We are hoping to raise funds in order to host our first immersive three-day writing retreat at a stunning Tudor house in mid-Wales, to take place at the beginning of February 2020. The venue is stunning. It's ever so slightly creepy. It's going to be awesome.
I have long had aspirations to host an event that brings together my creative passions; writing, creativity, and creating an environment to inspire and facilitate emerging writers.
Reading and writing are an undying passion of mine, and it is for this reason that I left a job in finance to train and work as a professional editor of long-form fiction, specialising in horror, fantasy, SFF, and speculative fiction. Since embarking on my editing career, I have helped dozens of writers on their journey towards a fully realised manuscript, and am thorough and enthusiastic in my work.
So, why a writing retreat?
I strongly believe that everyone has the ability to produce great fiction. When you throw in a Tudor house (complete with an original priest hole!) set in 400 acres of Welsh countryside, workshops delivered by experienced and inspiring guests, and enough food and games to keep everyone happy, I have no doubt that we can work on some seriously good fiction together.
If you're the kind of person who loves the idea of an immersive and inspiring environment (think wood-paneled rooms, open fire places, and a private woodland) this is the writing retreat for you.
Broadly, the retreat is ideal for anyone working on horror, fantasy, thriller, and historical writing, although I have no doubts that the setting will provide inspiration for any form of fiction. The nature of the house lends itself to authentic, engaging experiences and those delivering workshops have been chosen because of their achievements within their respective genres. If you're looking to learn how to add tension and suspense to your writing and would welcome the opportunity for serious, focused time to work in a stunning location, this is the retreat for you.
Confirmed guests include Vicky Brewster, editor, proofreader and academic; Celine Terranova, independent author; and Alex Davis, editor, creative writing tutor and organiser of the Edge Lit and Sledge Lit writing conventions. We are hoping to raise enough for a very special guest, an award-winning author of gothic horror fiction, who will be announced if we meet our stretch goal.
SCHEDULE
Here's a mock-up of our schedule for the weekend.
TICKET OPTIONS
There are options to purchase single and double occupancy tickets. The amount pledged is a non-refundable deposit on the full ticket price, which will be invoiced following the Crowdfunder. The full price of tickets are £300 for single occupancy and £250 per person for double occupancy. We will contact delegates individually and arrange either for remaining payment by installment or the full balance to be paid two months before the event. If you are able to pay the full amount when you make your pledge, that would obviously be wonderful and would allow us to better plan travel and fees for our guests. Please follow the steps below for how to increase the value of your pledge.
T-SHIRT DESIGNS
If you are selecting the 'Single T-Shirt' option, you can choose from one of the following designs:
NOTE: If you select a ticket pledge (Single Ticket Deposit or Room Share Ticket Deposit) you will receive a t-shirt as part of your reward. Please note down your preferred design in the 'Summary' box upon checkout.
ADDITIONAL PLEDGE OPTIONS
In addition to a single or room share ticket, you may want to take advantage of a number of exciting 'add-ons' that we have designed to make your retreat that much more memorable.
You can choose from one or more of the following options:
- (£25) Additional t-shirt in a different design to the one included in your retreat ticket
- (£40) Two additional t-shirts in unique designs, different from the one included in your retreat ticket
- (£50) One-to-one consultation with Vicky Brewster on query package (query letter, synopsis, and first 50 pages of your novel)
- (£10) Nature walk
- (£30) Night in the priest hole
- (£10) Hour working alone in the priest hole
To add on any of these options, please follow the instructions below.
1. Choose your desired pledge level and click 'select reward'.
2. Within the 'Summary' box (right hand side) add an amount into the 'additional donation' box. For instance, if you wanted to add the 'Nature Walk' and 'Night in the Priest Hole', you would add £40.
3. Accept the terms and conditions and click 'Process Payment Securely'.
4. We will contact you individually to confirm your 'add on' choices.
FAQ
What can I expect?
- Workshops run by industry experts covering a range of writing and publishing technique
- One-to-one critiques with an editor
- Ghost stories by candle light
- A local nature walk (the immediate area is breathtakingly beautiful)
- Lots of time to get down to writing in a unique location
What's the accommodation like?
Treowen House has ten private and eight double occupancy bedrooms. As this is a historic house, there are not all the facilities of a hotel. For instance, there are not en suites, but there is a bathroom on each floor.
There are also three retiring rooms.
Click here to see a floor plan of the house.
What will I eat?
The retreat will be fully catered for three meals a day, and all dietary requirements can be met. Tea, coffee and soft drinks will be available but we will not be providing alcohol. There are no drink-making facilities in rooms, but delegates will be able to access the kitchen.
Why don't you have a fixed date?
This crowdfunder is to raise the money to place the deposit on the venue. We can't give a firm date until we've done that, but it will be one of the first weekends in February. We will give attendees the firm date as soon as we have placed the deposit.
Is the house accessible?
The house is not accessible for wheelchairs and there are no bedrooms on the ground floor. There are toilet facilities on every floor.
What if I need quiet to work?
We will have the run of the whole house during the retreat, so the aim is to keep a 'quiet' room with tables and chairs for silent writing, as well as a social room for writing in a chattier atmosphere, or playing games, and networking. There will also be a space for our workshops and one-to-one sessions for critique and editing with myself.
Will I be sharing a room with a stranger?
We have separate single and double occupancy tickets - the double occupancy are slightly cheaper - so you will not be expected to sleep in the same room as a stranger if you select a single occupancy ticket. However, it should be noted that some bedrooms are 'linking' - you have to go through one bedroom to get to another - so it's possible you may be put in one of these rooms.
If you would like to take advantage of the lower ticket price and are happy to share a twin room with a stranger, please email us at [email protected] and we will endeavor to partner you up with someone.
Will I still be charged if you don't meet your funding goal?
No. We're looking to raise a fund large enough to book Treowen House so the event can definitely go ahead. If we don't reach our target, you won't be charged.
What happens if you exceed your funding goal?
Our funding goal will enable us to run the retreat we would like to run at cost - it's the absolute bare minimum at which we can run this event. If we have a bit of extra cash the next thing on the list is engaging an award-winning published author to come and run a workshop, and maybe hang out for an evening. Additional funds on top of that will go towards expanding the menu and little extras like welcome packages or goodie bags for our guests. Our intention for this event is not to turn a profit, but to explore if there is an appetite for this kind of retreat with a view to making it a regular annual or biannual event in the future.