Women’s Writing Retreat, 2014

1^st Annual Women’s Writer Retreat

Malaga, Spain

Bambu Resort, May 10^th- 17^th, 2014

 

Do the one thing you’ve always wanted to: write under the Spanish sun for an entire week!

Join a small group of writers at Bambu Resort in Malaga, Spain for a week of writing and constructive feedback. Get your work under way, or work through that novel you’ve been stuck on.

The retreat will be run by Victoria Oldham, editor and writing consultant. Joining her will be Radclyffe, publisher at Bold Strokes Books and author of more than forty books. Receive constructive feedback at writing sessions throughout the week, with plenty of time to do your own writing and enjoy the laid back lifestyle under the Spanish sun.

The package includes your accommodation, breakfast and a light lunch every day, plus your writing workshops and feedback. Bambu is a gorgeous resort set against a backdrop of mountains and avocado groves, with the beach only fifteen minutes away, just outside the city of Malaga. Share your room with a fellow writer and receive a reduced price, or bring a partner for a small supplement, and she can enjoy the sun and sand while you write. Tavernas and shops are a short walk away, making it a great place for couples who may want to do different things.

Seven days of writing and feedback from professionals, in a private resort under the Spanish sun. Make your writing dreams come true, and book early!

For more information, go to:

http://www.bambu-resort.com / reservations@bambu-resort.com

www.globalwords.co.uk/retreats/

globalwords1@gmail.com

Visiting

I was lucky enough to have Jackson, my mom’s partner’s son, come visit us for a few days. Because of our schedule, we were only able to host for a few days, but we tried to make the best of it.

We’re in the middle of the country, which means we’re about two hours from everything. Which is good, and also not good. Too far from the cities we really wanted to see, but close enough to get to some fun stuff. Here is a sample:

Glad we don’t make them like this anymore…

that hole next to them was a birds nest with little beaks sticking out

Mmmm. Toe, good.

Baby furballs!

This pic doesn’t show how big this one was

Newark Castle

Every word is like an unnecessary stain on silence & nothingness

Nottingham Castle

 

Photo-A-Day, Day 22: Peace

 

There is little that brings me the kind of peace that a soft dirt trail in the middle of a forest being swept by wind brings me.

Photo-A-Day, Day 20 & 21: Symbol and Mystery

We wear masks on a daily basis. We pretend to be happy, we pretend to be successful  we pretend to be confident. We smile when we want to cry, we walk when we feel like we should be on our knees. Real masks do it to yet another degree: they even hide your physical identity and provide a sense of mystery. I bought this one in Venice.

 

Photo-A-Day, Day 19: Art

I had to create this for the recent PhD Presentation Conference. I don’t know that it’s art, but it’s the closest I’ve come in a while:

Photo-A-Day, Day 18: Candle

(Sorry, playing catch up)

I love candles. I have them all over the house. This one makes me feel better when I’m stressed.

Photo-A-Day, Day 14: Motto

“Never name the well from which you will not drink.”
Don’t tempt fate by saying Never…

Taken from this wonderful book:

Learning Passion

Thanks to my friend Amy Dunne, I was able to attend a lecture I would likely never have considered, with friend and author Andrea Bramhall. 

Put on by the BBC, it was part of their Writer’s Room program, where they work with aspiring screen writers. Now, I’m not a script writer in any sense. It’s a genre I’m unfamiliar with, so i thought id learn something new. and all knowledge is worth having, right?

For three hours, with only one fifteen minute break, Phil talked about the elements of story. Because, after all, it’s all about storytelling. He illustrated each of his ten points with a bevy of film and tv clips. (The clip for surprise was particularly surprising). Although I hadn’t expected some of it to apply to my work, nearly all of it did. Story elements of character, arcs, emotion, clarity, coherence and, of course, passion, are relatable no matter what type of storytelling you’re doing. 

I always enjoy attending writing lectures and workshops. Not only was this no exception, but it was also incredibly gratifying to hear some of what I spout at the authors I work with. Attending these things ramps up my passion for both writing and editing, passion I can forget about when I’m buried beneath deadlines or have every excuse under the sun not to write. 

In May next year, I’ll be leading a writing retreat in Spain, and this lecture was a perfect reminder of the passion I’ll need to bring to it.

So tell me: What is your passion? Why do you do it? 

Book: The Dragon Legacy by Ali Vali

Song: Still Into You by Paramore

Edited with BlogPad Pro

Photo-A-Day, day 12: Words

Words matter. They can hurt or heal, cause joy and pain. They can ring with truth or undermine with lies. They can be cathartic. They can get muddled into a ball of suppressed rage. They can be published for the world to see, or stay in your own personal pages. They matter. And being able to work with them day in and day out makes me lucky indeed.

 

 

Photo-A-Day, day 9: I’m thinking about…

Today I’m thinking about my dissertation work.
Which is a combination of these two things: