Memoir retreat gang 2026!

A glorious weekend of sunshine for our Relax and Write Memoir Writing Retreat this year. Blue skies, towering gums, birdsong and leaves rustling and the feeling of being the only ones left on earth. Peace to write and learn, and best of all, connect with other writers.

Photos by me, and last by Maggie Brown

A recent survey revealed that what most writers crave most isn’t new tech, or writing education or feedback. What writers want most is other writers. A community of writers. Providing a safe place for writers to connect and form solid writing friendships has always been a focus of these retreats. And this retreat was a grand example of how spending a few days away together cements writing friendships faster than years of monthly meetings.

Photos by Maggie Brown

Writing can be a lonely business, but on retreat it’s easy to talk about our stories, to have our ideas heard, to feel seen and valued. Non-writers don’t really understand the dedication and years of work that goes into every book, memoirs in particular, or the courage it takes to say, “My life matters. My ideas count. I deserve to be heard”. Other writers get it! And will keep cheering you on until those stories that have haunted you are finally out of your head and onto the page.

Photos by Maggie Brown – last one by me.

We had a wonderful group, our beloved retreataholics leading the pack, and a whole lot of new writers, testing the waters, trying out their writing chops and escaping the pressures of daily life to hide in the mountains and write. We had a lot of Gold Coast Writers this retreat, who I hope will form their own ongoing writing gang to share work. Our precious Faye came all the way from New Zealand – the retreat a birthday gift to herself. Amelia’s hubby gave her the retreat for her birthday and Angela flew up from Melbourne in search of an affordable retreat. 

Relaxing is just as important as writing, which is why gentle morning movement and deep guided relaxations are a part of every retreat. As is nap time! All activities are optional so you can design your own retreat and either attend everything on offer for an intensive learning experience, or sleep in and attend just a couple of workshops to get some ideas, then enjoy a massage, or grab a cup of tea and some of Gay’s delicious treats, head out with a picnic rug and find a place to lie in the sun and journal, read or just lie down and rest. Other writers came along to finish works in progress. Go Georgina go! Happy to report that her first draft is now complete!

Photos by Maggie Brown

Sunshine for a whole weekend in the rainforest is a rare treat, and we made the most of it. Pademelons grazed undisturbed between writers gazing into the treetops. Daydreaming is an important skill for writers.

We feasted on delicious, healthy meals and treats made with love by our beloved Chief Cookie, memoir author Gay Liddington, whose powerful and uplifting book, Will I Ever Be Who I Am, sold like hotcakes on retreat! (You can buy a copy HERE)

Photos by Maggie Brown (and me)

Monique provided bodywork treatments that left us floating a little above the ground, and miraculously healed Jeanelle’s hip! Thank you Monique, for your gentle touch and the wisdom and healing you bring to these retreats.

Photos of kindy collages by me.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, it’s the people who attend these retreats that make them so special. As facilitator it gives me great joy to watch how women support and nurture each other. We cheer each other on and rush to help those struggling, not with story so much, but with the courage and confidence to tell it.

Each special soul who attended contributed to this beautiful weekend just by being themselves. It is a great privilege to bring these groups together. And in the grander scheme of things, I’m grateful that Dear Madman wasn’t published the first time it went to acquisitions in 2014, because if it had, I wouldn’t have created these retreats, which have become one of my life’s most satisfying and joyful achievements.

Happy campers with their collages. Traditional kindy photo to finish retreat. From top left: me, Anne, Angela, Katie, Faye, Sue, Helen, Liana, Jeanelle, Amelia, Bev, Rebecca and Shannon

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

‘Edwina’s tuition at the Relax and Write Retreats condenses book loads of info on how to write into a weekend that’s fun, relaxing and, for me, easy to take in.’

Vivienne Wynter, author of the forthcoming Sunny (Hawkeye Press)

‘A soul-warming, inspiring weekend of connection, learning and love.’

Shannon

‘I loved the supportive, inclusive atmosphere and left feeling nourished and inspired.’

Angela

‘I love the quiet setting and variety of spaces to read and write. Meeting so many other writers was a bonus. I was able to disconnect and made progress on my writing.’

Maggie

‘Relax and Write is a rewarding experience. Should to shoulder we sit with authors in all stages of writing and the encouragement is strengthening from uncommon places. You will leave nourished in so many ways, it is unfathomable.’

Helen

‘Edwina is a wealth of knowledge who is extremely generous with her time, suggestions and guidance to help you develop your craft. ‘

Jeanelle

‘Want to write a book? When you don’t think you can, let Edwina prove you wrong. A wonderful retreat in every sense of the word, nurturing, enlightening and filled with love and encouragement.’

Beverley Young, author.

Thank you all!

The next Relax and Write Writing Retreat is our Feedback and Revision, Second Draft Retreat for those with a major project underway. August 7- 9,2026. All the info HERE! Plenty of spaces still available but book in fast before the retreataholics fill it up!

My next memoir retreat is a Transformational Writing Retreat in collaboration with the indefatigable Kerstin Pilz, author of Loving my Lying Dying Cheating Husband, in beautiful Byron Bay – September 19 – 25/2026. Two teachers. Five nights in paradise. Writing workshops, yoga and movement sessions, pranayama and deep relaxation, sound bowl healing, special dance therapy session, tarot readings, feedback and a whole lot more! Check it out HERE. Bookings now open! Imagine relaxing and writing for five whole days. Who knows what could happen? All genders are welcome at Transformational Writing Retreats.

Thank you to all the very special women who came along to this first retreat since my burnout. I couldn’t have dreamt of a better gang to bring me back into retreat mode. Thank you to my darling chief cookie and retreat partner, Gay for all you do with such great love and kindness. Thank you to our special helpers too, Vivienne, Tash and Jill. You made everything run like clockwork. Love you all.

Thank you to all my wonderful, inspirational 2026 memoir retreaters, for your energy, enthusiasm, talents and willingness to share. Thank you most of all for having the courage to write your stories. The world needs the stories of working women, of mothers, grandmothers, wise elders, carers and survivors. 

With lots of love,

Edwina xx

Photos by Maggie Brown, Beverley Young and me.

PS. Dear Madman event at Books@Stones this Saturday 18/4/2026. 2 – 3pm. Think of a question to ask me! I’d love to see your smiling face. BOOK HERE.

Photo by Steve MinOn at my launch.

I’m still buzzing from the excitement and joy of the Dear Madman book launch at Avid Reader, a couple of weeks ago. The venue was sold out and we sold all the books in stock in the store (now restocked!) as well so it was a super successful event and I really felt the joy and love in the room. Thank you to all the loved ones, friends and supporters who shared their Friday night with me.

Some photos by Steve Minon, some by Gay Liddington (pictured above) and others. From top left, with Gay and Bev, Kris and I in action, Vivienne Wynter and Dear Madman, with Fiona Robertson and Nikki Mottram, Richard asking a question, with my beloved retreataholics, Tatia, Liana and Ava January, the crowd.

My Transformational Writing Retreats partner and writing buddy, Kerstin flew down from Cairns and others had travelled from both coasts and further afield to share this special night with me. 16 years of work. One night to celebrate. My dear friend Gay Liddington, author of her own powerful memoir Will I Ever Be Who I Am, and chief cookie on our local retreats, and her husband Phil stayed over and drove me into Brisbane and back and generally held my hand through the whole process.

Dear Kris Olsson, author of my model text Boy Lost and many other critically acclaimed books, has been my mentor for the last few years of this project so it was only right that she did the honours at the launch. She was on babysitting duty so we had her lovely granddaughter with us for the event, which was apt, given that children feature heavily in the story.

I could talk until the cows come home about this project so the time sped by, with fantastic questions from the audience too. Big thanks to all the question askers! And then the best bit, signing books and hugging everyone! It was a long line for signing and we ended up getting hurried out of Avid as the very sweet Eleanor needed to get home at a reasonable hour.

Dear Madman spotted in the wild at Rosetta Books, Maleny and with the unstoppable, Jo Skinner.

Since then, as it is with all writers, it’s back to the drawing board. Back to writing sentences and chopping words. Just as the old Buddhist saying says, Before enlightenment, carry water, chop wood. After enlightenment, carry water, chop wood, it’s the same for writers. Back to teaching at UQ with a new group of fresh faced eager beavers, back to working on edits and organising retreats, back to fiddling on my own multiple projects in process when I have the time.

Added into the mix though is the marketing and publicity aspects of having a new release – organising events and doing interviews and podcasts. So yes, I’m busy again! But intending to protect my health after burnout with more rest and less over-giving in the mix. So far so good!

UPCOMING EVENTS FOR DEAR MADMAN

Kerstin and I doing our Let’s Talk Writing podcast! Check out the podcast HERE.

SUNDAY 29 MARCH 2026

FREE ONLINE WORKSHOP and VIRTUAL BOOK LAUNCH FOR DEAR MADMAN – with Kerstin Pilz and me. Sunday 29 March 3pm – 4pm ALL WELCOME!

Here’s one for my far flung friends.

WRITING THE ANCESTORS workshop, covering how to create characters in memoir, particularly for family stories but applicable to all writing really.

Join us SUNDAY 29 MARCH at 3 pm for a fun one hour online launch and workshop designed to get you writing, and laughing a bit too.

JOIN THE ONLINE LAUNCH HERE at 3pm (or a bit before) SUNDAY 29 March 2026! YAY! ZOOM LINK.

April 18 – 2pm- 3:30 pm – Books@Stones BOOK HERE – In conversation with the incredible Fiona Robertson, author of If You’re Happy and a dear friend who knows the book very well. FREE – But do book in.

April 26 Sunday – 11am – 12 midday – Queensland Police Museum – Roma Street I don’t have a link yet but will add it as soon as I do. I’m excited about this one because I can delve into the real nitty gritty of the case with crime experts!

May 2 – 10:30am – 11:30am – The Book Bouquet here in Ipswich, Queensland. I’ll be joined by the lovely Gay who also knows this book almost as well as I do. Beautiful new bookstore here in Ippy. Come along local friends! No link to book yet but coming!

May 9 – 10:30am- 12 midday – Rosetta Books in Maleny for the Sunshine Coast hinterland crew Joined once more by long time Maleny local and much loved features writer for The Hinterland Times. No link yet but put it in your calendar.

If your local bookstore would be interested in hosting an event, or you’d like me to come and visit your bookclub, just drop me a line! (I love signing books!)

REVIEWS

Vivienne Wynter, dear friend and editor of the very fine online magazine The Pineapple has written a fabulous review. You can read the whole review HERE.

And here’s another beauty from critically acclaimed author and all round beautiful person Cass Moriarty. READ HERE.

Lots of wonderful reviews are going up on Goodreads too. READ HERE

Every review helps make the book more visible.

Every time you tell a friend about it helps too.

Lovely Eleanor at Avid Reader would love to sell you a copy!

Huge big hugs and thank you’s to all of the lovely people doing reviews and spreading the word, helping me get Dear Madman in front of the people who will get most from it. LOVE YOU GUYS!

A book, not just about murder, but about forgiveness and healing through compassion. Let’s make forgiveness and healing viral!

Hope I get to see your smiling face at a Dear Madman event soon. Think of a question to ask me!

With lots of love and best wishes for your own writing projects finding their way in the world,

Edwina xx

PS. We still have 2 rooms left for our Blissful Bali Retreat June 24 – July 2, 2026, including a private bungalow! Does it have your name on it? Let me know!

One week until my true crime memoir, Dear Madman, is officially launched into the world at Avid Reader. YAY! To say it’s been a long time coming is an understatement. Not for want of trying, either. Over the past twelve years, Dear Madman has been submitted hundreds of times and even made it to a few acquisitions meetings with big publishers, but never quite made it over the line. 

As all writers know, rejection is part of the job description. What non-writers don’t know is just how much each rejection hurts. A LOT. I knew this project was good – compelling, dark yes, but with a kind and hopeful heart – and couldn’t understand what was stopping publishers taking that last step and accepting it for publication. The decision usually came down to the marketing folk not being able to see where it fitted on bookshelves. HINT: The memoir section! Or True Crime! Two for the price of one.

I was first told about the man who killed my beloved Nana’s sister when I was a child. Since then, I’ve carried this story, always in the back of my mind. Trying to make sense of it, to shape it into a story, to create meaning from this senseless tragedy, seeking a way to understand it and the man himself so I could attempt the forgiveness rejected by my forebears. 

The story weighed heavily upon me, and I knew I had to be an experienced writer to attempt it. I also had to wait, until Nana and her generation had all passed. Nana’s been gone 30 years and her sister, the last of them, 24. All my life, whenever I tried to write the story or drew another picture of a girl with blood in her hair, my mother told me, “Whatever you do, don’t show Nana.” So I waited and carried the darkness of this story with me through life.

In 2010, I finally gave myself permission to start researching the truth behind the family myth. What I discovered took me down many deep rabbit holes and revealed a story with more twists and turns than the river that ran through the family farm where Nana grew up. Four years later, I took a suitcase stuffed with 15 kilos of printed research materials to Varuna House in the Blue Mountains where I’d been awarded a second book fellowship, determined to write my memoir. 

However, once I started to write another stronger voice demanded to be heard – the voice of the murderer. He was so loud and insistent he would have stolen the story for himself, so I made the decision to also include the multiple voices of Nana and her siblings and parents. I wanted to bring back to life the little girl who’d been murdered so young, to free her from the darkness that had entangled her with the bad man forever. After two weeks on retreat, I emerged with a full first draft – a novel recreating the events of the crime.

After this novelistic version failed to fly, I wrote an extended memoir piece talking about my research and what I’d discovered and the meaning I’d created from this tragedy. I intended to publish this separately as a companion piece as Kate Grenville did with her, Searching for The Secret River. That didn’t work either. 

More rejections. Argh they hurt! But year after year I kept scraping myself back up off the floor, continued teaching writing and started running writing retreats to share all I’d learnt. 

Then in the early 2020s I attended my friend, the incredibly talented writer, Kristina Olsson’s memoir course at QWC. Her award-winning book Boy Lost had been my model for Dear Madman, especially the way Kris had recreated scenes from her mother’s life. After the course, I met up with Kris and asked for her help with Madman. All those rejections had brought me very low. I was back down on that mat, and the referee was already at eight by the time I saw Kris. She reached a hand down to drag me back up to try again. Thank you Kris!

More drafts. I stopped counting how many after ten years. More submissions. All requested full reads. Agents loved it but didn’t know where to try (a hard ask as I’d tried just about every trade publisher in Australia), publishers read and sent brief, “not for me” messages without any further feedback. Another draft. Another rejection or two. 

Until I’d had enough and called my friend Matthew Wengert at AndAlso Books who published both Queersland and Bjelke Blues. Hooray for the little guys who are willing to take a gamble on a powerful story. 

British artist Tracy Enim once famously said, “If you can’t open the door, smash it down!” So with Matthew and his team on board, that’s what we’re setting out to do. I’ve been writing solidly these past 24 years and submitting to big Australian trade publishers the whole time. No matter how hard I tried, that door wouldn’t open. So now I’m blasting it down!

But for that door to really be smashed to smithereens, I need your help. Reviews, recommendations to friends, requests from your local bookstore, pre-orders, blog posts, social media photos – each small action will help the magic start to work. For months now my Heavenly Support Team has been cheering and partying up there like something wonderful has happened. Hopefully they’re right!

If you’d like to pre-order a copy you can do so HERE.

The launch on Friday March 6 is officially booked out but I have other events coming up. 

APRIL 18/2026 2 pm: Dear Madman, in conversation with the super lovely and talented Fiona Robertson at Books@Stones. Book HERE

APRIL 26/2026 11 am: Dear Madman at the Police Museum in Roma Street (Ha! Last time I was there was under very different circumstances!! Joh era). No link to the event, as yet.

How long does it take to write a book? As long as it takes! 

I held a copy of Dear Madman for the first time on my birthday last week. It felt good. Very good. Relief initially, but as the days have passed I’ve experienced a great lifting of this dark burden, a new lightness being born within me. 

At last, this story I’ve carried most of my life is out of my head. I no longer need to bear its weight. Now it’s outside me in a book I can put down and pick up again. A book that is born and is now in the hands of you, the reader (and the heavenly support team). Phew!

Thank you for travelling this long road with me. I hope you’ll enjoy the fruits of my labours. See you at one of the events, I hope! Come and say hello. 

Lots of love,

Edwina xx

Are you writing a memoir? Read on!

Memoirists are the bravest of writers. They must dig deep into their experiences and hearts to create meaning from the stories of their lives, then expose that tender belly to the world. Publishing a memoir is like stripping off all your clothes, even your skin, and running naked, vulnerable and raw in front of everyone you’ve ever known and lots of people you don’t. It takes guts! Writing of any sort is an act of courage – see my post The Courage to Create, but memoir and all writing inspired by our own emotions and deepest secrets, takes the courage of a child facing a nightmare monster. 

Do it anyway!

The world needs more truth. In this age of lies and AI fabrications and hallucinations, only the truth of lived human experience has weight and import. We are all so similar, humans haven’t changed much in what we need and feel in millennia, and yet each of us, like every blossom or leaf on a tree, is different. Unique and original, shaped by all who came before us and every moment that has impacted upon our life stories. 

Don’t stay awake all night thinking about your story! Get it out of your head and onto the page

Capturing that unique spirit and experience of life to share with others is a precious gift. Through sharing the truths of our lives in writing, we connect heart to heart, mind to mind, in a way that can reach across generations and time itself. 

Write! Write your truth and don’t be afraid.

Over my work with many memoirists over the past two decades of writing and editing, I’ve learnt I’m not the only one who finds putting my deepest heart on display in my work difficult. I’m essentially an intensely private person. Only a very few of my oldest friends and my siblings, really know all of me. In my writing, I’ve always preferred the disguise of fiction – I like to think of it as a cloak of invisibility. Thrill Seekers is autobiographical fiction, or really, thinly disguised memoir. And most of my writing has followed that same method. I call it the “chicken’s way out”. My Guide Through Grief has snippets of memoir, but mostly I am telling the reader I’ve been through stuff too, so I know what grief feels like. I didn’t write in scenes. I wasn’t brave enough to force myself and my readers to experience those losses again in real time. 

You can purchase a copy directly from me HERE – let me know if you’d like me to sign it for you, or someone else.

Writing in scenes allows the reader to feel and experience life events just as you lived them. The imagination is powerful and can’t distinguish between reality and the imagined. Every time we read and feel the emotions stirred in us by a book, we are partaking in the life of those characters. Living other lives than our own. How exciting! 

But another aspect to the ‘I’ voice in memoir plays an important role – reflection in hindsight, creating meaning from the chaos of life’s random rollercoaster ride. Both scenes and reflection from ourselves looking back at that scene and creating meaning, seeing patterns, asking questions, examining and releasing, are essential components of memoir writing.

THE TWO ‘ME’s in MEMOIR

1. PREVIOUS ME – When writing scenes, we must go back and see ourselves as separate from who we are now. Who were you when this experience happened? Can you see yourself from the outside? Often photos are a good way to ease into seeing your past self more objectively. Then we need to create a character from our previous selves, warts, beauty spots and all. A character that is as well painted as every other in our story. More so, as the writer is the protagonist. 

Exercise: Close your eyes and remember a scene where you are sitting around a table, eating dinner or breakfast or playing a board game, or having a family or house meeting. Previous You interacting with others. What are you doing? What are you wearing? How do you fit in with the group? Are you speaking? What are you saying? How do you act?

Now try writing that scene in third person, treating yourself as the protagonist. 

A glamorous version of wise me now

• WISE ME NOW – This is the voice of the writer as you are now, looking back, examining yourself and situations with the benefit of hindsight, creating meaning from the chaos. After writing a scene where you SHOW us exactly what happened and who you were in the past, even if your actions were shameful, then take a pause and shift into Wise You Now to reflect upon the scene, and how it impacted upon you. What questions does it raise? What behaviours do you now see the reasons for? What patterns did this scene create in your life? How does this scene feed into the greater narrative you’re creating? What meaning can you glean?

Exercise: Write a short piece of reflection – a paragraph or two, reflecting on the scene around the table you’ve just written. What did it make you think? Feel? Understand? How did this experience shape you? Can you see a greater pattern? Find some meaning? Ask yourselves questions on the page too. Is this really how it was? How could it have been different? How am I different?

These TWO MEs interweave throughout a memoir and together they create not just a story of your life, but a way of interpreting that life and sharing your hard-won wisdom with others. Vivian Gornick talks about this in her book The Situation and The Story. She says that The Situation is the events of the past we recreate in scenes, but that The Storycomes from the writer’s choice of those events, reflection and meaning creation. See also my post The Benefit of Hindsight.

DEAR MADMAN

When I first started researching and writing Dear Madman (my forthcoming historical true crime memoir) my intention was for it to be a memoir. But once I started writing, the voice of the murderer demanded to be heard, and what I wrote that first draft, was a novel recreating the events leading up to the crime and its aftermath. I’d tried to hide myself once again, the old “chicken’s way out”.

But after attending workshops with the brilliant, generous and talented Susan Johnson and Kris Olsson, I realised that my Wise Me Now voice was essential to interpret and create meaning from the meaningless murder. In order to share all I’d learned in my research and through the process of writing the recreation, and to reflect upon the intergenerational impact of violent crimes, I needed to be there. Me. No chickening out! Bugger it!

At first, I wrote a separate text – an essay titled “In Search of the Shadow Man and the Nature of Forgiveness”, but eventually I realised the essay needed to be a part of the main story. That I was a character in my book, as much as the murderer was. So I interwove my reflections and insights throughout the fictionalised recreation of events and took the path of courage.

Writing this book has almost killed me. I have carried the story of the murder of my Nana’s sister since I was a child, trying to make sense of it, to find a way to understand why such an awful thing would happen. I am beyond excited that finally this story is written and is being published by AndAlso Books in March 2026. YAY! At last. After beginning to write this book in earnest back in 2010, I can now give this story to others and free myself from it, forever.

So dear, brave memoirist, I understand your hesitance about putting yourself into the story, but you need to be there.

Soon you’ll be off and flying – writing your truth and feeling free!

Have courage. Speak your truth. Write your story!

Have you got any tips for memoir writing and creating a character from yourself? Do share them in the comments. I love hearing from you.

Hope to see you at the launch! (subscribe to my newsletter for more launch details)

Lots of love

Edwina   xx

My new headshot for the book! What do you think?

Patrizia, Bec and Jenny busily cleaning up their sentences at our Italian retreat!

When we write our first drafts mostly we’re pouring words out in a frenzy, carried away by the story unfolding in our heads and getting it onto the page. Sentence structure doesn’t matter, or grammar or repetition, we’re busy creating the stone we’ll use to carve and sculpt our story. After this initial flurry and all the joy of creation, the real work of writing begins, rewriting — doing that sculpting and refining to shape and polish our stories to publishable standard. Writing is rewriting.

Whether you’re writing a short piece or something longer these 5 easy tips will help strengthen your writing.

1. Cut the total word count by ten percent.

Yes, I know this may have you weeping and gnashing your teeth. I certainly felt this way when one of my earliest mentors Judith Lukin-Amundsen told me to do so. But she’d edited Tim Winton and Kate Grenville, so I wasn’t going to argue. My 90 000 word MS had to lose 9000! The easiest way to do this is by cutting whole chapters or scenes that aren’t moving the plot forward, any characters that are only echoes of others or who can be conglomerated with another. EG only one best friend, not three. Write up a scene list and see what can go. We don’t need scenes recounting what went on in a previous scene, unless the perspective is completely different or we have new information. See here for how to do a scene list.

2. Cut the first and last sentence of every paragraph.

I can hear the screams from here! No! Not my fabulous opening line!

This is another tip from Judith L-A. You don’t have to take it literally, but you do need to look at every paragraph under a microscope to see what can go. 

Have you written your way into the heart of what you wanted to say with some unnecessary set up?  Is a character thinking back to an event that’s just happened? CUT. Did you get carried away by the beauty of your own words with a fancy last sentence at the end of every paragraph? Cut most so the best one shines. Make sure every sentence is contributing and not just repeating information we already have.

Just don’t cut off any thumbs!

3. Cut all backstory or research dumps.

Take a good look at your story, especially the opening after your hook, to check if you’re guilty of a backstory dump. This is a chunk of writing TELLING the reader all about your character (or your family history if doing memoir) in one big block. Instead, cut it and put aside to use for your own information and to weave through in snippets, revealing information a little at a time when relevant to the unfolding plot, without dragging us back into the past. 

If you’re writing family history or historical fiction your MS may also be suffering from research dumps. These should be addressed similarly to the backstory dump, no matter how fascinating your discoveries. Intersperse research details as the story is being told, through the specific sensory details and settings where your characters are taking action.

4. Bring the reader as close as you can to the lived experience of your characters.

Cut all “can feel/hear/see/smell”. Instead of Sophie could feel the rain falling gently, use The rain fell gently on Sophie’s face, bringing the reader closer to the sensation. Not He could hear the roar of the plane’s engines, but The plane’s engines roared.

Fabulous old cemetery church in Sicily. Bury all those dead sentence openings!

5. Cut all dead sentence openings.

There is/was and It is/was are known as dead sentence openings, filler words that aren’t contributing and can almost always be trimmed from your sentences. For example: There is an old car in the driveway, can be changed to An old car lies rusting in the driveway. Take a good close look at all your sentences that begin with there are/is etc. and see if you can find a better way to structure them.

I hope these tips are useful and you can see immediately how your writing improves. Remember, less is always more. Leave room for your readers. Space on the page and between scenes can reveal more of the story that spelling everything out. CUT CUT CUT!

For more information on writing clearer, stronger prose see THIS POST.

Good luck! Rewriting has a joy of its own.

REMEMBER I have an Online Memoir and Life Writing Course coming up in January and February 2026. Six weeks of workshops, with feedback on your writing. Make 2026 your year to get stuck into that story that needs to be told. All the info HERE. Not writing from life? I have a series of recorded workshops to get you off to a great start too. Info HERE.

Lots of love,

Edwina xx

Have a wonderful festive season!

Ever since Kerstin and I first saw photos of Terzo Di Danciano we felt drawn to hold a retreat there. The restored hilltop fortress looked like something out of a fairytale, filled with magic. Perfect for a writers’ retreat. But on our way, as we drove further and further into the remote forested hills of Tuscany bordering Umbria we wondered if perhaps we’d made the right decision. If it was too far from the crowds, if we’d be isolated, trapped like princesses in that tower.

But as soon as we arrived and our delightful hosts, Krizsti and Luca, carried our bags up to our rooms and showed us around, we knew we’d found somewhere very special indeed. Every room is beautiful in its own way, some with Luca’s original artworks decorating the walls, some with restored frescoes, Anna’s door resplendent with angels. Sleek, modern, heated bathrooms, air-conditioning in every room, crisp ironed sheets and fresh flowers from the garden on the writing desks ticked every box. Magnificent views over the surrounding hills and valleys brought light and joy from every window. 

The yoga shala, in the converted barn, is every yogin’s dream. The floor in the shala has wide weathered wooden floorboards, polished and worn from use. Huge arched windows let in the sun and views and newly installed heating ensured we were toasty warm even on the coldest mornings.

Downstairs from the fully equipped yoga room is the sublime spa. I thought I didn’t like saunas. I probably hadn’t had one for a couple of decades, but the twin saunas here – one steamy, the other infrared – made a huge difference to my enjoyment of the retreat. Usually, I’m working so hard I forget to relax and enjoy myself, but every afternoon I headed to the saunas and bubbling spa bath and emerged refreshed and renewed. I don’t know the science behind saunas, but it certainly felt like my whole nervous system was being soothed and rebooted. I’m hooked!

The main teaching rooms and dining hall cover the main floor of the converted barn, a huge pine fire roaring in the fireplace far into the night. Comfy lounges in cosy corners were perfect for chatting with other writers. We had tables to work at and Sergio and Anne-Claire and the team in the kitchen serving us delicious meals every few hours. But the breakfast room tops the lot. A recent addition to the centre, this stunning glass-walled suntrap makes the most of the stunning location and every morning we tramped down from yoga to find a sumptuous buffet of fruit, cereals, smoked salmon, cheeses and ham, breads and just about everything imaginable on your dream breakfast menu.

Most days when we woke, we looked out the windows to a sea of cloud below us, blanketing the valley as we princesses on the hill stretched and drank in the beauty as the sun came out and bathed us all in soft golden light. Yoga, breakfast, then a break before our daily workshops. With writers ranging from newbies to those with published books under their belts, we adjusted writing activities and content accordingly. Small feedback groups and genre buddies formed organically as writers met up in the afternoons to share work and run ideas by each other, if they weren’t writing up a storm on their own, that is. With only nine participants Kerstin and I had plenty of time to discuss projects with our guests, one on one, and I really enjoyed pulling tarot cards for everyone to help them grow, not only as writers but as people. I even pulled cards for our lovely hosts.

Highlights of the week include a fun excursion to Cortona, to St Francis’s hermitage, St Margarita’s spectacularly beautiful church and the long steep walk down the Roman roads into the ancient town, where some of us may have gone a bit art crazy and bought up big. Gelatos to top off the day, then home again. Lovely Bec had rented a car and led a smaller excursion to Assisi which was heartily enjoyed by those who went. Thank you Bec!

We had a ball at Sergio’s cooking class too, some more professional pasta makers than others, but all good eaters. However, when Sergio sang sad love songs on our live music night, he claimed a little of our hearts. The band was fantastic and before we knew it, we were all up dancing. What a ball we had! Patrizia showed us some fancy salsa moves, Anna swinging with her, the rest of us releasing our best disco moves (some unused for decades). Such fun! I’m just glad no footage survives of my shimmying. But boy, we had a good time.

This retreat was really something special. Even as facilitators, Kerstin and I emerged after our week of yoga, writing workshops, saunas, spas, massages and excursions feeling rested and replenished. I loved seeing people light up with epiphanies about their projects (and their lives), thousands of new words being written and new writing friendships developing. 

As always, we finished retreat with collages to shine light on our ways forward, working with images instead of words, planting seeds for the futures and books we’d like to create. 

With seven nights together, we really bonded as a group, and it was hard to say goodbye as everyone headed off on their own adventures (there were many!). For days after these retreats, people’s energies and writing projects stay with me. So from afar I send them bum glue, persistence, patience and creative epiphanies to bring their book dreams to life.

For a while Kerstin and I were so enamoured with Terzo Di Danciano we were determined to return in 2026 – until we regained our senses and realised we’re only human and need more time. 

So instead, we’ve booked back in to Terzo Di Danciano for the next Incredible Italy Writing Retreat for October 1- 8, 2027.  Details to be updated soon. If you’re super keen drop me a line and I’ll bags a spot for you before we even open for bookings!

That will give everyone enough time to save up, because let’s face it Europe is far and Euros expensive. BUT boy oh boy was it worth it? YES!! All the info HERE!

If you’ve always dreamed of your own Tuscan writing getaway, come and join us at this heavenly retreat centre in 2027. We’d love to share this magical place and all the inspiration and heart healing of retreat with you. Put yourself and your writing dreams into these pictures. I can’t wait to share it with you! More on the 2027 retreat HERE.

With special love to our wonderful retreaters who made this inaugural Italian retreat such a joy. Love you guys!

Lots of love

Edwina  xx

NEED HELP WITH YOUR WRITING?

Whether you’re writing memoir, personal essays or autobiographical fiction this affordable 6 week comprehensive introduction to the craft of writing from life has you covered. From putting the ‘me’ into memoir, to using the techniques of fiction to create a compelling narrative from your life experiences, this course provides all the craft knowledge and practice you need to create moving and meaningful stories. 

Get those stories out of your head and onto the page. Free yourself from the repeat cycle of long-held dramas replaying and get words on paper. Watch your writing grow from anecdotes to fully formed narratives. Create meaning from your experiences and shape your stories into publishable works of art.

SIX WEEK ONLINE COURSE TO HELP YOU GET GOING!

This 6 week course starting in January 2026, facilitated by award winning author and experienced writing teacher, Edwina Shaw (that’s me ), will provide you with all the tools you need to make your writing sing. Connect with other writers on the same journey and share work in small feedback groups during the course. The course fee also includes professional feedback on your writing from Edwina.

WRITING FROM LIFE ONLINE COURSE OUTLINE

This affordable, fun and interactive online course will be held using ZOOM and runs on Monday evenings from  Monday January 12 until Monday February 16, 6 pm until 7:30 pm. 

Classes will be recorded and sent to all participants if you have to miss one, but you’ll get the most out of the course by attending live.

WEEK 1:  Monday, January 12, 6pm – 7:30 pm

Anecdote VS Story – What is Life Writing? What makes a story? What stories do you want/need to tell? Autobiography VS Memoir. Memoir VS Autobiographical Fiction. Create meaning from the stories in your life and shape them to build compelling narratives.

WEEK 2: Monday January 19, 6pm – 7:30 pm

Putting the ME in MEMOIR – All life writing requires you to step up as the main character. How do you put yourself into the story? Previous You and Wise You Now, making sense of experiences and creating meaning. Techniques and tricks to help you write about yourself without going mad.

WEEK 3: Monday January 26, 6pm – 7:30 pm

Writing in Scenes – Use the techniques of fiction and write in scenes using setting, characters, conflict and dialogue to make your reader experience the past with you. Don’t just tell them about it, show them. How? By writing in scenes. A step by step guide to creating scenes that work. 

SUBMIT a short scene to 500 words for feedback from Edwina 

WEEK 4: Monday February 2, 6pm – 7:30 pm

Characters in Life Writing – How do you write about real people? Carefully! Compassion is key. We’ll cover the ethics of memoir and how to create composite characters from the cast of thousands in your life. Using specific sensory details to develop characters quickly. 

WEEK 5: Monday February 9, 6pm – 7:30 pm

Setting and Dialogue in Life Writing – Where and when is your story set? How can you use these settings to add depth and conflict? Use dialogue to bring your scenes to life. Differentiate each character through their words. Actions versus what they say. Techniques for effective dialogue, plus formatting tips.

Where could following this path lead you?

WEEK 6: Monday February 16, 6pm – 7:30 pm

Structuring your story. Find the central quest or question of your story and shape your narrative around it. Learn about the importance of secrets and suspense to keep your reader engaged. Use structure to manipulate the events of your life to make it compelling reading. Plus Publishing Pathways for Life Writing.

SUBMIT a short memoir piece/essay/or chapter to 1500 words for feedback from Edwina.

The course will include weekly reading tasks, worksheets, homework exercises and interaction with others in small feedback groups (optional). The online sessions will be live, starting at 6 pm on Monday nights and will include writing exercises, information sharing and Q & A. You’ll have Edwina on tap so ask away!

REVIEWS FROM THE LAST ONLINE COURSE (now available to purchase as recordings only)

“Edwina, thank you for your course. So simple and yet so full of wisdom, guidance and learning.” 

Ian Minns – course participant 2023

“EDWINA is a great teacher of the craft of writing. Her style is a gentle approach and always enthusiastic, encouraging the students along, affirming and inspiring. The subject matter in this recent set of workshops is full to the brim of useful information to make the writer’s task that much easier and self-aware of their style. Ed is generous with her knowledge and eager to share. I recommend doing Edwina’s workshops if you are starting out or you just need a kick-start to get all fired up and enthusiastic about your already started projects, sitting gathering dust! Well worthwhile.”

Kerry Parkes – Course Participant 2023

COST for this comprehensive introduction to the craft of writing from life?

6 LIVE ONLINE classes, each 1.5 hours (exclusive content recordings available to keep and refer to) including handouts, readings and helpful links.

Feedback on two pieces of writing.

Small feedback groups (optional)

$300

All for only $300!! Yes, not thousands, just $300 to make a start on your dream of putting your stories on the page at last. I know finding money to spend on yourself can be tricky, which is why I aim to make my retreats and courses as affordable as possible. 

Places are strictly limited to 15, so book now to avoid disappointment.

BOOK YOUR PLACE HERE

Payment plans are available for those not so flash with cash. CONTACT ME and we’ll work something out.

Join me to start 2026 with a BANG! Let’s get this Life Writing party started and help you get those stories out of your head and onto the bookshelves!

Any questions? Just ask. Drop me a line.

Lots of love,

Edwina xx

At the Queersland launch with our hostess Evalyn Eatdith and my co-editor Rod Goodbun

Woohoo! You’ve written your book, it’s been published, now all you have to do is sit back and rake in the big bucks! Right? 

Wrong. 

Marketing and promoting your book are a job in themselves – actually a few people’s jobs. All writers would be well advised to do some kind of marketing course because even if you publish with a major publisher who LOVES your book, they’re only going to put their marketing team behind it for a maximum of a month. Yes, that’s right, a month. Then they move on to their next big release. 

Sally holds a copy of Queersland open to her story!

We authors are the ones who are most passionate about these stories we have worked on for years, so it’s up to us to ensure the people who would love to read it, find out it exists. Read more MARKETING TIPS here. And here is some advice on DISTRIBUTION for those publishing with a small press with limited distribution, or independent publishers. 

Marketing your book starts with giving your book baby a beautiful birth into the world with a book launch. I love book launches – they’re the best party ever, because it’s celebrating so much hard work done in solitude, hidden within our computer files, unloved and unseen. 

And then THE LAUNCH – finally the world can see you haven’t gone crazy, you weren’t just eating chips in front of the telly all that time, you were writing. Writing a wonderful book, a book you can now hold in your hands and share with others. Congratulations. 

A successful launch sells a lot of books and gets your publication off to a good start. A book launch is not just a party celebrating all your hard work, but also a powerful marketing tool. A successful launch creates buzz around your book and may even get you on your local bookstore’s best seller list, which is a thrill, but more importantly, brings your work to the attention of more readers. 

So how to create a successful launch?

Here are my…

SIX EASY STEPS TO A SUCCESSFUL BOOK LAUNCH!

1. Book a venue – depending on your purpose this can be a bookstore or somewhere else. We launched Queersland at a local gay bar so we could fit in more people, as we knew with 35 contributors we’d have a big crowd. 

When you launch at an independent venue, if you are self-published, you get to keep all the profits from book sales, rather than 40% per copy going to the bookstore. My dear friend Gay Liddington launched her memoir Will I Ever Be Who I Am at her local community centre because of the work they do with DV support. 

BUT if you want to get your street cred as a writer up, then bite the bullet, pay the fee and launch at your nearest independent bookstore (or local equivalent).

Wherever you launch, unless you score a special deal or you launch at home, you’ll have to pay a fee for hiring the venue.

Nick Earls and the panel of readers at the Bjelke Blues launch in 2019.

2. Find someone to launch your book. The person who hosts your event should be able to help bring in a crowd and be experienced in hosting events like this, lively, engaging and intelligent. Ask your most famous writing friend or alternatively someone who is knowledgeable about your book’s topic or theme. I hosted Gay’s launch, and we also invited her ex-commanding officer from her time in the army to do the official launching. For Queersland our hostess was the fabulous Evalyn Eatdith, drag artist – the perfect host for a queer event.

Come up with a list of questions you’d like to be asked to help stimulate discussion. Make the conversation interesting and ensure it drives interest in the book. Organise the discussion and readings to engage the audience’s emotions. Make them laugh and make them cry.

Our hostess with the mostest at the Queersland launch, drag performer, Evalyn Eatdith

3. Invite other readers/Select good sections to read: If you’re launching an anthology featuring the work of many writers – like Queersland and Bjelke Blues, this is super easy. Pick a variety of readers to give an overview of the book and get them to stick to two minutes maximum. Two minutes (or shorter) is a good length for readings in these days of shortened attention spans. 

If the book is only yours, I recommend interspersing short readings with an interview that illustrates your main themes and the narrative’s trajectory, without giving too much away. 

If you’re shy, consider asking other writers you know to do short readings as well. That will give them a leg up, and also boost numbers as they’ll bring along friends and family to hear them read. 

PRACTISE your readings. It’s all well and good until you start to read in front of a crowd – then the emotion hits. So practise until you know your well-chosen sections by heart. Stand tall, read loudly and with emotion. Vary the cadence of your voice and remember to look up at the audience sometimes. Slow down. When we’re nervous we tend to speed up. Don’t be afraid of emotional scenes – showing emotion will help sell books!

Our talented readers from the Queersland launch. Steve MinOn, Ollie Lanagan, Shane Rowlands, Odette Best and Stevie Velour.

4. Make the launch free or cheap. People who have had a free drink and an entertaining show are much more likely to buy a book. These days some established bookstores are charging quite a hefty entry fee for launches, without providing much in the way of snacks or beverages. I always pay the venue up front so my launch is free for punters, so they have more cash left to buy my book. That’s the aim, after all.

5. Make your launch a special event. Call on friends with talent – a local guitar player, your friend who sings, some interpretive dance perhaps, a video maker, any performance or music will help lift the atmosphere to party level. That’s what you want for a memorable launch. Music, images, fun and food. You can create a playlist of music that resonates with your book, show a slide show of related images, raffle off prizes, find ways to involve the audience and get them laughing (and/or crying).

Feed your readers too. For Bjelke Blues and Queersland I made a few cheese platters, and we provided a free drink with the entry fee. Gay baked enough delicious biscuits and cakes to feed a small army for her launch. Lubricate those impulse spending neurons with fun, food and a glass of wine.

Gay, Kylie and Mary with Gay’s launch table packed with treats!

6. Tell everyone about it – EVERYONE! Make sure you spread the word about your book and the launch well in advance. Even if the launch is free, you can create an event on Facebook or on Eventbrite or some other online entity for people to register to attend. Email anyone who’s had input into your writing and invite them personally. Personal invitations go a lot further than a Facebook invitation. 

As part of your marketing campaign join lots of groups attached to your topic/themes and let people know about your launch. If you’re holding your launch at a bookstore, they will also advertise the event, but don’t count on that filling your seats. Your friends and family will be the main attenders so get them to spread the word too. You can also advertise the event on community noticeboards and/or contact your local paper and let them know about it. Who knows, the local paper may even write an article about your book and launch. You never know your luck!

Edwina signs a copy of Queersland

Launches are crazy and nerve-wracking, with hordes of people and fun! The best part for me is signing copies of your book at the end. Wherever you hold your event, make sure you set up a signing table for yourself and enjoy meeting the readers who are going to love your book. Make each inscription as personal as you can – include the person’s name and something specific to them – even if only – Thanks for coming to the launch, or Lovely to meet you. That personal touch makes a difference.

You’ve done all the hard work, so enjoy celebrating this chapter of your book’s life. Let yourself shine a little. Remember to thank everyone and feel the reward of successful completion. WELL DONE!

I hope my hints and tips help you create a memorable launch. What ideas do you have to make your launch special? Let me know in the comments.

Lots of love,

Edwina xx

RELAX AND WRITE RETREATS are thrilled to announce a special Feedback and Revision Retreat at SPRINGBROOK 7 – 9 August 2026! 

Super boost your writing next winter at this fun retreat for writers in Springbrook at the Theosophical Society’s Education and Retreat Centre. Whether you’re aiming to get stuck into planning your book project, or if you have a manuscript almost done and ready for a second draft, this is the retreat for you! 

Midday FRIDAY 7 AUGUST to 3 pm SUNDAY 9 AUGUST 2026 

Connect with like-minded women (and non-binary folk) around a heartwarming fire in a beautiful rainforest location. Be inspired by practical and informative workshops which will equip you with all the tools you need to plan your project or superpower your second draft. Stretch and relax with yoga and release your inner-goddess under the mountain stars. 

This retreat is tailored for those who have a major project underway, or in the planning stages, with a focus on structuring for success and story development with a special session on how to pitch your work to publishers. Workshops include finding the heart of your story, structuring for narrative drive, pitching and publication pathways. 

Share your work with other writers at a similar stage in small friendly feedback groups and/or pay slightly more to receive individual editorial feedback on your writing and advice from Edwina as to how best to move forward with your project. 

The program includes three yoga sessions, readings night and three creative writing workshops. 

ALL INCLUSIVE! Two nights’ accommodation in basic but comfortable single rooms, with bathrooms shared between two women, plus all meals, morning and afternoon teas are included in the cost. 

FROM ONLY $550 all inclusive, for a room of your own. Rooms have single beds with electric blankets, cupboards , a writing desk and chair.

Come along and join the fun, make new writing buddies and renew your love of writing and life. 

RETREAT PROGRAM All activities are optional 

FRIDAY 7 AUGUST 

ARRIVAL from midday– get settled and get writing 

4:00 pm – Meet and Greet 

4:30 – 6.30 pm WORKSHOP 1– Finding the heart of your story. What is your story’s central quest/question? Your premise.

6:30 – DINNER 

SATURDAY 8 AUGUST 

7:15 am – 8:30 – gentle morning YOGA and deep relaxation

8:30 – BREAKFAST 

10:00 am – 1 pm – WORKSHOP 2 – Structuring for success. Scene lists, suspense and more 

1 pm – LUNCH 

2 pm – 6 pm FEEDBACK GROUPS/INDIVIDUAL FEEDBACK SESSIONS/OR WRITING TIME 

6:00 pm – YOGA Breathing and deep relaxation 

6:30 pm – DINNER 

7– 8:30 pm – READINGS AROUND THE FIRE 

SUNDAY 9 AUGUST 

7:15 am – 8:30 – gentle morning YOGA and deep relaxation

8:30 – BREAKFAST 

10:00 – 12:30 – WORKSHOP 3 –Publishing pathways, pitching and proposals, bios, your writing CV – collage 

3 pm DEPARTURES 

Check out all the fun we had at our last Feedback and Revision Retreat HERE

And there are plenty of endorsements from past retreaters HERE.

UNWAGED/ CONCESSION: $550 (those struggling financially)

WAGED: $700 (those doing okay – please choose this option if you’re doing well)

Plus optional $75 extra for editorial feedback on your synopsis and first 10 pages from Edwina (Includes 20 min meeting) 

You can pay your $200 DEPOSIT HERE 

Come and join us in spectacular Springbrook for a weekend dedicated to helping you get your book written and ready for publication!

Drop me a line for the flyer or SIGN UP HERE (remember to always send me an email to make sure I have places still available).

I hope you can come! We always have a wonderful time!

Lots of love

Edwina xx

Is your creative spirit crying out for a little TLC? Always wanted to write but don’t know where to start? Need to reboot your writing mojo and be inspired to tackle that project based on your life that you’ve been thinking about forever? Come along and regain your love of writing and life at the next Relax and Write Retreat From midday FRIDAY 10 April – 3 pm SUNDAY 12 April 2026 in glorious Springbrook, at the TS Rainforest Retreat Centre high above the Gold Coast hinterland, surrounded by tall trees and lush rainforest with friendly pademelons and wallabies to keep us company.

Join like-minded women (and non-binary) writers in a fun and supportive environment discovering just how much some deep relaxation can ignite your imagination and get you writing again. Relax and unwind with gentle morning yoga sessions and be inspired by innovative workshops to help move those stories out of your head and onto the page. Learn how to turn your life stories into powerful creative works, whether memoir, autobiographical fiction or personal essays. 

“I feel transformed, as a writer and as a human being.”

Bianca Millroy – writer and retreater

The program includes two yoga sessions, four workshops to get you writing, plus advice on submitting your work. Two nights comfortable single accommodation with bathrooms shared between two women, plus delicious vegetarian meals and a special readings night around the fire are included.

“The fully-catered retreat environment was comfortable and stress-free. An atmosphere that encourages, motivates and inspires.” Gay Liddington – writer and retreater

Connect with other creative types in a beautiful, peaceful location and remember your creative self. No more putting your dreams on hold. Treat yourself to this special weekend nurturing your writing spirit. Delicious home cooked meals, cosy corners to hide and write, the joyful companionship of fellow writers on the same path. Isn’t it time you put yourself and your creative dreams first. Let us nurture you for a change. You deserve it!

RETREAT PROGRAM All activities are optional

FRIDAY 10 April 2026

ARRIVAL from midday

4 pm – Meet and Greet  

4:30 – 6:30 WORKSHOP 1– Your Stories

6:30 DINNER

SATURDAY 11 April

7:15 am – 8:30 – Gentle morning yoga and breathing

8:30 – BREAKFAST

10:00 am – 1 pm – WORKSHOP 2 – Writing Scenes and Characters in memoir/life writing

1 pm – LUNCH 

1:30 – 4:00 – FREETIME and FEEDBACK SESSIONS

4 – 6:00 pm – WORKSHOP 3 – Writing from start to finish – developing a plan

6:00 pm – DINNER

6:45 – 7:30 pm – Readings around the fire

SUNDAY 12 April

7:15 – 8:30 – Gentle morning yoga and breathing

8:30 – BREAKFAST

10:00 – 1 pm– WORKSHOP 4 – Where and how to submit work, goal setting, questions and collage

1 pm – LUNCH

 3 pm DEPARTURES

Editorial feedback sessions with Edwina available on request $75 extra for those needing professional advice on a project.

FEEDBACK DETAILS – email Edwina your first 10 pages, double spaced, plus your synopsis at least 2 weeks prior to retreat for full edit/advice plus 30 minutes meeting time.

Massages/Bodywork treatments with Monique DeGoey – a highly sought after Zen Thai Shiatsu practitioner will also be available.

COST for the weekend of writing, fun and feasting, including comfortable single room basic accommodation, with bathrooms shared between 2, all meals, 2 yoga sessions, 4 creative writing workshops and a readings night. 

Transport not included.

Unwaged (finding it tough to make ends meet) $600. 

Waged (I’m doing okay thanks) $750

Please only choose the unwaged option if genuinely struggling. If you’re doing okay, please help me support those writers who aren’t.

All inclusive! For single accommodation and all retreat activities and meals.

PAY YOUR DEPOSIT HERE

I’ve been running these retreats every year since 2017 and they’re always a joy. I love watching new writing friendships form and the ‘Aha!’ moments when a writer gets a flash of inspiration and finds the answer to a story issue. At these memoir retreats we do a lot of writing to prompts as well as learning about how to write in scenes and develop characters in memoir. Remember in memoir, YOU are the main character. You can’t leave the ‘me’ out of memoir. You’ll also learn how to shape your memoir/story to keep your reader hooked right from the first page.

We always have a wonderful time. You might like to check out the Memoir Retreat Rundown from the 2025 memoir retreat here. Plenty of testimonials HERE too.

I hope you can come! $200 deposit will secure your place. Always check with me that places are still available before you pay!

If you’re find money tough right now, just drop me a line and we can work something out.

Your story is important. You deserve to be heard. Come along and join the fun and find a community of like minds to inspire your creativity.

Lots of love

Edwina xx