HEAVENLY HOI AN 2024 Retreat rundown!

February 22, 2024 / Edwina Shaw / Leave a comment

As the streets of Hoi An filled with flowers for Tet (Vietnamese Lunar New Year) a group of talented writers from all around Australia, and from as far away as the Welsh mountains, gathered at beautiful An Villa on the river to write up a storm!

Every day started with yoga in a lovely yoga shala over the water, kept company by a turquoise kingfisher that flew around us encouraging us to also take flight, and enormous colourful Koi fish who swam below us, reminding us to be calm and flow with life. The kitchen staff at An Villa fed us so well we felt like geese being fattened for a French market. Even breakfast had dessert! Banana pancake with chocolate anyone?

After breakfast we had our daily workshop covering all aspects of the writing craft, with plenty of writing prompts to get people sparking. As always, we were blown away by the inherent talent of our writers and the depths that were being explored, right from the very first session. Groups of kindred spirits convened and connected. The greatest joy for me as a host of these retreats is watching writing friends connect and support each other in this writing journey. Stories made us laugh, while others brought us to tears. Heartaches shared felt less burdensome. Pain transformed into works of great beauty soothed the soul.

The afternoons were either free for solitary writing in our beautiful rooms, swimming in the pool, or on visits to the tailor (Hoi An – land of 1000 tailors!) and excursions. We visited old town and drank cocktails at sunset watching colourful boats rocking on the river and a passing parade of people, then got on a boat of our own (thank you Arek for helping us all get on and off safely) that took us upstream to a lovely restaurant where we feasted like happy fools. So much food! Because it was Tet we were continually offered all sorts of new year treats, the food just kept coming! I was stuffed but couldn’t resist the pandan crepes stuffed with ice-cream!

Another day we ventured to the Vegetable Garden Island for a tour of the amazing local vegetable farms, which included a foot massage and then a cooking class. We carved tomato roses and carrot daisies then cooked our own yellow Vietnamese pancakes. Watching Kerstin jumping up and down, more likely to flip herself than the pancake was one of the funniest things I’ve ever seen! They dressed us all up too – first as farmers, complete with conical hats, then as chefs in bright lime green. We looked ridiculous and laughed a lot.

On the way home in the electric taxi bus we sang old ABBA songs and snippets of whatever else we could remember with our resident singer-writer, Kylie, making us all sound so much better with her beautiful harmonies.

On afternoons when we weren’t ‘writers running amok’ in Hoi An, we had one on one feedback sessions discussing projects and the way to best move them forward, as well as delving deep with tarot readings. Some napping and swimming may also have happened, as well as lots of chatting and sharing of life stories and writing tips, with beautiful hearts opening to each other through the magic of deep connection enabled when we stop talking about the trivial and venture into what really matters.

In the evenings we feasted, remembering to leave room for dessert, with the Hoi An staff plying us with ever more delicious New Year treats to try. Across the river, end of year parties sent Karaoke songs over the water, but by bedtime all was quiet. The beds were super comfortable, and I slept like a log, still recovering from a flu that had seen me confined to bed for most of the week prior to retreat.

I am constantly in awe of the magic that brings just the right people together at just the right time. This retreat we had two venues close to each other and we randomly assigned people to each place, then stood back to watch as this magic went into effect, with firm friendship groups building in each place.

The people who come along are what makes these retreats special. Yes, we provide heaps of information and useful guidance, but the true blessings come in the friendships that are made or deepened. Writers need other writers. It’s a silly business, with plenty of the joy of creation but then often the pain of rejection too. We need a tribe of writing buddies to cheer us on, help us polish our work, to commiserate with us when the rejections come, and to celebrate with us when our book babies see the light of day because only other writers know just how much hard work goes into every page.

So thank you my wonderful new writing friends (and some older ones too), Susan, Arek, Trish, Tallulah (Lorraine), Annie, Nicole, Kylie, Genine, Emma, Cindy, Lena, Yvonne, Belinda, Laurie and lovely Helen, who made this retreat so much fun. Thank you to the staff at An Villa who pampered us and went above and beyond to make sure everyone was safe, happy and well looked after in every way. It truly was a heavenly time. My favourite memory of the retreat is Emma saying over and over again, “I’m in heaven. I’m in heaven.”

Here’s what some of our lovely retreaters had to say:

“Regardless of where you are in your writer’s journey, this writing retreat is for everyone. Emerging, mid-career or professional, there is something to be gained personally and professionally. For me this retreat offered an opportunity to connect with creative and intelligent co-writers who share a passion for story-telling, in an inspiring location. The facilitators were warm, dynamic, generous, authentic and engaging.”

Kylie Ryan

“I loved coming together with diverse writers sharing our knowledge and practice, bonding and cementing lasting friendships for future writing adventures. I loved it! I feel so blessed to have been part of the 2024 Heavenly Hoi An Retreat.”

Helen Weder

“Edwina and Kerstin were great, expertise plus interpersonal warmth, enthusiasm, encouragement, inspiration and more! Nothing was too much trouble for the beautiful staff and the food was delicious. The other participants were so easy to connect with and the yoga was a great balance between yin and yang. Loved the excursions too.”

Retreat participant

“Thanks Kerstin and Edwina for a lovely, immersive experience. Great to refresh on some topics and get a new viewpoint on others. The encouragement and advice was so valuable and the companionship of other participants and the fun excursions and experiences in another country were the ‘toppers’ on a wonderful retreat.”

Annie Kemp

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, these retreats are only as good as the writers who come along and make them true magic. THANK YOU for coming beautiful people! Love you!

Thank you most of all to my dear friend and co-host Kerstin Pilz whose new book Loving my Lying Dying Cheating Husband is due for release imminently, launching in Cairns as part of the Tropical Writers Festival. The launch is FREE but do book your place. I’ve just pre-ordered my copy! It’s a great read. I know, I did a structural edit for Kerstin a while back now.

Now back to the real world, teaching at UQ, and the stifling Queensland summer heat after the very pleasant reprieve of the cool(ish) Vietnamese winter.

We’ll be back in Hoi An in February 2025, FEBRUARY 10-17, 2025. If you’re keen to join us in wonderful Heavenly Hoi An DROP ME A LINE and I’ll put you on the waiting list. All the details coming soon! And, just quietly, ITALY IS COMING!! October 10 – 17, 2025. In a beautiful medieval retreat centre on a hillside surrounded by autumnal forest, between Cortona and Assisi. I’ll keep you posted, but in the meantime, you can check out our glorious venue Terzo Di Danciano HERE. Find a buddy to share your room. Most rooms will be shared rooms to keep prices as affordable as possible and still get us to Italy!! Plan an extended holiday around the retreat – I sure am!

I so hope you’ll be able to join us soon at one of our uplifting, inspiring and informative retreats with kindred writing spirits. International retreats are open to all genders. Information on all upcoming retreats, both in Springbrook S.E, Queensland (April Just Write, August Second Draft and October Memoir and Life Writing)and internationally HERE.

Lots of love,

Edwina

MEMOIR MAGIC IN THE MOUNTAINS!

October 27, 2023 / Edwina Shaw / Leave a comment

Once again the sun shone for us in Springbrook as our group of wonderful women writers gathered to relax, write, feast and connect at the beautiful Theosophical Society Education and Retreat Centre high above the bustle in the Gold Coast hinterland.

We wrote up a storm and shared our stories, connecting heart to heart, writer to writer, learning from each other and growing in our skills and abilities to get those stories out of our heads and onto the page.

The weather was so beautiful we even had a session outside on a picnic blanket, listening deeply to the stories of the ancestors of this spectacular country, the Yugambeh people, and our own ancestors with their own stories to tell.

Chief cookie, the fabulous Gay Liddington, whose own memoir will be published in 2024 – WATCH THIS SPACE – tempted us all with delicious treats, and what a treat it is to walk into the kitchen at the end of a long day writing to smell a feast ready and waiting. THANK YOU GAY!

This retreat, we saw many repeat retreaters reconnecting and other new friends finding their writing gangs. Writers need other writers. When we are deeply immersed in our own stories, we can’t see our way through what can seem like a tangled forest of words, but other writers can look at our mess from a different angle and clearly see the path through the trees for us.

We laughed and we cried together, wrote, talked and even sang. We relaxed and stretched our bodies with yoga and indulged in healing bodywork treatments by the amazing Monique De Goey of Reconnect Holistic Bodywork.

Each one of us, yours truly included, came away feeling refreshed and renewed, with new ideas for our stories, a clear path ahead and writing companions to cheer us on and pick us back up again if we fall.

As Heidi would say, “I knew the mountains would make her well!”

Here’s what some retreaters had to say.

“A beautiful space of learning, reflection, sharing and mutual honouring of our stories.”

Retreat participant October 2023

“This had been such a wonderful experience for me. I love being in community and experienced wonderful community this weekend. The writing workshops were inspiring, exciting and ignited my creative side again.”

Retreat participant October 2023

“Thank you for all the inspiration, warmth, listening and LOVE.”

Retreat participant October 2023

As is traditional, we finished our retreat with collages – here are some of the beautiful results!

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, these retreats are only as special as the women who come along. I love how women come together and lift each other up. THANK YOU to all the wonderful women writers who made this retreat such a beautiful experience for us all, me included.

Sometimes I feel like the luckiest person in the world, getting to uplift and inspire others for my job!

Would you love to come along to the next memoir retreat? Dates are already set for next year’s Memoir and Life Writing Retreat – MAKE A NOTE – 18 – 20 OCTOBER 2024. You can book in HERE by paying your deposit. Hurry repeat retreaters are already signing up! Prices have gone up as retreat costs have risen along with everything else. I’ve created a tiered system for the waged and unwaged but if you’re still burning to come, but can’t see your way through to paying that much, DROP ME A LINE and I’ll see how we can help.

And, just quietly, a new JUST WRITE RETREAT of 4 or 5 nights is planned for early April, 2024. More on this soon!

Vietnam Relax and Write Your Journey Retreat is fully booked and we’re all getting super excited, but places are still available for Bali! I cannot wait to get back to the divine Bali EcoStay to swim in our own waterfall and fall asleep every night to the gentle lull of running water. Tempted? Check it all out here – you’ll have the time of your life!!

Remember to sign up for my monthly newsletter if you’re not on it already. A special treat is planned for Christmas! Only available to subscribers.

Lots of love

Edwina xx

One of the beautiful Enchanted Heart cards By: Alana Fairchild, Lindy Longhurst (Illustrator)

HEAVENLY HOI AN – More Than Just a Writing Retreat!

August 28, 2023 / Edwina Shaw / Leave a comment

Are you ready for the adventure of a lifetime? Is your creative spirit in need of some TLC? Always wanted to go to Vietnam but don’t like traveling alone?

Renew your love of writing and life next February in stunning world heritage Hoi An in Vietnam for a yoga and writing retreat which will get your year off to an inspiring and uplifting start. HEAVENLY HOI AN 2 – 7 FEBRUARY 2024.

After the bliss of our Bali Retreat – see the rundown here – Kerstin Pilz and I are now set to explore Vietnam. Kerstin lived in Hoi An for years so we’ll have an, almost, local to guide us around. Kerstin is also busily preparing for the release of her first creative work, her memoir Loving My Lying Dying Cheating Husband which Affirm Press is launching in March 2024. WOOHOO! So we’ll have live access to all Kerstin has learnt about writing memoir and the publishing process, as well as my twenty plus years and five publications worth of experience plus over ten years teaching creative writing at UQ! Kerstin is an ex Uni lecturer in literature so you’ll have a wealth of writing experience to tap into.

Yes, there will be informative, practical, inspiring and useful writing workshops, but this is also a retreat to renew YOU as a whole person. This retreat also features YOGA!

I’ve been practising yoga daily for 30 years now, the greatest blessing of my life, and I love sharing the joys of this life-healing practice on retreats. Kerstin is an experienced yogin too, and has spent many months at meditation retreats as part of her own healing journey – hear all about it in her TED TALK. So every morning on retreat with start with gentle yoga in a beautifl open air shala over the river. How magical is that? And most evenings we’ll wind down from all the learning and writing with some guided meditations and pranayama (yogic breathing techniques) specifically designed to help you relax and calm your nervous system.

Writing and yoga, but wait, there’s more and no, it’s not steak knives. How about a Vietnamese cooking class after a tour of a local farm? Or would you prefer a slow boat ride down the river to the heart of the old town for dinner at the local night markets, lit up with preparations for TET (Vietnamese New Year). All the sights and sounds and smells and tastes of an exotic culture, full of smiling faces, in the company of fellow writers and kindred spirits. A tarot reading to help guide you forward and inspire your spirit. Fun and laughter with new friends and even the option to travel on and explore Vietnam further with other retreat guests!

Not only that, we’re staying in gorgeous resort-style accommodation at An Villa and Annica Villa, far from the bustling crowds, right on the river. Beautiful ensuite rooms, manicured tropical gardens, pools, delicious Vietnamese meals prepared especially for us on premises, lots of secret nooks to sit and write and everything is included! You can come along to all the sessions, or if you’d rather you can sleep for days, potter and journal in the over-river shala or hide away in your room and write like a fury!

Sound like the answer to your prayers? It is! I am so excited to be offering these international retreats with my dear friend Kerstin. Our Hoi An adventure is going to be truly heavenly! I so hope you can join us. Prices start at $2550 EARLY BIRD, ALL INCLUSIVE (except flights and transfers) but hurry early bird prices end soon!

For detailed info and to book see HERE.

Places are filling fast, so book your spot now by paying your deposit. I’m super excited about this one. I haven’t been to Vietnam in 30 years and I’ve never been to Hoi An, so come with me for the adventure of a lifetime and a life-changing, heart opening retreat guaranteed to get you writing! Whether you’re an old hand or a newbie, this retreat has something for everyone. ALL THE INFO HERE.

If you have more dash than cash we can work out a payment plan that makes it all possible.

Who’s coming?

Me!!

Lots of love

Edwina xx

WHO IS TELLING THIS STORY? Managing Point of View

August 26, 2023 / Edwina Shaw / Leave a comment

But whose dream is it?

So, who IS telling your story? Whether you’re writing memoir, fiction or screenplay, you need to make important decisions about which characters you’re going to give a voice.

WHO IS YOUR PROTAGONIST?

Who is the main character in your story?

If you’re writing memoir, even though many writers try to avoid it, YOU are the main character.

If you’re writing fiction you need to decide whose story is propelling the overarching narrative – that character’s goals and battles to achieve them is what drives the story forward. They are your protagonist.

If you have multiple protagonists, one character must have slightly more say than the others – this is the character who begins and ends the story. Other voices can be almost as strong but the protagonist has the final say. In my book Thrill Seekers I have three protagonists, Brian, his younger brother Douggie, and Beck, their friend. Because it is Brian’s goal – to protect his brother – that propels the entire narrative, he is the protagonist. He has the first chapter and the last. So think carefully if you’re dealing with multiple character voices and decide which one is the main driving force.

If you’re not sure about who your main character is, ask yourself “WHO HAS THE MOST TO LOSE?”

HOW WILL YOU GIVE VOICE TO THESE CHARACTERS?

If you’re writing memoir, mostly you will need to write in first person, and learn to embrace sentences starting with “I” or learn to cleverly avoid doing so. However, you will also need to include a reflective voice that I like to call, “Wise you now”, between the scenes bringing to life the past, staring “previous you”. You could write the scenes from the past in past tense first person and the reflective sections in first person present tense, or past tense too, depending on how you feel about present tense.

Fiction can also be written in first person, past or present tense, but managing multiple voices like this can be tricky. Thrill Seekers is written this way, each character is in first person present tense. My Cambodian novel, Child of Fortune has two main characters – an Australian traveller and a Khmer survivor of the Pol Pot regime. Both of these women are written in first person, past tense. These days however, due to the Own Voice movement, I would recommend writing characters from other cultures only in third person. I also advise against having only two main characters given voice. This is difficult to manage and becomes a tennis match with one character often overpowering the other. To remedy this, add a third character voice to bring more balance, a plait rather than a ping pong match back and forth.

Most popular in modern fiction is writing in closed third person, past tense. This is the simplest way to manage multiple protagonists. In closed third person, you write using he, she or they in separate chapters that alternate. This method allows for multiple viewpoints and clashing perspectives that has lots of scope for adding interest to your story. However, with closed third person, as with first person, you are confined to what that character has seen and heard and cannot stray outside this perspective.

My latest story, “Shadowman” (Dear Madman in a different incarnation) a literary true crime memoir/novel hybrid, is told in three alternating sections in three different perspectives. The first section is the first-person voice of “the writer”, the second voice is the Shadowman – also in first person. The third section is told in omniscient third person, with the voices of multiple characters, members of the Williams family. Omniscient voice is the “God” voice, enabling the writer to move between character’s points of view within chapters, though I keep them in separate scenes. Modern audiences find this voice confusing, and I must say I found it difficult to manage as well, though I got there in the end.

You can choose to write a character in second person too – the “you” voice – but eventually it becomes synonymous with first person, so is best left to short stories or short sections within your longer piece. It can be used effectively in memoir to give another’s perspective, eg You didn’t say anything. You walked away.

MANAGING POINT OF VIEW

Now you have chosen your POV characters and the voices you will use and how you will animate them, you need to establish the structure and the voices you want within the first section of your book. If you have three POV characters, and you want these voices to interweave (not have separate sections of the whole book – eg Part 1 – Anne, Part 2 – Bob, Part 3 – Grace) you need to set this up right from the start.

For example, Shadowman starts with a chapter from the writer, which establishers her as the main protagonist. The second strand belongs to the Shadowman, and the third strand is the omniscient voices of the family. All three voices have a chapter within the first 10 pages. This lets the reader know what’s going on, who is telling the story, and the pattern to expect right from the start.

AVOID INTRODUCING NEW POV CHARACTERS AFTER THE FIRST ACT

All rules are made to be broken and you can find many examples of characters joining the fray in the second act, or even third, but it is best to avoid doing this. Set up your POV characters in those first 10 pages and then stick with these characters all the way to the end – well one or two may get knocked off!

Avoid introducing new POV characters after act one, this only confuses readers. If you want to bring in a twist that introduces this new POV character, then at least foreshadow this possibility in the first act. Give us a hint that this may happen, mention their name, make them a part of the story in some way, even if they aren’t yet in the action.

Point of view is important to establish early, so the reader knows which characters they are following. Introduce important characters first up so we know whose side we’re on. Keep the number of characters manageable or add a glossary. But who wants to be checking a glossary all the time – except maybe Tolkien fans!

And if you’re writing short stories keep the number of characters low. The lower the wordcount, the lower the character count.

Introduce all characters and the way you will be telling their side of the story early. If you’re a new writer, stick to one voice, at least to start with. If you want to include other voices, closed third person in alternating chapters is easiest to manage, but all this needs to be set up right from the start. Build trust with your reader by showing them your plan and sticking with that plan.

No randoms! No slipping between points of view without intention. Flag all changes in point of view so we know they’re intentional. No surprises!

Image by Jana Shannon.

Managing POV can be tricky, so think about it before you rush in, and have a rough plan about how you think it will work. It can be lots of fun writing in a few different voices, but make sure they are balanced, that they are each different and that your one main character has first say and the final word.

Hope that’s useful! GOOD LUCK!

Let me know how you go managing POV.

Lots of love

Edwina xx

SUNSHINE SMILES ON SPRINGBROOK

August 18, 2023 / Edwina Shaw / Leave a comment

Yes! We’ve been holding retreats in the misty mountain rainforest of Springbrook for several years now, and it’s always been cloudy, if not pelting down rain. But this time for our latest retreat, the sun shone bright and beautiful for our whole weekend for the annual FEEDBACK AND REVISION SECOND DRAFT RETREAT– a special blessing!

How wonderful it was to see new writing buddies clustering together on blankets out in the sun, writers propped up against tree trunks scribbling in journals, others basking on rugs dozing and daydreaming of their stories.

We started early on Friday for this retreat, with more time for solo writing in the afternoon before our welcome and first workshop where we drilled down into the heart of our stories and worked on our story premises and the all-important central quest or question. A delicious home cooked dinner, provided by our unstoppable Chief Cookie and talented writer Gay Liddington, filled our bellies, followed by fireside chats and early to bed. The mountain was chilly once the sun went down but we were cosy and warm with our electric blankets.

Saturday on these weekend retreats is always busy, packed full of workshops, individual and group feedback sessions and yoga. Early birds started with yoga to calm and centre ourselves and prepare for creative outpourings. The workshop focused on structure and how to create narrative drive, because if we can’t keep readers turning pages, we’re not doing our job as writers. We brainstormed ideas as a group and in smaller feedback buddy gangs and learnt about how to use sequences to break the huge jigsaw puzzle of full length MSs into smaller more manageable sections.

After Gay’s amazing Cauliflower Bake for lunch, we had excursions to the waterfall lookout, individual feedback sessions and feedback groups, and miraculous and deeply healing bodywork treatments by Monique De Goey who sorted us all out and tended to problem areas.

In the evening, we wound down and got out of our busy heads with some yoga breathing exercises – pranayama – that had us all floating over to the hall for dinner. Indian feasting was in order, followed by chocolate brownies for dessert, readings around the fire and for the night owls a bonfire with ghost stories that had them all planning to sleep in the same room! Sausages!!

Sunday started with yoga, with guest teacher Monique showing us ways to release tension through our shoulders and arms – much needed for those of us typing away all day, every day. Sunday’s workshop covered Publishing Pathways, writing a synopsis and a pitch, goal setting and my favourite – collage! My phone battery died on camp so I don’t have the traditional collage photos, but we have lots of laughing group shots instead.

I love hosting these retreats. I am always reminded that it’s the process not the product that’s most important. Repeat retreater and talented prose writer, Liana Brown, wrote her first poem, which flicked the switch in my head from despairing over a recent rejection to relishing the joy of being a writer, a creative artist surrounded by and assisting other artists, to create our best work and live our best lives. Here’s Liana’s poem. I hope it inspires you too.

Liana hard at work writing!

UNFINISHED

By Liana Brown

I am a work of art, only unfinished.

I am a block of marble at which to chip way

I am the dawn, noon, and dusk of another day

I am spinning on a potter’s wheel, a curvaceous vase of clay

And you may look upon me, a work in progress, and say:

‘Who do you think you are?’

And I will reply:

I am a work of art, only

Unfinished

I am a sonnet, an aria, a love story untold

I am the red pen, strikethrough, italics and bold

I am a hit Broadway play without a ticket yet sold

And you may hear me, a 27^th draft, and scold:

‘Who do you think you are?’

And I will reply:

I am a work of love, only

Unfinished

I am a canvas on which paint will never dry

I am a one-woman tango where I will stumble on every try

I am a plane out of gas writing in the sky

And you may roll your eyes, and ask why I even try

And I’ll reply:

I am unfinished.

Finished, never will I be.

And for all of us unfinished

The beauty is that we are free

Free to crack the marble, warp the clay

Free to fail, to learn, to go on day after day

Free to toil, to our hearts’ content

Until our writing is backwards and paintbrushes are bent

Because I am exactly what I want to be:

I am unfinished.

Beautifully, magically, ravenousl-.

We are writers, published or not. It is the act of writing that makes us so. Our desire to examine life and the human condition more closely and make sense of it all through words. Our capacity to create beauty from even the greatest pain is what makes us all artists/writers, finished or not!

The memoir retreat is in Springbrook again – Come on Sunshine! – October 20 -22. It is almost totally full but if you’re super keen drop me a line and pay your deposit ASAP to take the very last spot.

Gay and other retreaters reminded me that these retreats are much more than just “writing retreats”. They are holistic, restorative retreats for writers, a place where your writing is important but nurturing you as a person is equally so.

Are you ready to reboot your writing and your whole life? Ready for the adventure of a lifetime? Join the talented Kerstin Pilz and me in VIETNAM in February (cool season in Vietnam) for a week-long rejuvenation of your writing and your creative soul. From February 2 – 7 in beautiful Hoi An, a pretty, historical, seaside town, far from the madding crowds of the major centres, Kerstin and I will be hosting a small group retreat with yoga every morning, workshops covering all aspects of writing, whether memoir or fiction, providing feedback, winding down with pranayama, leading excursions down the river to the markets, divining the future with tarot, cooking up a Vietnamese storm with cooking classes, reading, relaxing and exploring. COME AND JOIN US! Your creative spirit deserves this special treat.

Not only that, plans are underway for a small group to travel together after retreat. So if you’ve always wanted to see Vietnam but didn’t want to go on your own, then join us for the inspiration and nurturing of retreat then join our group of participants traveling onwards in company. Sound like the answer to your prayers? It is!! Check out all the info HERE and book in soon. Early bird prices end in September.

Kerstin and I are the perfect team, and you’ll benefit from two experienced, published authors, fun facilitators and insightful yoga teachers. Don’t wait too long, places are already filling fast. You deserve this treat. Put yourself top of your TO DO list for once and book in now.

These week-long retreats are open to all 🙂

Don’t keep saying, “One day”. This is your day. Your life. Enjoy the ride!

Lots of love

Edwina xx

BLISSFUL BALI RETREAT 2023 – RUNDOWN

June 28, 2023 / Edwina Shaw / Leave a comment

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Our beautiful Balinese Goddesses at the traditional welcome ceremony and blessing that started our retreat with the special magic that is Bali.

When Kerstin first showed me the photos of Bali EcoStay I thought they were too good to be true. But from the moment we arrived I realised no picture could do justice to the stunning glory of this incredible place. Our inaugural retreat together was off to a wonderful start! We were blessed with a very special group of writers whose combined wisdom and grace made our week together a total delight.

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Our days started with yoga, gentle stretching and internal focus to help clear our minds for the creative work ahead. The yoga shala at Bali EcoStay is nestled into the rainforest and is filled with a peaceful ambience, enhanced by the mandala made of blossoms created for us by the local women.

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After a delicious breakfast prepared from ingredients grown in the organic permaculture garden, with eggs from their chooks, we had workshops on a different aspect of writing – from life writing to structuring your full length work, every day. The shared knowledge of the group, which included multiple published authors as well as first time writers, made these workshops valuable for all.

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On our first full day we were given a tour of the permaculture garden and the surrounding village, including our very own waterfall with a glorious swimming hole! Oh happy day!!

After another fresh delicious meal for lunch, writers had free time to explore more on their own or get stuck into writing, while Kerstin and I offered one on one mentoring sessions as well as tarot readings to help bring insight for moving forward with writing projects, and life. Massages too! In a tranquil Massage Bale in among the rainforest. Sigh – take me back!

We gathered again in the evenings at the yoga shala to do some guided yoga breathing (pranayama) which I’ve been doing for about 15 years now. Nature’s perfect tranquilliser. Then it was time for dinner!

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So yummy! And dessert every night too 🙂 Including delicious sugar-free chocolate creations made from their own organic cacao! (eaten too fast for photos – sorry!)

Then we were off to bed in our unique treehouse style bungalows – some overlooking the rice paddies, some nestled in the forest overlooking the stream that provided a constant soundtrack of relaxation music. We slept in the open air, fresh and cool, close to nature but safe and sheltered from all the elements. I loved my little hobbit cottage.

We finished our retreat with traditional collage :), setting intentions and writing goals and then a bonfire and readings night where our multi-talented participants shone like the sun!

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Here are a couple of examples of the writing inspired by our beautiful surroundings and the wonder of us all together.

Heaven is sitting on a bus with six wise women by Natasha Cox
They reminise about their travels
Say they used to have hair like mine
And when they talk about their dreams
They sound an awful lot like mine
They laugh and say
‘Oh, you’re so young’
‘You have plenty of time’
They laugh about men and life
And I realise that they are as young as I
Just a little greyer
Just a few more stories
Just a bit more life.

By Natasha Cox (Bali Retreat participant 2023)

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I WILL REMEMBER by Gail Rice

I will remember the stillness.

I will remember darkness as it dropped unannounced each evening and the gentle slow, subtle ripple of light in the morning as it peaked through the bright green leaves outside my window.

I will remember the women chattering and laughing in the afternoon as they worked their magic in the kitchen.

I will remember the little lizard with the yellow back baking in the sunshine.

I will remember the women whose hands eased the knots in my neck.

I will remember the graceful women who dressed us in balinese sarongs, white tops and colourful sashes and taught us to stitch together a basket to fill with flowers for an offering.

I will remember walking in line to the temple with our offerings and the honour of receiving a blessing. I will remember the priest, his serene face, his toothless smile and his still body.

I will remember the silky taste of the fresh water.

I will remember the Rat who kindly took time away from me.

I will remember the taste and texture of the fresh delicious food in my mouth.

I will remember feeling my body stretch and bend every morning and connect to the rhythm of its breath in the evenings.

I will remember listening to the motorbikes as they came up the hill in the morning as we did our downward dogs.

I will remember how my muscles loosen and expand when my body slows down, how my mind feels when it is quiet and clear, how my breath feels when I reconnect and honour it.

I will remember how warm my body feels when it gets a hug, how nourished it feels when it sleeps uninterrupted for hours, how alive it feels as the water gushes all over it in the waterfall.

I will remember to trust myself, to listen to myself and to give myself time – time that is always there most often just hidden by the clutter of life.

I will remember the gorgeous man who took us on the walk and named every plant and tree.

I will remember the breeze that danced over my arms in the evening as I slept.

I will remember walking down the stone steps with the little lights marking my path.

I will remember the joy of writing with others, the joy of having time for myself to write.

I will remember all of you – your courage, your compassion, you kindness, your creativity, your humour, your wounds, your words, your faces, your faces, your honesty, your curiosity and wisdom.

I will remember to feel gratitude.

Gail Rice (retreat participant 2023)

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This retreat exceeded the expectations of us all for the magic created, the great writing produced and the renewal of bodies, minds and hearts. Kerstin and I can’t wait to do it all again next year. We’ve already booked in dates! BLISSFUL BALI RETREAT JULY 11 -17 2024 – Read all about it and grab your spot HERE!

With great thanks and much love to the wonderful people who made this retreat so very special. THANK YOU for being you! More photos HERE.

Can’t wait all the way till July? I have two retreats close to home AUGUST 11 – 13 in Springbrook FEEDBACK AND REVISION RETREAT for those with a bit of writing under their belts in need of polishing and preparing to submit. (only$450 early bird, all inclusive). And OCTOBER 20-22 in Springbrook again for Life Writing and Memoir (best for newbies). Early bird $480!

Get all the info HERE. BOOK SOON to avoid disappointment.

My next retreat with Kerstin is super dooper exciting! HEAVENLY HOI AN! February 2 – 7 2024 Hoi An Vietnam, with river cruise, cooking class, tour of the night markets as well as our usual fabulous mix of yoga and writing workshops to get your stories out of your head and onto the page, publication ready!

This one will fill fast so BOOK SOON! All the info HERE.

OKAY, time for this little duck to hit the beach.

With lots of love from Gili Air, Indonesia.

Edwina xxx

MAGICAL MAGGIE MERMAIDS 2023 – Retreat rundown Magnetic Island June 2 – 4

June 8, 2023 / Edwina Shaw / Leave a comment

What a magical time we had on Magnetic Island at the latest Relax and Write Retreat. This one is called Relax and Write in Paradise for a reason! The water is crystal clear and turquoise and warm enough to swim and the island is 75% national park so the quiet is deep and soul restoring.

Once again a wonderful wise group of writing women turned up to restore their love of writing and life itself. Once again I witnessed the magic of women coming together to write, relax and support each other. As usual our days consisted of gentle yoga, relaxation exercises and lots of writing and lessons on the craft of creating stories – all in the very best of company!

This year we went out to Barefoot restaurant at Horseshoe Bay for dinner and had amazing seafood platters that may have been the highlight of the weekend for me 🙂 Apart from my lovely mermaids of course.

As is customary we finished up our workshops with some goal setting and hopes and dreams collages which were lots of fun – and very creative! Let’s hope all our dreams come true.

Here’s what some participants had to say about the retreat.

“I attended the Magnetic Island Writers Retreat hosted by Edwina.

I cannot say enough about just how worthwhile these retreats are. The workshops are informative, supportive and provide a positive learning space. There were writers of all levels and yet as someone less experienced I felt comfortable. Also, I have made some new friends! I have already booked to attend two more. Thanks Edwina 🌸”
Yvonne 🙂

“Just wanted to thank you for such a fantastic retreat. Feel emotionally unblocked and have my writing mojo back. Great content and sense of community.”

Karina 🙂

And here are a few more gleaned from my feedback sheets – anonymously 🙂

“An amazing retreat! So enjoyable and I learnt so much!”

“Good value for money.”

“Fantastic!”

“Thoroughly enjoyed the Relax and Write Retreat. Edwina’s knowledge and the way she takes us through visual exercises was incredibly powerful. A beautiful collective of authors.”

We finished up our retreat with a picnic and a swim at beautiful Alma Bay and a little bit of fortune telling for fun 🙂

THANK YOU to the wonderful women who make these retreats so very special. Women writers are a special breed of compassionate creative souls and it is my pleasure to help guide them in their writing.

So what are you waiting for? SEE HERE for all the information on upcoming retreats – two in Springbrook – Gold Coast hinterland (August and October) and Heavenly Hoi An in Vietnam in early February 2024 in collaboration with Kerstin Pilz of Write Your Journey.

And on Monday I’m off to Bali for our first Blissful Bali retreat. One coming again next year!! WOOHOO!

These retreats are so inspiring and so much fun! Isn’t it time you rebooted your writing mojo and gave yourself a treat?

lots of love

Edwina xxx

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

May 3, 2023May 3, 2023 / Edwina Shaw / 3 Comments

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.

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

RELAX AND WRITE IN PARADISE: Magnetic Island Retreat June 2- 4 2023

March 16, 2023 / Edwina Shaw / Leave a comment

MAGGIE RETREAT 2023 IS FILLING FAST – Don’t miss out – early bird prices end March 31!

Edwina Shaw

Magical Magnetic Island! You can’t get much better than this beautiful tropical island off the coast of Townsville in North Queensland.

Escape the winter blues and reboot your writing mojo at RELAX AND WRITE IN PARADISE 2023. Immerse yourself in the beauty of the island’s many secluded beaches, reignite your creative self, indulge your inner writer and learn from one of Australia’s most experienced writing teachers (yes, that’s me 🙂 )

Connect with other writing women and write up a storm!

Is your creative spirit crying out for a little TLC? Come along and regain your love of writing and life at the nextRelax and Write Retreaton Magnetic Island in tropical Far North QueenslandatAmaroo on Mandalay.

From FRIDAY 2 JUNE – SUNDAY 4 JUNE 2023

Join like-minded women in a fun and supportive environment discovering just how much some deep relaxation can ignite your…

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BLISSFUL BALI WRITING RETREAT! JUNE 15 – 20 2023

December 21, 2022 / Edwina Shaw / Leave a comment

PUT YOURSELF IN THIS PICTURE 🙂

Oh yeah! It was when my lovely friend, and fellow yoga and writing retreat facilitator, Kerstin Pilz (see our Let’s Talk Writing episodes HERE) showed me this photo that I started to get very, VERY excited! I could see myself on that verandah, sitting on that bamboo daybed with my journal, the music of the stream washing away all the stress of the year, as I wrote freely and joyfully with a huge grin on my face. Oh yeah!

Can you feel it too? Is a retreat far from the busyness and bustle calling you? Is your creative spirit crying out for some loving care? Is it time to put yourself and your writing at the top of your priority list for once?

Do you deserve a really special treat, just for you? You know you do!

This retreat is super special : five nights, six days in the heart of rural Bali, staying at the amazing Bali Eco Stay resortwith two excellent :), experienced, creative writing facilitators, published authors, and yoga teachers, gently guiding you back to full health and happiness, and rejuvenating your creative powers! Or you could just dream the day away on your daybed if you like! Beautiful open air bungalows and yoga shala with all equipment provided.

All fresh organic vegetarian meals, airport transfers, special guided tour, cultural activities, complimentary massage and tarot reading, chakra cleansing, one on one session with a facilitator, 6 writing workshops, 5 morning yoga sessions, 4 restorative yoga breathing classes, and your beautiful bungalow accomodation is included! It will be heavenly!

Blissful Bali Writing Retreat

With Kerstin Pilz PhD and Edwina Shaw

Unleash your wild mind and heart

& write your life back into balance

So why don’t you join us at our Blissful Bali Writing Retreat and set your stories free!?

Get your stories out of your head and onto the page and feel the joy of creating beauty of your own in the peace and tranquility of Bali. Whether you have an established writing practice or have always wanted to write but never had the time, this retreat is for anybody in need of some quality nurturing of their creative spirit.

Every day begins with gentle yoga, followed by breakfast and an inspiring writing workshop to get those creative juices flowing. The afternoons are free for your own adventures and explorations, naps, or 1:1 sessions with Kerstin & Edwina, a complimentary massage and tarot reading, and a guided writing group for those who like to write in company. At the end of the day, we come together again for some gentle yoga breathing exercises to help clear your mind and revitalise your energy. Everyevening we share incredible dinners and relax with conversation and readings.

All activities are optional.

This is your retreat. Our aim is to nurture your body, mind, and creative spirit so you leave feeling renewed, both as a writer and as a human being, with a whole lot of new writing; and bright, exciting ideas and refreshed energy to take home with you.

See HERE for more information. Come along and join in the Bliss of this once in a lifetime experience!

Not flash with cash right now? A $450 deposit will secure your place and you have until April to pay it off – payment plans available. Or save up for Bali in 2024 as I’m sure this will become an annual event.

Want something more affordable and closer to home? Check out my popular, lower-priced weekend retreats HERE.

Oh gosh I hope you can come. Check it out here and dream a little! You can make it happen if you really want it!

Lots of love

Edwina xx