Traveling to a Retreat

Traveling to a Retreat When I found the announcement for a weekend writing retreat in Scotland in the British online Writing Magazine, I began to think how I could take a writing course in real life, not only online- and also make my dream of visiting Scotland come true. With two months lead time, I sent in the online application to Helen Walters, an English short-story writer now established in a village in the highlands of Scotland.   The answer was positive!   The October workshop would include three nights and all meals with sessions from Friday to Sunday evening, for the equivalent of $345. Each participant sent in a short story under 2,000 words ahead of their arrival, which would be critiqued one-on-one When I wrote my Scottish friend Madge to see if I could visit her the week after the workshop, she invited me for five days following the retreat. Doubly motivated, given that I’d be financing my own trip entirely, I got an early-bird fare for a return flight from where I live (in the country of Georgia) for approximately $400, so my total basic expenses would amount to $745 for a week including the retreat and an authentic visit to Scotland! Helen’s home in the Highlands has been turned into a retreat on the Black Isle, and is shared with her husband, crime writer Mike Walters who was the skilled cook for our group. When I arrived and entered the cozy living room, the other participants were already relaxing, glass in hand. My accent quickly gave me away and one woman exclaimed, â€Å"You came all this way?† However, the workshop showed we had all come for most of the same reasons. My own goal was to learn about which markets are likely to buy the kind of short stories I like to write, but I discovered much more. Helen is an outgoing and encouraging teacher - we spent group sessions sharing how we get story ideas (great fun exercises!); turning ideas into stories; creating characters (just a few are needed in short stories); as well as rhythm, theme and the mood of the narrative. During the planned sessions we faced common challenges like finishing a story (it seems this is a frequent predicament), PoV, flashback and setting. We had plenty of time for writing alone too. Helen expertly pointed out which markets are more likely to take an interest in our work. For example women’s magazines tend to like upbeat and positive themes, while anthologies might be interested in the â€Å"darker† stories some of the participants preferred writing. My visit to Scotland brought many experiences, ideas and more- it helped me create a much more vibrant relationship with my writing. I realize I don’t have to remain glued to any PoV, setting or style. This experience opened Pandora’s box – I am re-writing a short story with more humor in the twist, and already have two more ideas.   For other writers I recommend looking up retreats offered at reasonable prices, in places you would like to visit. Your sharpened senses will begin to pick out new details for stories around you in the new settings- for me it was the elderly man in the shab https://www.solusorwritingretreat.co.uk/ email: helen@helenmwalters.co.uk