write for a week in a castle
Who is the Castle Writer's Retreat for?
This small group retreat is for writers who are either working on a project and could use the time without distractions to make significant progress on their piece, or for those who are just beginning and want some guidance through the process.
Writers of any type of work: fiction, non-fiction, travel writing, poetry, are welcome.
I've helped hundreds of writers hone their craft over the past 37 years, including many who have gone on to have their work published. My expertise is in the elements of story telling, writing strong prose, and breaking writer's block. Let me help you tell your story!
What is the focus of the program?
The goal is for each writer to make significant progress in their craft during the week from whatever level they started. Timathea works one-on-one with each writer to help them set their goals and sustain their progress during the week. She designs the evening talks and discussions based on the specific needs of the members of the group in real time.
Where is the workshop held?
Somerset, England, has an extraordinarily rich and varied literary heritage. Our group will be immersed in the same landscape and culture that inspired writers such as Jane Austen, T.S. Eliot, Worsdworth, Coleridge, Thomas Hardy, Virginia Woolf, John Steinbeck, JRR Tolkein, Daniel Defoe, Robert Louis Stevenson, Charles Dickens, Mary Shelley, Wilkie Collins, Oscar Wilde, Fay Weldon, Terry Pratchett, and JK Rowling … just to name a few!
Our first night together will be at a lovely hotel in Bristol, just a train ride from Heathrow Airport via Paddington, and the perfect place to start our drive to the castle the next afternoon, via sightseeing in the Georgian City of Bath, and a visit to the estate that inspired Northanger Abbey.
The remainder of our stay will be at a beautifully restored 240-year-old Gothic castle on the Somerset coast. This is a private castle, so there will be no other guests with us and we will be able to move throughout the rooms to find the perfect writing spots to suit our moods. The facilities are luxurious and the grounds are gorgeous. It is the perfect setting to transport writers into their imagination.
How is the program structured?
Much of our time at during the week is devoted to independent writing. There are plenty of rooms in the castle to inspire quiet time to dive deep into the writing process: by the curved oak bookcase in the library, the glass domed orangery, on a comfortable sofa by a Victorian fireplace, on a bench in the 10 acres of private garden, by a window in the octagonal tower, even down in the wine cellar if one wants to channel their inner Poe.
Mornings are unscheduled so that writers can follow their own writing practice.
Freshly baked croissants, homemade granola, fruit, yogurt, and fresh coffee will be available in the kitchen throughout the morning.
Lunch will be available in the kitchen at noon for writers to eat when it works into their individual schedules.
Afternoon Tea will be served between 3:00 - 4:00 pm.
Evenings begin with a delicious dinner prepared by a local chef and served in the formal dining room, after which the group will meet in the library to discuss a specific topic. Participants also have the option to share their work and receive helpful feedback.
Topics of discussion are chosen by Timathea and geared toward specific challenges the participants are facing in their work so that all writers may benefit from them. Subjects may include how to get past writers block, balance reality with a writer’s life, create strong openings, develop character, create tension, use sensory details, strengthen story, use language to control pacing and emotion.