The How to Get Started – Exercising Your Writing Skills is a one-day writing retreat intended to give you tools to get you started on your writing projects—new or old, in any genre—and to build writing practices into your daily life.
WHO IS THIS WRITING RETREAT FOR?
This writing retreat is for writers who:
a) want to make a creative writing a habit in their busy lives
b) have a writing project, in any genre, they’d like to begin but they don’t know how
c) have a writing project, in any genre, they started long ago, and they want to dive back into
d) have an idea for a single creative writing piece, in any genre, but need inspiration to begin
e) want to meet other writers
f) want to be part of a writing community
g) are curious about writing in general and want to learn
IF YOU THOUGHT, HEY THAT’S ME! TO ANY OF THIS LIST—THIS WRITING RETREAT IS FOR YOU!
WHAT WILL HAPPEN AT THIS WRITING RETREAT?
The retreat will begin promptly at 10:00 am at our creative and inspiring location with a smattering of yummy breakfast treats followed by brief introductions and an ice-breaker writing prompt. A lesson about how to make writing an everyday part of your creative life will ensue, including hand-outs and hands-on information. We will break for a stretch, then get back to education! Lunch will follow, and our afternoon will be filled with tools for diving into any writing project. Writing will happen in the afternoon! Please bring your work/project ideas so we can discuss them and relate to your personal writing experiences. We will break for a walk in a beautiful park, learning how to engage with nature for inspiration. Finally, we will share and discuss our goals for our writing lives beyond the retreat.
CONTACT
VANESSA – shieldsvanessa@gmail.com | CASSANDRA – cmcaverhill@gmail.com
REGISTRATION & COST TRANSPARENCY
The cost for this full-day writing retreat is $125.00 and is limited to 15 participants.
To register, please email Vanessa Shields at: shieldsvanessa@gmail.com. Please include any questions you may have and/or any financial concerns and payment transparencies you may have. To confirm your registration, payment can be made via e-transfer or cash. E-transfers can be sent to Vanessa’s email.
When you have paid, you will receive a welcome email confirming your spot, and other information regarding the retreat, including inquiries about accessibility and food concerns.
We have budgeted this cost to include light breakfast refreshments, a full lunch, supplies (print-outs/digital class info, fun stuff you receive as part of the session), marketing, and prep-and-teaching time. It is important to us that our time is valued and shown support for its value monetarily. Market research shows that the cost for this retreat is on the low-end compared to similar offerings. We are doing our best to be mindful of the challenges we all face when cultivating our creative lives as well as being realistic and respectful of our own time and expertise. Payment plans are possible.
POLICIES & FINE-PRINT
When the payment for the retreat is made, a full refund will only occur due to illness/extenuating circumstances communicated as soon as possible. PLEASE EMAIL IF YOU CANNOT MAKE THE RETREAT.
If you are ill, please let us know and do not attend the session. Safety and good health first!
There will be food and beverages available. If you have any food/health concerns, please let us know immediately.
If a payment plan has been confirmed, please follow it.
WHAT WILL HAPPEN DURING THIS PROMPT-A-THON
We will gather virtually for three hours of writing magic and fun! Led by Vanessa Shields and Cassandra Caverhill, writers will be given loads of fun writing prompts for all kinds of different writing styles—including but not limited to: poetry, prose, dialogues, scenes, humour writing, essays, word-play and more! Prompts will be timed—some speedy and under 3 minutes, some long over 10 minutes. We will have DANCE BREAKS where writers are welcome to get up and shake their thangs to stretch and move between writing prompts. Writers are welcome to keep their cameras on, but certainly don’t have to. Writers will keep their microphones OFF, unless in the break-out session when sharing. We will offer two break-out sessions where Cassie and Vanessa will lead a sharing and feedback session in a different Zoom room. Writers do not have to participate in a break-out session!
THIS VIRTUAL PROMPT-A-THON IS FOR WRITERS
a) want to wake up and write!
b) want to play and engage in unique writing prompts
c) love to dance!
d) want to share their writing and get some feedback
e) want to generate new writing
f) want to write with other writers virtually
g) want to feel community while writing
REGISTRATION
The cost of this prompt-a-thon is $35 and is limited to 30 participants.
Please register by emailing Vanessa at shieldsvanessa@gmail.com. Then, please pay the $35 cost via e-transfer. Once payment has been received, Vanessa will send you the Zoom link!
Payment via e-transfer will confirm your spot. If payment is not made by Friday, December 5th, you will not be allowed into the meeting.
POLICIES & FINE-PRINT
When the payment for the prompt-a-thon is made there will be no refunds.
If a payment plan has been confirmed, please follow it.
PLEASE BE KIND. ABSOLUTELY NO CRUELTY WILL BE TOLERATED.
COST TRANSPARENCY
We have budgeted this cost to include marketing and prep-and-teaching time. It is important to us that our time is valued and shown support for its value monetarily. Market research shows that the cost for this retreat is on the low-end compared to similar offerings. We are doing our best to be mindful of the challenges we all face when cultivating our creative lives as well as being realistic and respectful of our own time and expertise.