Feedback and revision retreat

FEEDBACK AND REVISION RETREAT – SPRINGBROOK, AUGUST 11 – 13 2023

/ Edwina Shaw / Leave a comment

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.

Photo by ArtHouse Studio on Pexels.com

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!

Come along and join the fun at our special Feedback and Revision Retreat at SPRINGBROOK!

Last year’s gang of happy campers!

Super boost your writing this August at this magical misty retreat at the Theosophical Society’s Education and Retreat Centre. Whether you’re aiming to get stuck into your writing, or if you have a manuscript almost done, 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. 

READ past retreaters’ reviews HERE. Then come and join our happy band of wood nymphs!

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.

FROM ONLY $450 all inclusive, for a room of your own. PAY YOUR $200 DEPOSIT BY 30 June for EARLY BIRD PRICES. $500 full price.

$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.

BOOK BEFORE JUNE 30 for EARLY BIRD PRICES!

Hope you can make it! Next retreat after this one is Memoir and Life Writing October 20 – 22.

Lots of love

Edwina xx

RETREAT REPLETE!

/ Edwina Shaw / 1 Comment

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Me, Lalita and the lovely Bianca!

Just back from the latest wonderful Relax and Write Retreat at Burleigh Heads with a fabulous group of women, from first time explorers trying out their writing legs to experienced authors with published books under their belts.

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As always, I was inspired by how quickly new friendships formed and how everyone worked together to help each other with their projects.

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Maria, Kathy and Jude – triple retreaters!

The weekend was action packed with workshops, feedback sessions, yoga and dance.

This time though retreaters had a whole lot more free time to explore the beautiful beaches and rainforest surroundings. I even managed to sneak in a swim myself. YAY! The water was warm even very early in the morning. And so clean. Ah.

I loved having dance instructor extraordinaire, Lalita Lakshmi, from Spiced Tingle Dance along to lead us through some really fun dance sessions. Thank you Lalita. Yoga to calm us down and stretch out, and dancing to rev us back up again. With blissful body-work treatments from Monique DeGoey from  Reconnect Holistic Body Work leaving people floating. Thank you Monique.

This retreat, workshops were focused on structuring for success and publishing pathways for those with major projects underway. It also included individual feedback sessions which I really loved. It was fascinating to learn more about the stories I’d been privileged to read and edit, and discover the inspiration and hard work behind them.

I enjoyed giving feedback on a wide range of projects from heart-wrenching memoirs, to thrillers, to sci-fi, to YA mermaids. I loved reading and discussing them with their authors and hopefully I was able to provide some useful ideas to help the projects shine and move towards publication.

Thank you to the magnificent Maria Parenti-Baldey (a triple retreater – I had 3 triple retreaters along this time) who filmed my gentle guided mediation to boost confidence and creativity which is now up on YouTube. Use it whenever your critical voice is getting too loud, you’re feeling blocked, or even if you’re nervous going somewhere you’ve never been before. Please do feel free to share it around.

The retreats always seem to come to an end too quickly – and this time it really did! We ran out of time to do our customary collages – so I hope all my new mermaids are having fun getting stuck into it at home. Here’s what Kim came up with.

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Kim’s collage

Thank you so much to the lovely folk at CYC Burleigh especially our handsome host Joel who spoilt us rotten with hot chocolates and real coffee. Think he just scored himself a whole new set of aunties.

Every time I come home after camp I’ve made a whole lot of fabulous new friends who share my love of writing. A wonderful tribe of women writers.

RW3 group shot goodie

UPCOMING RETREATS

I’ve got three retreats planned for next year.

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  1. Relax and Write in the Mountains – March 27- 29 2020 at Camp Koojarewon among the trees in Highfields, just north of Toowoomba.

This retreat is best for writers of memoir and/or those who are new to writing. Workshops include lots of writing prompts and exercises, including the basics of how to build a story step by step, plus some general writing tips. HURRY! Places for this one are already filling fast as several retreaters from Burleigh have already got their hands up.

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  1. Relax and Write in Paradise – June 19-21 2020 at Amaroo Resort on beautiful Magnetic Island.

Escape the winter blues and really spoil yourself with this retreat for more experienced writers- though beginners are welcome too. Workshops focus on character and plot development, with lots of writing exercises. I especially welcome writers from the region. Because the rest of us have to travel so far, I highly recommend bring a friend or two and staying on at Amaroo (they offer bargain rates for retreaters) or in a holiday rental for another week to work on your writing projects. I just love Magnetic Island. It’s magical.

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  1. Relax and Write NANOWRIMO – dates and venue yet to be finalised. NOVEMBER 2020.

This camp is best for more experienced writers with a first draft of a full-length project either completed or underway. Individual feedback sessions are available and workshops are heavily craft focused, theory based and practical exploring publishing options.

You can book into any of the retreats for 2020 right now by dropping me a line and paying the $200 deposit. Please specify which retreat you’re interested in. Participant numbers are strictly limited to 15 so I can give everyone the attention they deserve.

Contact me with your retreat preference and I’ll send you my details to pay by direct deposit – preferred.

Or PAY YOUR DEPOSIT HERE and email me with your retreat preference.

Come along and join our group of happy campers! Treat yourself to a 2020 retreat this Christmas. Better yet – get someone else to give you a wonderful present you’ll really enjoy.

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Put yourself in this picture.

 

Please do get in touch if you’re struggling financially and we’ll work something out so you can come too. Helena and I first started these retreats because we couldn’t afford to go to any of the fancy ones we saw advertised, so the accommodation isn’t posh, but the workshops and people are first class! (We like to think so anyway)

A big thank you to all my lovely mermaids, wood nymphs and happy campers for making these retreats a true joy to facilitate.

Lots of love

Edwina xxx

RELAX AND WRITE NANOWRIMO!

/ Edwina Shaw / 4 Comments

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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