WRITING RETREATS...
Once a year my writing group has a retreat. The past few years we have ended up in the same house in Phillip Island. It's a large house, sleeping the eight of us (as long as you are willing to share rooms and the smallest doesn't mind climbing to the top bunk), on a quiet dirt road. Away from the hustle and bustle of the world.
The object, is of course to write. And that is what my group does. They settle on various chairs, with pen and paper, or lap tops, at the ready - and they write.
For the past few years I've kept a note of what each of us has worked on at the retreat and it's exciting to see that the manuscript we worked on that year, is now a published book. That the poem we discussed the other year, helped one of the group to win a major prize and funding for her poetry collection.
However, I tend to do more of this...
And go for lots of walks. It's a beautiful area and the dirt road is made for walking....got to love a chicory kiln.
The time away is also brilliant for workshopping. Over the years we have worked on picture book manuscripts, poetry, speeches, non-fiction articles, spoken word, performance pieces, short stories, novels in a variety of genres - children, adult and young adult. We have looked at query letters, grant applications and that horror - the synopses.
And of course more walks...sometimes we stick to the road nearby
I'm famed for my koala spotting skills (if only I could use this talent for good).
I used to feel guilty about not actually 'writing'(apart from a poem or two) during our time away.
But I've come to realise that this is my down time- I recharge, I walk and think, ponder and muse, I clear my head of all the stresses of work and life in general.
The group also tends to revisit the goals we set for the year. This is often met with a mixture of YEAH BABY or groans and mutterings of 'where has the year gone?'
This year I wrote a few poem ideas, edited two poems, workshopped and walked. I also revisited my goals, and since I'm well on my way, I've been thinking about how safe I've kept my goals and how I should be pushing myself further.
I even asked that hard question 'what do I really want to do'?
And I open my mind to what could be. With views like this, it's hard not to be inspired.
P.S. The AP Dear Dad anthology has a 2nd edition out ..... great idea for Father's Day - and you can catch my poem about my dad - PJ
The object, is of course to write. And that is what my group does. They settle on various chairs, with pen and paper, or lap tops, at the ready - and they write.
For the past few years I've kept a note of what each of us has worked on at the retreat and it's exciting to see that the manuscript we worked on that year, is now a published book. That the poem we discussed the other year, helped one of the group to win a major prize and funding for her poetry collection.
However, I tend to do more of this...
And go for lots of walks. It's a beautiful area and the dirt road is made for walking....got to love a chicory kiln.
The time away is also brilliant for workshopping. Over the years we have worked on picture book manuscripts, poetry, speeches, non-fiction articles, spoken word, performance pieces, short stories, novels in a variety of genres - children, adult and young adult. We have looked at query letters, grant applications and that horror - the synopses.
And of course more walks...sometimes we stick to the road nearby
I'm famed for my koala spotting skills (if only I could use this talent for good).
I used to feel guilty about not actually 'writing'(apart from a poem or two) during our time away.
But I've come to realise that this is my down time- I recharge, I walk and think, ponder and muse, I clear my head of all the stresses of work and life in general.
The group also tends to revisit the goals we set for the year. This is often met with a mixture of YEAH BABY or groans and mutterings of 'where has the year gone?'
This year I wrote a few poem ideas, edited two poems, workshopped and walked. I also revisited my goals, and since I'm well on my way, I've been thinking about how safe I've kept my goals and how I should be pushing myself further.
I even asked that hard question 'what do I really want to do'?
And I open my mind to what could be. With views like this, it's hard not to be inspired.
P.S. The AP Dear Dad anthology has a 2nd edition out ..... great idea for Father's Day - and you can catch my poem about my dad - PJ
Comments
Post a Comment