our writers and the depths that were being explored, right from the very first session. Groups of kindred spirits convened and connected. The greatest joy for me as a host of these retreats is watching writing friends connect and support each other in this writing journey. Stories made us laugh, while others brought us to tears. Heartaches shared felt less burdensome. Pain transformed into works of great beauty soothed the soul.
The afternoons were either free for solitary writing in our beautiful rooms, swimming in the pool, or on visits to the tailor (Hoi An – land of 1000 tailors!) and excursions. We visited old town and drank cocktails at sunset watching colourful boats rocking on the river and a passing parade of people, then got on a boat of our own (thank you Arek for helping us all get on and off safely) that took us upstream to a lovely restaurant where we feasted like happy fools. So much food! Because it was Tet we were continually offered all sorts of new year treats, the food just kept coming! I was stuffed but couldn’t resist the pandan crepes stuffed with ice-cream!
Another day we ventured to the Vegetable Garden Island for a tour of the amazing local vegetable farms, which included a foot massage and then a cooking class. We carved tomato roses and carrot daisies then cooked our own yellow Vietnamese pancakes. Watching Kerstin jumping up and down, more likely to flip herself than the pancake was one of the funniest things I’ve ever seen! They dressed us all up too – first as farmers, complete with conical hats, then as chefs in bright lime green. We looked ridiculous and laughed a lot.
On the way home in the electric taxi bus we sang old ABBA songs and snippets of whatever else we could remember with our resident singer-writer, Kylie, making us all sound so much better with her beautiful harmonies.
On afternoons when we weren’t ‘writers running amok’ in Hoi An, we had one on one feedback sessions discussing projects and the way to best move them forward, as well as delving deep with tarot readings. Some napping and swimming may also have happened, as well as lots of chatting and sharing of life stories and writing tips, with beautiful hearts opening to each other through the magic of deep connection enabled when we stop talking about the trivial and venture into what really matters.
In the evenings we feasted, remembering to leave room for dessert, with the Hoi An staff plying us with ever more delicious New Year treats to try. Across the river, end of year parties sent Karaoke songs over the water, but by bedtime all was quiet. The beds were super comfortable, and I slept like a log, still recovering from a flu that had seen me confined to bed for most of the week prior to retreat.
I am constantly in awe of the magic that brings just the right people together at just the right time. This retreat we had two venues close to each other and we randomly assigned people to each place, then stood back to watch as this magic went into effect, with firm friendship groups building in each place.
The people who come along are what makes these retreats special. Yes, we provide heaps of information and useful guidance, but the true blessings come in the friendships that are made or deepened. Writers need other writers. It’s a silly business, with plenty of the joy of creation but then often the pain of rejection too. We need a tribe of writing buddies to cheer us on, help us polish our work, to commiserate with us when the rejections come, and to celebrate with us when our book babies see the light of day because only other writers know just how much hard work goes into every page.
So thank you my wonderful new writing friends (and some older ones too), Susan, Arek, Trish, Tallulah (Lorraine), Annie, Nicole, Kylie, Genine, Emma, Cindy, Lena, Yvonne, Belinda, Laurie and lovely Helen, who made this retreat so much fun. Thank you to the staff at An Villa who pampered us and went above and beyond to make sure everyone was safe, happy and well looked after in every way. It truly was a heavenly time. My favourite memory of the retreat is Emma saying over and over again, “I’m in heaven. I’m in heaven.”
Here’s what some of our lovely retreaters had to say:
“Regardless of where you are in your writer’s journey, this writing retreat is for everyone. Emerging, mid-career or professional, there is something to be gained personally and professionally. For me this retreat offered an opportunity to connect with creative and intelligent co-writers who share a passion for story-telling, in an inspiring location. The facilitators were warm, dynamic, generous, authentic and engaging.”
Kylie Ryan
“I loved coming together with diverse writers sharing our knowledge and practice, bonding and cementing lasting friendships for future writing adventures. I loved it! I feel so blessed to have been part of the 2024 Heavenly Hoi An Retreat.”
Helen Weder
“Edwina and Kerstin were great, expertise plus interpersonal warmth, enthusiasm, encouragement, inspiration and more! Nothing was too much trouble for the beautiful staff and the food was delicious. The other participants were so easy to connect with and the yoga was a great balance between yin and yang. Loved the excursions too.”
Retreat participant
“Thanks Kerstin and Edwina for a lovely, immersive experience. Great to refresh on some topics and get a new viewpoint on others. The encouragement and advice was so valuable and the companionship of other participants and the fun excursions and experiences in another country were the ‘toppers’ on a wonderful retreat.”
Annie Kemp
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, these retreats are only as good as the writers who come along and make them true magic. THANK YOU for coming beautiful people! Love you!
Now back to the real world, teaching at UQ, and the stifling Queensland summer heat after the very pleasant reprieve of the cool(ish) Vietnamese winter.
We’ll be back in Hoi An in February 2025, FEBRUARY 10-17, 2025. If you’re keen to join us in wonderful Heavenly Hoi AnDROP ME A LINE and I’ll put you on the waiting list. All the details coming soon! And, just quietly, ITALY IS COMING!! October 10 – 17, 2025. In a beautiful medieval retreat centre on a hillside surrounded by autumnal forest, between Cortona and Assisi. I’ll keep you posted, but in the meantime, you can check out our glorious venue Terzo Di Danciano HERE. Find a buddy to share your room. Most rooms will be shared rooms to keep prices as affordable as possible and still get us to Italy!! Plan an extended holiday around the retreat – I sure am!
I so hope you’ll be able to join us soon at one of our uplifting, inspiring and informative retreats with kindred writing spirits. International retreats are open to all genders. Information on all upcoming retreats, both in Springbrook S.E, Queensland (April Just Write, August Second Draft and October Memoir and Life Writing)and internationally HERE.
We wrote up a storm and shared our stories, connecting heart to heart, writer to writer, learning from each other and growing in our skills and abilities to get those stories out of our heads and onto the page.
The weather was so beautiful we even had a session outside on a picnic blanket, listening deeply to the stories of the ancestors of this spectacular country, the Yugambeh people, and our own ancestors with their own stories to tell.
Chief cookie, the fabulous Gay Liddington, whose own memoir will be published in 2024 – WATCH THIS SPACE – tempted us all with delicious treats, and what a treat it is to walk into the kitchen at the end of a long day writing to smell a feast ready and waiting. THANK YOU GAY!
This retreat, we saw many repeat retreaters reconnecting and other new friends finding their writing gangs. Writers need other writers. When we are deeply immersed in our own stories, we can’t see our way through what can seem like a tangled forest of words, but other writers can look at our mess from a different angle and clearly see the path through the trees for us.
We laughed and we cried together, wrote, talked and even sang. We relaxed and stretched our bodies with yoga and indulged in healing bodywork treatments by the amazing Monique De Goey of Reconnect Holistic Bodywork.
Each one of us, yours truly included, came away feeling refreshed and renewed, with new ideas for our stories, a clear path ahead and writing companions to cheer us on and pick us back up again if we fall.
As Heidi would say, “I knew the mountains would make her well!”
Here’s what some retreaters had to say.
“A beautiful space of learning, reflection, sharing and mutual honouring of our stories.”
Retreat participant October 2023
“This had been such a wonderful experience for me. I love being in community and experienced wonderful community this weekend. The writing workshops were inspiring, exciting and ignited my creative side again.”
Retreat participant October 2023
“Thank you for all the inspiration, warmth, listening and LOVE.”
Retreat participant October 2023
As is traditional, we finished our retreat with collages – here are some of the beautiful results!
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, these retreats are only as special as the women who come along. I love how women come together and lift each other up. THANK YOU to all the wonderful women writers who made this retreat such a beautiful experience for us all, me included.
Sometimes I feel like the luckiest person in the world, getting to uplift and inspire others for my job!
Would you love to come along to the next memoir retreat? Dates are already set for next year’s Memoir and Life Writing Retreat – MAKE A NOTE – 18 – 20 OCTOBER 2024. You can book in HERE by paying your deposit. Hurry repeat retreaters are already signing up! Prices have gone up as retreat costs have risen along with everything else. I’ve created a tiered system for the waged and unwaged but if you’re still burning to come, but can’t see your way through to paying that much, DROP ME A LINE and I’ll see how we can help.
And, just quietly, a new JUST WRITE RETREAT of 4 or 5 nights is planned for early April, 2024. More on this soon!
What a magical time we had on Magnetic Island at the latest Relax and Write Retreat. This one is called Relax and Write in Paradise for a reason! The water is crystal clear and turquoise and warm enough to swim and the island is 75% national park so the quiet is deep and soul restoring.
Once again a wonderful wise group of writing women turned up to restore their love of writing and life itself. Once again I witnessed the magic of women coming together to write, relax and support each other. As usual our days consisted of gentle yoga, relaxation exercises and lots of writing and lessons on the craft of creating stories – all in the very best of company!
This year we went out to Barefoot restaurant at Horseshoe Bay for dinner and had amazing seafood platters that may have been the highlight of the weekend for me 🙂 Apart from my lovely mermaids of course.
As is customary we finished up our workshops with some goal setting and hopes and dreams collages which were lots of fun – and very creative! Let’s hope all our dreams come true.
Here’s what some participants had to say about the retreat.
“I attended the Magnetic Island Writers Retreat hosted by Edwina.
I cannot say enough about just how worthwhile these retreats are. The workshops are informative, supportive and provide a positive learning space. There were writers of all levels and yet as someone less experienced I felt comfortable. Also, I have made some new friends! I have already booked to attend two more. Thanks Edwina 🌸”
Yvonne 🙂
“Just wanted to thank you for such a fantastic retreat. Feel emotionally unblocked and have my writing mojo back. Great content and sense of community.”
Karina 🙂
And here are a few more gleaned from my feedback sheets – anonymously 🙂
“An amazing retreat! So enjoyable and I learnt so much!”
“Good value for money.”
“Fantastic!”
“Thoroughly enjoyed the Relax and Write Retreat. Edwina’s knowledge and the way she takes us through visual exercises was incredibly powerful. A beautiful collective of authors.”
We finished up our retreat with a picnic and a swim at beautiful Alma Bay and a little bit of fortune telling for fun 🙂
THANK YOU to the wonderful women who make these retreats so very special. Women writers are a special breed of compassionate creative souls and it is my pleasure to help guide them in their writing.
Are you working on a major writing project? Was it all going really well then something, let’s call it life, got it the way? Are you stalled? Stuck even? Feel like all your writing mojo has swirled down the sink with the dishwater? I know just how you feel!
When we’re feeling like we’re down a deep well, sometimes we need a hand to reach in and pull us out. That’s where this retreat can help! Let a weekend away with some practical advice on how to approach full length works, and some inspirational activities and yoga, reboot your writing spirit and your love of writing and life.
Maybe you’ve made it all the way to THE END of your first draft? But what next? This retreat has been specially designed to help you prepare for the all important second draft. Whether you’re writing fiction or memoir, prose or screenplay, you’ll be guided to dive deep into the heart of your story, find your themes, central quest or question, and learn how to see your story structure more clearly by creating a scene list, and discover how to manage the reader’s engagement, keeping them hooked with a constant flow of secrets, signs and a constant battle between HOPE and FEAR.
Let us help you find your way out of those dark scary woods! We’re here to help!
So if you’re stuck partway (or even almost at the end!) or you’ve completed your whole first draft, THIS IS THE RETREAT FOR YOU!
1 pm FRIDAY 11 AUGUST to 2 pm SUNDAY 13 AUGUST 2023
Only a short walk to this glorious private lookout for some book dreaming
Connect with like-minded women around a fire in a beautiful location, be inspired by practical and informative workshops, stretch and relax with yoga and remember what it feels like to lose time as you play with words and create a story world.
This retreat is tailored for those who have a major project underway and who are looking for some feedback and advice on the redrafting process. Share your work with other writers at a similar stage if you’d like to or pay slightly more to receive individual editorial feedback on your writing and advice as to how best to move forward with your project from Edwina who’s helped hundreds of writers over the past 20 years find the heart of their stories.
Workshops focus on finding the heart of your story, structuring for success and publication pathways, including a special focus on writing your pitch.
Also joining us is fabulous bodyworker, Monique De Gooey, to help ease those writing-induced aches and pains. Extra cost.
The program includes three yoga sessions, readings night and three creative writing workshops. Two nights basic but comfortable single accommodation in cosy nun rooms with electric blankets, single beds and desks with bathrooms shared between two women, plus all meals – home made, healthy vegetarian and delicious – are included in the cost.
Chief Cookie the incredible Gay and her lovely helper, June.
$50 extra for Edwina’s edit of your synopsis and first 10 pages.
Come along and join the fun, make new writing buddies and renew your love of writing and life. Bring that languishing project back to life! Remember how much fun you have writing and sharing your story with others. Get your head around the process of writing and rewriting, all in a safe, supportive, nurturing space. Find your way to the heart of your story and soothe your own heart at the same time!
Isn’t it time you put yourself and your writing at the top of your TO DO list? This affordable retreat will help you rediscover yourself as well as help you get that writing project to the next stage.
Oh yeah! It was when my lovely friend, and fellow yoga and writing retreat facilitator, Kerstin Pilz (see our Let’s Talk Writing episodes HERE) showed me this photo that I started to get very, VERY excited! I could see myself on that verandah, sitting on that bamboo daybed with my journal, the music of the stream washing away all the stress of the year, as I wrote freely and joyfully with a huge grin on my face. Oh yeah!
Can you feel it too? Is a retreat far from the busyness and bustle calling you? Is your creative spirit crying out for some loving care? Is it time to put yourself and your writing at the top of your priority list for once?
Do you deserve a really special treat, just for you? You know you do!
This retreat is super special : five nights, six days in the heart of rural Bali, staying at the amazing Bali Eco Stay resortwith two excellent :), experienced, creative writing facilitators, published authors, and yoga teachers, gently guiding you back to full health and happiness, and rejuvenating your creative powers! Or you could just dream the day away on your daybed if you like! Beautiful open air bungalows and yoga shala with all equipment provided.
All fresh organic vegetarian meals, airport transfers, special guided tour, cultural activities, complimentary massage and tarot reading, chakra cleansing, one on one session with a facilitator, 6 writing workshops, 5 morning yoga sessions, 4 restorative yoga breathing classes, and your beautiful bungalow accomodation is included! It will be heavenly!
Get your stories out of your head and onto the page and feel the joy of creating beauty of your own in the peace and tranquility of Bali. Whether you have an established writing practice or have always wanted to write but never had the time, this retreat is for anybody in need of some quality nurturing of their creative spirit.
Every day begins with gentle yoga, followed by breakfast and an inspiring writing workshop to get those creative juices flowing. The afternoons are free for your own adventures and explorations, naps, or 1:1 sessions with Kerstin & Edwina, a complimentary massage and tarot reading, and a guided writing group for those who like to write in company. At the end of the day, we come together again for some gentle yoga breathing exercises to help clear your mind and revitalise your energy. Everyevening we share incredible dinners and relax with conversation and readings.
All activities are optional.
This is your retreat. Our aim is to nurture your body, mind, and creative spirit so you leave feeling renewed, both as a writer and as a human being, with a whole lot of new writing; and bright, exciting ideas and refreshed energy to take home with you.
Not flash with cash right now? A $450 deposit will secure your place and you have until April to pay it off – payment plans available. Or save up for Bali in 2024 as I’m sure this will become an annual event.
Got a feeling you might be a writer? Do this quick quiz then add up your points and see how you go!
5 Sure Signs You’re a Writer
You READ – a lot. Is your bedside table, floor, desk covered in books half-read and to be read? Writers read voraciously and widely. Reading is your safe place and your sanctuary. Not only that, when writers read we’re always looking at how the book is written, especially books we love. We’re always thinking, “How did the author DO that?” Give yourself one point for every book in your pile.
You WRITE. Do you have a diary or journal you’ve been keeping for years? That’s a sure sign of a writer and the best way I know to develop your unique writing voice. Not keeping a diary? Do you write long letters, or emails or blog posts? Do you write to make sense of things? Write to bear witness? Does the act of writing give you pleasure? Does writing soothe you? Do you find comfort in shaping words into sentences and sentences into paragraphs? Give yourself 5 points if you write regularly. An extra 5 if you’ve kept a diary for over a year.
You REMEMBER IN STORIES. When you are remembering events from the past, do you find yourself writing the memory in your head? Are you forming a story with words rather than images, or images and words together. Are you trying to find a way to tell this story in a way that adds meaning to the random events of life? If so give yourself 5 points. If you’ve started writing these stories down, give yourself an extra point for every story you’ve started and an extra 5 for every story you’ve finished.
You DREAM IN STORIES or WAKE UP with story lines fully formed, or a CHARACTER wanting to be written. Do you remember your dreams and think, now THAT would make a great story! Do you wake up with the beginnings of stories in your head, with sentences, maybe whole paragraphs already formed? I woke up once with this: “My name is Condolezia, but I don’t speak Spanish. I was born the year after my brother who died the day he was born.” It was so strong I still remember it! Do you daydream in stories? Do characters tap you on the shoulder and demand to be heard, to have you write them into being? Give yourself 5 points if any of these nerdy, wordy visitations have happened to you. Give yourself an extra 5 for every story you’ve written from these prompts.
You FIND YOURSELF WRITING YOUR LIFE WHILE YOU’RE LIVING IT! This is a sure sign you’re a writer. If, in the midst of some life drama, turmoil, blessing or tragedy you find yourself searching for the words to describe it, then you are unmistakably a writer. The day my infant son died, I found myself sitting on the loo thinking about how I could ever write this terrible story. Thinking of a title. “Of Milk and Blood” I thought was pretty good. But I thought again and ended up with my Guide Through Grief instead. So if you’ve found yourself sitting among the wreckage, thinking up titles for this period of your life, then, I’m both afraid and proud to say – You, my friend, are a writer! It’s a blessing and a curse. Sometimes I just want to LIVE something without putting it into words. Give yourself 10 points if this kind of thing has happened to you.An extra 10 for every story inspired in a similar way, that you actually wrote.
SO, are you a writer?
IF YOU SCORED
0-5 points – you love to read, but haven’t actually spent much time writing or even thinking about writing. You’re happy to let others do the story telling. The world needs readers and we writers LOVE YOU!
5-15 points – you love reading and writing and a deep part of you is calling out to be expressed in words. All you need to do is give yourself a chance. Try getting some of those stories out of your head and onto the page! See here for a guided meditation to quiet that inner critic holding you back and get you started!
15 – 30 points – you’ve got what it takes to be a writer! In fact, you know it in your heart but you just need a little nudge to get those stories out of your head and onto the page. See here for a FREE WORKSHOP that will help you use all those great inspirations and thoughts to create stories.
30 points and over – CONGRATULATIONS! YOU’RE A WRITER! Yes you are! You know this, you’ve been writing and getting some of those ideas onto paper. Writing is a rewarding and fulfilling lifestyle. Writers are always observing and learning and creating meaning through words. Words bring comfort and order to our lives. We can create something beautiful from all we experience, even the darkest moments. See here for an affordable live online course in creative writing that will give you all the craft knowledge you need to make your stories engaging and compelling and, most of all, publishable!
WHATEVER YOU SCORED, if you’re reading this post, something is calling you to writing. Consider yourself on notice. Sooner or later you’re going to have to get those stories out of your head and onto the page. See my FREE WORKSHOP and then check out my UPCOMING CRASH COURSE IN CREATIVE WRITING
Let me help you set out on the magical journey of writing! I’ve been writing and publishing for over 20 years and have been teaching creative writing at universities, schools, festivals, at the Queensland Writers Centre and in the community since 2005. I’ve helped more writing students than most people have had hot dinners, so let me help you make a start on your writing adventures too. See more about me HERE.
Now, stop reading and start writing!
Wishing you the joy of creativity this holiday season. May you and yours connect in love and harmony and may the year ahead be filled with fun, creative adventures, lots of laughter and friends and fantastic good luck! YAY!
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again – Retreats are only as good as the women who come along, and this was another amazing group of inspiring, accomplished, compassionate and creative women. For the first couple of days, we lived in the clouds as if we were inhabiting a mystical land out of time where all that mattered was story and human connection. The sun came out on Sunday so we could see the view from the top of our waterfall and soak in the light and new beginnings.
The Misty Mountain
Over the retreat, we relaxed with yoga, got into the nitty gritty of redrafting in our workshops, created new writing goals for ourselves and had fun chatting around the fire and making collages. Our chief cookie, Gay, provided us with delicious warming winter meals THANK YOU GAY!!
Here’s what some of our retreaters had to say about their experiences over the weekend.
“I attended the Springbrook Relax and Write Retreat on 12-14 August, 2022. This turned out to be an amazing retreat. As a new author, I had no idea what to expect. I met the most amazing group of authors, ranging in age from 20 to me being the oldest at 76. They came from all walks of life and stages of their writing; and I found them very supportive.
One of the highlights for me was Edwina’s assessment of the first 10 pages of my manuscript and synopsis. We had sent these prior to the retreat, so she could assess them ahead of time. Then at the retreat, we met individually with Edwina for her to go over her suggestions with us and give us a written copy of this. I found this very helpful, comments on how to change to saying what I wanted to in a better way, specific feedback, picked-up on two important things which I had not realised were not clear to the reader, use of conjunctions rather than two words so it read more smoothly, and very positive. I left the meeting with Edwina feeling excited to continue editing my book.
Another highlight for me was the atmosphere. My life has included a lot of stress and the whole atmosphere at the retreat was relaxed and accepting. Each morning when I woke up, I simply felt peaceful. And I made friends who I hope to retain for a long time. I would recommend this retreat to any author. What a boost to my journey in writing.” Patty Sierra
Patty and her collage 🙂
“This was my first writing workshop and there was initially some doubt as to whether I should do it because I am only starting out as a writer. I went and found it fully rewarding. I felt like a valued member of the group, and to me these workshops are not just about the skills and connections but the journey and self-identity. I gained confidence and more clarity about my future direction. I highly recommend Edwina’s workshops.”
Nina Curry-Powell
Nina and her interesting collage of words
“Thanks for a lovely weekend Edwina! It was such a wonderful change from my regular responsibilities and I really loved the beautiful surroundings and being able to have long chats about writing with other kindred spirits. I came home recharged, inspired and wanting to do it all again.” Nikki Mottram author of soon to be released crime novel Crows Nest.
“Thank you Edwina for another amazing retreat. Springbrook was the perfect setting in the rain, with the wood fire, delicious home cooked vegetarian meals and a fabulous group of women. I was glad I sent you the ten pages, two weeks before, as it prompted me to get writing and it made what you were teaching more relevant. I really appreciated your professional feedback and after our session I felt more confident to share my writing with others. The gentle yoga and relaxation sessions were such a treat, as was the bodywork session with Monique. Definitely feeling relaxed AND I’m writing! See you again next year.”
Catherine Eadie (repeat retreater)
Catherine and her collage!
“Edwina is a passionate teacher and storyteller. She has a warm, down to earth way of connecting with people that makes everyone feel welcome. Her workshops are fun, creative and engaging — full of practical, helpful advice, and the deeper questions driving characters and story, making it ideal for writers at any stage in their work. I liked how Springbrook in the winter feels like a private retreat — tucked away in the Gold Coast hinterland, surrounded by national parks and hiking trails, with yoga workshops and the most amazing vegetarian food! Also enjoyed the late-night chats and readings by the fire, meeting and connecting with such an interesting group of women writers, who all shared a passion for great storytelling. I have to say that as a teacher myself, I am in awe of Edwina’s style of teaching and her ability to create a true, nurturing spirit of openness and community. At the end of the retreat, I felt connected to my work in a deeper way and like everyone else, totally inspired.”
Rebecca’s collage about her work in progress and the top of her mushroom beanie 🙂
Here are some more photos to tell the story for us.
THANK YOU to all the wonderful women who made this retreat so special. These retreats are a lot of work, as Gay our super cookie knows, but it is all worth it when we see women connecting with new writing buddies and having epiphanies about their writing projects.
I’m thrilled to announce that we have been able to secure another permanent spot at the Theoshophical Society Retreat Centre for our life writing retreat in October. OCTOBER 21 – 23 LIFE WRITING AND MEMOIR RETREAT!
So what are you waiting for? Come along and join the fun. Wander through the rainforest to the waterfall, write up a storm in workshops tailored specifically for memoir writers, get cosy in your own private little nun room and feast on delicious home cooked vegetarian meals. This retreat is best for those doing life writing and memoir and for new writers just wanting to put their toes in the water.
So treat yourself to a weekend rebooting your creativity, reconnect with nature and make new writing friends to cheer you on your way. YOU CAN BOOK IN HERE.
Put yourself on the top of your TO DO list for once. Women and non-binary folk welcome 🙂
Lots of love
Edwina xx
The lovely women who ran the centre or headed the Theosophical Society for many years smiling down on us as we gathered in their space.
Terese’s glorious floral centrepiece for our workshop room
I never cease to be astounded by the magic of women coming together on these retreats. This last retreat up at Koojarewon Youth Camp in Highfields near Toowoomba was no different. Women from their twenties to their late seventies bonded together, laughed, wrote, stretched relaxed, shared stories and supported each other with such kindness it really did feel like magic.
For the first time we had a doggy on camp, a lovely medical alert dog who sat in on all sessions and was a sweet fluffy presence.
We started as usual with bubbles and nibblies, getting to know each other as writers and as women. So many different stories and we hadn’t even started writing.
Once we did, stories poured from people, with laughter and tears and wonder. Beautiful stories from the heart. We focused in on memoir and life writing and how to make a compelling narrative from the memories of an entire lifetime. The situation and the story, the facts and the meaning we’ve found in those facts with the benefit of hindsight. Because for many of us, the reason we write is to make sense of life, to create meaning for ourselves from the seemingly random events that make us who we are.
We did a lot of writing and learning so it was fabulous to have our talented masseuse (and writer) Jani providing excellent massages to relieve those sore spots. Lots of very relaxed women floating around after their treatments.
On Saturday night, the effervescent Jacqui Carr, retired exotic dancer and writer, once more taught us how to strut our stuff with some pretty hilarious, rather than sexy results! We had a lot of fun J Gillian helped us all calm down with some songs around the fire pit and then we hit the sack. Only to be woken at 2:30 in the morning with an alarm and all the lights going on. An electrical storm had taken down a power pole and cut power to the district so all the back up lighting went on and couldn’t be turned off. We managed to get back to sleep though and allowed ourselves a bit of a sleep in.
Yoga on Sunday and party tricks left us deeply relaxed and ready to set some writing goals and discuss publication pathways. We were lucky enough to have a few independently published authors in the group, Terese Eglington, Virginia Miranda and Sallyanne Peters who could fill us all in on the process of dealing with different scenarios. I’m always happy to use the combined wisdom of the group. Everyone has something valuable to contribute.
We got so carried away doing our traditional collages that we went overtime, but it was all worth it to see the beautiful creations that hopefully will help our dreams to come true.
Here’s our hall of fame!
May all our dreams come true!
Wonderful women, bright and beautiful days among the big trees, everything so lush and green. Great food. Big smiles and happy hearts connecting.
I love these retreats and the magic of creative women coming together. Together we can do anything!
I’ll leave you with a quote I found for my collage:
“Everybody is talented because everybody who is human has something to express.”
Brenda Ueland.
Take care and keep smiling. Write like a fury and I’ll see you on retreat one day soon!
Almost everyone I’ve ever met has stories in their head that swirl around and around and won’t give them any peace, until they’re told.
Certainly, most of the people I met in my recent tour of Far North and Outback QLD had stories that they needed to get out of their heads and onto the page.
Writing these stories out and playing with them, using the techniques of fiction to transform the way we see them is a powerful way to get these stories out of our heads – for good! And BONUS we may even create something beautiful from all that pain. Because usually those stories that won’t let us rest are stories about the hard times.
But how to start?
Write a list of the stories on the top of your head – you know the ones.
What stories do you want to tell? Set the timer for 5 minutes and write down as many dot points or titles or other words that will remind you of these stories.
Write another list.What stories do you NEED to tell? Write for 5 minutes or until you’re done.
One more list. This is the scary one. What stories are you afraid to tell? If everyone was dead, if no one ever read it, what stories would you be brave enough to write?
Okay, now you have a list, your head should already feel a bit lighter. Lists are great for taking mountains and turning them back into molehills again.
Have you got a story about a car you used to have?
Now take your list and a pile of index cards and write one of your story ideas on each card and put them in a box.
Set aside some time each day for writing. It doesn’t have to be long. Participants in my workshops know that it’s amazing how much you can write in five minutes. Start there. Pull out one of your story cards, set a timer and write. Five minutes, 10 minutes. Start small and grow the time gradually. We can all spare five minutes, right?
Write as fast as you can, don’t stop. We call this free-writing. Just write. Forget about sounding fancy or poetic or writerly, just get down the story as if you were telling a good friend all about what happened. Spelling and grammar and punctuation really don’t matter at this stage. Just write like a fury and get that story out of your head!
Write all the way to the end of that story. Chip away at your story a bit each day until you reach the end of that bit. If you find it’s taking a long time, then consider breaking that story idea up into smaller chunks. For instance, instead of writing “CHILDHOOD” on your story list, be more specific, eg: my first bedroom, time with grandma, the bad day, my favourite pet, the secret. Break it up into little manageable pieces.
Don’t look back! New writers (and more experienced writers too for that matter) often make the mistake of going back over the first bits they’ve written and spending ages trying to make it perfect. NO! Don’t do it! It’s a trap!! Just keep going forward.
What stories do these images bring to mind?
Pick up a new card. Write a new story, and another and another, until your pile of cards is gone.
Writing is rewriting. Once you’ve got all your stories out of your head and onto a page, many pages, then you can go back and add specific sensory details, make sure you’re writing in scenes and order the pieces for narrative drive. But if all that doesn’t make any sense, don’t worry. Just get those stories written down. You’ll become better at writing just by doing it regularly. You may notice when you start putting your stories together that there are gaps. Fill them in. But not all the boring in between, day to day details, just the important things we need to know.
JUST START!YOU CAN DO IT!
If your literacy skills aren’t great, don’t worry – use the dictating feature on your device. Some of the best story tellers I know aren’t any good at spelling. It doesn’t mean they can’t spin a good yarn.
So, what are you waiting for? Get cracking on those lists and let me know how you go. I have lots more hints and tips for writing on the website. Or drop me a line and I’ll do what I can to help.
RELAX AND WRITE 