Apr 4-6, 2008
The best stories emerge in a spirit of trust and truth. Starting with exercises to access the non-dominant, non-critical side of the brain and using wholistic techniques to explore memories, we’ll focus on reaching the heart, not worrying about the words. In a spirit of support, fun, and communication, we’ll talk and write about parts of our lives that move us.
Later, we’ll move into sharing our stories and gently assessing how they work. What makes a story? What makes a story good? Once you’ve got clear and compelling content, you’ll learn techniques for re-seeing and reworking what you’ve written, so that other people enjoy, understand, and remember your story.
We will spend about 1/3 of workshop time writing, 1/3 talking about writing, and 1/3 in supportive conversation about each other’s work. The retreat is tailored to creating new writing or new ways of shaping old material, but you may bring work in progress. Although the focus will be on real-life stories, poets are welcome, as is anyone who feels drawn to come. This retreat is for writers at all levels of experience. Three members of this workshop (to be selected at random) will receive an in-depth, professional critique of one piece of writing after the workshop.
Gillian Kendall is co-author of How I Became a Human Being, author of Mr. Ding’s Chicken Feet, and is editing an anthology of women’s travel writing for University of Wisconsin Press. Based in Australia, she is a part-time reporter for Victorian Parliament and full-time freelance writer and editor. She’s read manuscripts for The Sun for ten years and she’s co-led six retreats with Sun writers at Esalen Institute and one at Rowe. Her solo writing workshops at Esalen fill up fast, so sign up soon. We look forward to Gillian’s return.