THE
WRITERS' RETREAT NEWSLETTER
July,
2008, Volume 8, No 3
http://www.writersretreat.com
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IN
THIS EDITION
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1.
WRITING IS GOOD FOR THE SOUL
2.
THE CHOICE IS YOURS
3.
CREATING
A ONE PERSON PLAY
4.
UPCOMING WRITING WORKSHOPS/CLINIC
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1.
WRITING IS GOOD FOR THE SOUL
Writing is a
solitary endeavor and one that often takes as much as it gives.
Those of us in pursuit of publishing have to keep so many literary
balls in the air while working on our craft that sometimes the
technical demands overtake the creative ones. With so much outside
(as well as self-induced) pressure, we sometimes forget why we
decided to write in the first place. That’s why it’s important
to find ways to renew our love of writing.
Avoiding
burn-out and renewing enthusiasm for the joy of written expression
are only part of the inspiration behind the upcoming writing
workshop titled “Writing
is Good for the Soul”, to be held October
17-19, 2008 in Folly Beach, South Carolina. The weekend workshop
is geared to help writers connect with and free up our creativity;
take the everyday pressures off; and find a new way of looking at
our work and our lives. Using writing as a form of expressive
meditation, this workshop allows writers to delve deeply into who we
are: our minds, our bodies and our spirits.
The
weekend begins with a Friday evening session titled ‘Connecting
With the Spirit of Nature’ where participants will write from the
senses in a class held at the ocean’s edge. Saturday includes an
all-day workshop titled ‘The Story of Your Soul’s Journey’ and
Sunday ends with ‘Connecting With Your Creative Spirit.’ The
workshop, taught by Creative Writing teacher Mary Ann Henry, has
proved to be hugely popular in the Carolina Lowcountry where it is
held.
“I’m
a journalist by trade and I never write poetry”, stated Will
Beckett, a participant at a recent spiritual writing workshop. “But I was surprised at how much poetry came roaring
forth.” He added, “I re-read some of my writing at the end of
the day and I wondered ‘Who wrote that?’ It felt really good.”
Another participant, Sandy Morehouse, spoke of how she
doubted her own ability to access her creativity. “I’ve had
trouble writing from the heart. I get caught up in expectations and
I keep second-guessing myself. But during the workshop, I just let
it rip. And the writing showed that new level of confidence.”
The
connection between a person’s sense of spirituality and their
creativity has long been of interest to the creator of the workshop,
Mary Ann Henry. “I try to create, above all, an atmosphere of
trust within the group. I let everyone know right away that
they’re safe with me, with each other, with themselves. And to see
the growth that a person makes in such a short time is thrilling to
me as a teacher and a writer.”
Held
in an ocean-front location on beautiful Folly Beach, just minutes
from historic Charleston, South Carolina, ‘Writing is Good for the
Soul’ promises to be one of the most unique learning experiences
available to writers this year.
See
details at http://www.writersretreat.com/spiritualwriting.htm.
To
register, please call Mary Ann Henry directly at 843-437-1934 or
email her at maryannhenry@writersretreat.com
or complete our online form at
http://www.writersretreat.com/workshopformSC.htm
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2.
THE
CHOICE IS YOURS!
Are
you looking for a space where you can shut out the world and dig in
deeply internally? The Writers’ Retreat provides the perfect
balance of leaving you alone and at the same time making sure you
have everything you need while staying with us.
The Writers’ Retreat offers nine year-round retreat
locations to choose from:
Québec,
Canada (Headquarters);
Oliver,
British
Columbia, Canada;
North
Lake Harbour, Prince
Edward Island, Canada;
Ouray,
Colorado;
Corralitos
near Santa Cruz, California;
Folly
Beach,
South Carolina;
Craftsbury,
Vermont;
Ojochal,
Costa Rica;
Puerto
Vallarta on the Pacific Coast of México.
Please
visit our website at www.WritersRetreat.com
and click on one of the locations for more details and to reserve
your private studio.
If
you are contemplating a business opportunity in the literary world, contact
us today to learn more about starting and operating a
Writers’ Retreat in your area.
================================================
By
Adilah Barnes
More
and more writer/actors are beginning to combine their talents to
create one person or “solo” plays. They are more commonly called
“one person shows.” Some choose to create historical figures to
portray, while still others draw from their own personal lives to
create pieces that are sometimes termed “personal stories.” I
have conceived both but for this article I want to focus on writing
personal stories. In essence, I see this genre of writing as
autobiographical or memoir writing in nature.
As
Co-founder and Executive Producer of the Los Angeles Women’s
Theatre Festival, I have produced over 400 solo artists from around
the globe. They have ranged from first love, rape, family, breast
cancer, culture, incest, identity, menopause, death, the workplace,
the life of an actor, and many, many others.
I
have also taught writing workshops such as From
Thought to Pen, Connecting the Inner Dots, and From
Stage to Page. In my workshops, the bottom line is first getting
stories on paper that actor/writers want to tell.
Some
say, “I want to create a one person show on my life but I do not
know where to begin!”
I
say, “Start with childhood memories.”
Our
youthful days are filled with a plethora of memories, charged with
emotions that are both pleasant and painful. One way to activate
those memories is to use the senses to excavate our past
experiences.
For
example, as a writing instructor, I have an exercise I use when
teaching solo writing workshops where I use guided imagery that
makes use of all five senses, one sense at a time. In one group I
taught, I guided my students who laid outstretched on the floor as
they sensorally went back to their youth. One student in that
workshop responded to the sense of touch with a memory of the feel
of shag carpeting underneath him on his family’s New Rochelle, New
York living room floor.
He
remembered how he and his brother’s played “slow motion”
football on that green shag carpet without ever disturbing any of
his mother’s furniture or fine crystal. From that exercise, he
activated the memory of that slow motion football game. That memory
also connected him to his individual relationships with his
brothers. From that exercise he ultimately created a one-man show
called, My Boys and Me, a very
compelling piece that explores his relationship with his brothers,
both then and now.
Another
way to activate childhood memories is to chronologically explore the
past, either by age or grades in school. I personally prefer going
grade by grade because I have remembered in great detail each of my
grade school teachers by name and can visualize quite clearly our
classrooms, which have also guided me to relationships and past
experiences, year by year.
In
either approach, once a series of experiences have been explored on
paper, the task of deciding what
to choose to what about may begin. Usually, through a series of
exercises, there is one or more memories that seem to resonate more
than others and that begin to take center stage. This may begin the
process of narrowing down the theme of the solo show, as in the
former student I mentioned.
I
have found that writing in an unedited fashion by just getting the
stories out can work quite well. Because we all have many personal
stories dancing around in our heads, material is rarely an issue.
Giving oneself permission to
allow the stories is another matter. For different reasons, some
stories we want to share with others, and some we choose not to.
I
do believe the more free we are in our storytelling, the more
engaging and riveting the work can be. In actuality, there are few
experiences we have had that have not already been experienced by
others. What sets our own particular stories apart are the
specifics, but the broad strokes are essentially the same (i.e. a
woman’s fight with breast cancer, the dynamics of coming from a
dysfunctional family, coming of age, online dating, etc.)
The
telling all begins with the desire
to create a one person show. With guidance, the rest will unfold.
How exhilarating it is to see a one person play develop step by step
from thought to page and then from page to stage!
Adilah
Barnes
is a writer, actor, acting instructor, producer, Internet talk show
host and lecturer. She owns and operates The Writers’ Retreat in Sharpsburg,
Georgia. You may contact her directly at abarnes@writersretreat.com.
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4.
UPCOMING WORKSHOPS/CLINIC
MAKING
A GOOD SCRIPT GREAT
A three-day script clinic
Facilitator:
Linda Seger, author, and script consultant.
Date:
October 10, 11, 12, 2008
Place:
Cascade, Colorado (Pikes Peak Region)
WRITING
IS GOOD FOR THE SOUL
Facilitator:
Mary Ann Henry, writer; on-site mentor in Folly Beach, SC
Date:
October 17-19, 2008
Place:
Folly Beach, SC
Description:
http://www.writersretreat.com/spiritualwriting.htm
POETRY
WORKSHOP
Date:
August 23, 2008
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Until
next time… Shape your vision into reality!!!
Micheline
Côté
The
Writers’ Retreat
Telephone:
(819) 876-2065
info@writersretreat.com
http://www.writersretreat.com
THE
WRITERS' RETREAT NEWSLETTER
April 2008, Volume 8, No 2
http://www.writersretreat.com
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IN
THIS EDITION
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1. WALK IN BALANCE—A NEW RESIDENTIAL RETREAT IN GEORGIA
2. A POTATO, A SKATEBOARD, A RUBBER DUCK:
THE APPEAL OF
OBJECT POEMS
3. NEVER GIVE UP
4. UPCOMING WORKSHOPS
5. KUDOS
6. A RETREAT: A
WAY TO CONNECT WITH YOUR VISION!
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1.
WALK IN BALANCE—A NEW RESIDENTIAL RETREAT IN GEORGIA
By
Adilah Barnes
When
I first viewed the Web site of The Writer’s Retreat, I was most
struck by the breathtaking, yet diverse beauty of each location. I
remember thinking that I wanted to visit every one of them. That
thought will remain a goal for me.
I
am delighted to now join in the fold of our network with my new
retreat in Sharpsburg, Georgia.
I
gave thought to why one might want to also come to Sharpsburg. I was
led to the obvious. My location offers a woodsy and serene
environment where one can create, but less obvious is that the
environment feeds the soul. To that end, I have one room that is
reserved for those who wish to meditate, practice yoga, enjoy
spiritual music, and just allow silence. A vegan myself, a healthy
diet is also part of that spiritual feeding. The retreat is a
smoke-free environment and a shoeless space as well.
I
have found that in order to write, I have to be in a space that
allows me the freedom to express. For me, that includes quiet,
focus, and a meditative state that invites my inner voice a place to
be honored and to be heard. I try to allow at least part of one day
a week to experience a “talking fast” so that I may rest my mind
and settle inward.
What
I offer personally at our Sharpsburg location is my background as an
artist. Although I am also an actor, acting teacher, talk show host,
and producer, what I bring to the retreat most fittingly is my
background as a writing instructor. I primarily work with
actor/writers who are interested in getting down on paper personal
stories that have been dancing around in their heads. My writer’s
workshops at the Los Angeles Women’s Theatre Festival have
facilitated writers in reaching down to the core of their being to
unveil memories that resonate in both personal and universal truth.
I have found sensory exercises that take the writer back to
childhood are a fertile source to unlock stories begging to be told.
In
Los Angeles, I have taught such workshops as “From Thought to
Pen,” “Connecting the Inner Dots.” and “From Page to
Stage.” In June of 2008, I will begin teaching solo writing
classes at the award-winning Alliance Theatre in Atlanta. I welcome
the opportunity to also serve my new bicoastal community as I begin
to build relationships within its artistic world.
The
progression of unleashing personal stories from the heart to the
page, and ultimately on stage, has been an extremely rewarding
journey for me. My own solo show, “I Am That I Am: Woman,
Black,” is a historical journey through time sharing the lives of
seven African American “sheroes” beginning from slavery with
Sojourner Truth to present times and concluding with Maya Angelou.
My one-woman show has zigzagged across close to forty U.S. states,
and has crossed the waters to the Caribbean, Europe, and Africa.
Though the stories in my one-woman show are not my own, they are
personal stories of women I admire and who inspire me.
My
first book, On My Own Terms:
One Actor’s Journey is slated for release this spring. A cross
between a memoir, an acting book, and an inspirational walk, I now
look forward to working with writers at our Sharpsburg retreat who
are also developing non-fiction narrative works.
I
welcome women of all genres of writing to The Writers’ Retreat in
Sharpsburg, Georgia. We will together give honor to the literary
word and celebrate the creative voice as we also learn from one
other.
You
may contact me directly at abarnes@writersretreat.com
or visit my Web site at www.writersretreat.com/georgia.htm.
===================================================
By
Julia Shipley
I
used to work at the Vermont Studio Center in Johnson, Vermont. Every
month fifty artists would arrive by plane, train, and automobile
with a suitcase full of ideas, and moments after unpacking, they
would begin to paint, sculpt, and write. I envied the painters. On
my way to the office, I would see them assembling their easels by
the river, brandishing their slender brushes like magic wands. I, on
the other hand, went into an austere room with the shade pulled down
to write after work. One night, during one of the communal dinners,
an artist boasted that he had spent the day painting water lilies on
Lake Lamoille. “What did you do?” he queried me. My cheeks
flushed. I had revised poems in my dim room. After the meal, I
trudged home and flung myself on the couch with a book. I spent the
evening reading Robert Bly who wrote, “It’s helpful if you are
writing about the pine to go to the pine, or if writing about a
tunnel go into the tunnel.” Ever since, I have noticed how
difficult it is to write poems sitting at a desk.”
I
realized that night, that I could “paint” my poems from life. I
could create my own “plein air” poems. So I began writing by the
waterfall and at the basketball game. I held my black pilot pen like
a sable brush and swished poems into my notebook. When winter came,
I began setting up “still life’s” to examine things at hand: a
piece of horn, an umbrella, a head of garlic, my father’s necktie,
etc. After writing half a ream of poems about things, I realized I
was participating in a well-established genre called the object
poem. Rilke wrote some of his most memorable poems about a Greek
sculpture, a panther, a vase of roses. He called this type of poem
“diggendicht” or “thing poem.” Francis Ponge, a French poet,
wrote a book of prose poems called “The Voice of Things.” In
this volume, his attention roves from snails and slabs of meat to
oysters and doorknobs. Robert Bly defines the object poem as a poem
that “playfully describes or praises more or less ordinary
things.”
For
those new to poetry, or paralyzed by the need to say something new
and profound in a poem, the object poem is a potent cure. The only
requirement is that the writer observe, discuss, and address the
object she has chosen. What a fantastic solution to writer’s
block: to begin by describing something small and near, perhaps a
potato, a skateboard, or a rubber duck.
Bibliography
Ponge,
Francis. The Voice of Things.
McGraw Hill: New York, 1972.
Bly,
Robert. News of the Universe.
Sierra Club Books: San Francisco, 1974.
Bly,
Robert. What Have I Ever Lost
By Dying? HarperCollins: New York, 1992.
Julia
is a poet and writer. She teaches creative and critical writing at
Sterling College in Vermont. As a Juried Artist with the Vermont
Arts Council, she offers workshops in Vermont’s schools,
libraries, and elder-care facilities in Poetry and Creative
Nonfiction.
Winner
of the 2006 Ralph Nading Hill Award, her work has appeared in Vermont
Life, Vermont’s Local Banquet, Northern Woodlands,
Hunger Mountain Magazine, Rivendell Magazine, among
others. Julia is currently completing a manuscript of object poems
titled, The Family of Things.
She
will open her writers’ retreat in Craftsbury, Vermont starting June 1,
2008.
===================================================
3. NEVER GIVE UP
By Mike Hoover
Well,
here we are looking at another season at The Writers’ Retreat in Oliver,
British Columbia, and it looks like it is going to be a great
year. Today I am on my way to Penticton to place some more books at
Okanogan Books, the independent bookstore on Main Street. I found
since publishing my first novel that my life has taken on a bit of
magic. First, when I finally overcame the annoyances of writing,
editing, and publishing a book, I found myself in a huge ocean of
books and not a clue of what to do.
The
first bit of magic was an agent who somehow came across my book and
offered me a contract (my first miracle). She submitted my
manuscript to many publishers but no takers. “So what the hell,”
I thought. “I’ll self publish, at least I’ll have a book and
no one can take that away from me.”
Then
from way out of my past I get a call to speak at a hockey fundraiser
(I didn’t even know that I was a member of the first junior hockey
alumni in North America). The main speaker at this fundraiser
just happened to be the most famous sports personality in
Canada and has his own national television show. And guess what? I
will be a guest on his show in a month or so! (Magic or miracle,
take your pick.) It will be up to me at that point to sell myself,
but this is what I believe writers must do. It is just not enough to
sit in front of your computer and bang out a hundred thousand words.
With 80,000 rejection slips printed in New York every year, you must
give it all you have and NEVER GIVE UP.
===================================================
4.
UPCOMING WORKSHOPS
MAKING
A GOOD SCRIPT GREAT
A three-day script clinic in Cascade, Colorado
“The
Writers’ Retreat in Cascade, Colorado, is a special experience.
You will have your treatment or script analyzed for half a day.
I spend about two hours on each project, and then we have
input from the other writers in the group who learn through analysis
of each other's work. Since we are a small group, we share lunches
and dinners together, and one of the dinners is at my home. Some of
you may choose to stay an extra day or two to write in the
mountains. This is one of the most beautiful places on earth,
and a high (in altitude and attitude) creative experience. I
look forward to working with you.” Linda Seger
Facilitator:
Linda Seger, author, and script consultant.
Date
to be confirmed: September or October 2008
Place:
Cascade, Colorado (Pikes Peak Region)
Description:
http://www.writersretreat.com/Makingagoodscriptgreat.htm
Online
registration: www.WritersRetreat.com/Workshopform.htm
Questions
and registration: E-mail
Linda Seger
WRITING
IS GOOD FOR THE SOUL
A three-day workshop in Folly Beach
Rarely
do writers have the opportunity to slow down and go within to reach
a wiser, deeper level. Spend three days on the beautiful Atlantic
Ocean and explore your connection to nature and creativity, and the
journey of your soul. Through guided imagery and spontaneous writing
exercises, you will be revived, renewed and ready to write
again.
Facilitator:
Mary Ann Henry, The Writers’ Retreat in Folly Beach, SC
Date:
October 17-19, 2008 – for beginning and seasoned writers
Place: Folly Beach, South Carolina
Description:
www.writersretreat.com/spiritualwriting.htm
Questions
and registration: E-mail Mary Ann Henry
===================================================
5.
KUDOS
Tricia
Callahan, a resident last summer at the Folly Beach retreat,
published her first piece in the March issue of Slice magazine. The
publication is available in several states (listing on Web site).
“Thank you for your retreat program,” says Tricia, “I’m not
sure I would have had the confidence to submit otherwise.”
===================================================
6.
A RETREAT: A WAY TO
CONNECT WITH YOUR VISION
We
now offer 10 open-all-year retreats in Canada, United States, Costa
Rica and Mexico.
Québec,
Canada (Headquarters)
Oliver,
British
Columbia, Canada
North
Lake Harbour, Prince Edward Island,
Canada
The
beautiful San Juan Mountains in Ouray, Colorado
Corralitos
near Santa Cruz, California
Folly
Beach,
South Carolina
Craftsbury,
Vermont opening June 1,
2008
Ojochal,
Costa Rica
Puerto
Vallarta on the Pacific Coast of México
Please
visit our Web site at www.WritersRetreat.com and click on one
of the locations for more details, or to reserve your private
studio.
If
you are contemplating a business opportunity in the literary world, contact
us today to learn more about starting and operating a
Writers’ Retreat in your area.
===================================================
Micheline Côté
The Writers’ Retreat
Telephone: (819)
876-2065
info@writersretreat.com
http://www.writersretreat.com
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