What better way to prepare for tomorrow’s Spring Equinox and celebration of Ostara than by spending a few days in the south of France getting to grips with words?
I love attending Wild Words retreats with Bridget Holding. It’s a wonderful opportunity to mix writing skills with nature in a way that has proved beneficial both for my writing but also for my general wellbeing. This is partly because it’s easy, when you work from home, to spend endless days in your PJs and not leave the house. Which tends to be my default setting if I’m not careful!
It is also a well known fact that us writerly types tend to work alone, so it’s important to attend events which facilitate discussion of your work to see how others view your carefully crafted scenes and see where you can improve. Writing can be solitary, yes, but I think it’s vital not to enclose yourself in a bubble all the time. We must learn and support each other.
Some of my highlights of this retreat are below. I hope you enjoy them. And, if you ever fancy joining us here in the gorgeous Occitanie region (previously Launguedoc-Roussillon), please get in touch with either Bridget or me on our Facebook page here.
Have you ever tried acting out a scene in your book? You’d be surprised at how many flaws come to light. Bridget’s invaluable skills as a screenwriter helped us identify when to concentrate on a character’s emotional state, and when to ‘zoom out’, like a camera, to describe their surroundings. Fascinating insight.
A rainy day means a writing day, and when you’re staying at someone else’s house, with no housework to do and no meals to prepare, there really is no excuse! I was so caught up in 14th century Italy, I barely noticed this was being taken…
The lake in Puivert is no less lacklustre in early spring than at the height of summer, but there were less people and the bar had mysteriously disappeared.
Walking always helps to blow away the cobwebs, especially on a blustery day. Cathie Dunn joined us from nearby Carcassonne for the day to concentrate on her current WIP. I’m glad she enjoyed the experience, and I hope to meet her again soon.
(Photo, L-R: Me, Bridget Holding, Cathie Dunn)
Thanks to Peter Reid at Blue Horizons for some of these wonderful photos.
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