Mindful Writing Retreat

Introduction to Mindful Writing: How to get started on your book, memoir or screenplay? Writing after meditating helps you to find your authentic creative voice by quietening the inner critic.

• Ice breaker activity for pp to get to know each other
• Introductory Mindful Writing Exercise
• Writing (individual)
• Sharing of writing (optional)
• Questions and queries (group)
• Individual consultations

Talk on Mindful Listening…responding to the call to adventure…to find your inner wisdom and your story. Tools for writing a story; structure, plot and character.

“There’s no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you” Maya Angelou

• Mindful Writing Hero’s Journey Meditation – how to begin, handle doubt, not knowing, trusting one’s instinct
• Writing after Meditation
• Sharing of writing (Optional)
• Questions and queries
• Break
• Talk on Mindful Walking as a creative writing tool
• Walking Meditation
• Writing after Meditation
• Sharing of writing (optional)
• Talk on Mindful Eating
• Mindful Eating
• Lunch
• How to develop characters and character arcs?
• Loving Kindness Meditation to get to know your characters at a deeper level
• Writing
• Sharing of experience (optional)
• Sharing of writing
• Questions and queries
• Tea Break
• Talk on Mindfulness of the senses: How to keep the reader reading, the audience watching…how to build dramatic character and story tension
• The Open Mind Meditation – creating awareness of various senses to be used in writing
• Writing
• Sharing of writing
• Questions and queries
• Individual Consultation (optional)

• Individual Consultations
• Talk on exploring endings: resolutions…how to resolve story and conflict in writing
• Mountain Meditation
• Writing after meditation
• Sharing of Writing
• Networking and Bonding over Lunch
• Forming writing interest groups
• Addressing craft questions: next steps; how to begin again, a new chapter, a new book, a new day of writing
• Talk on different genres, using first person vs third person, using tenses to create effect
• Boat Meditation to generate new ideas
• Writing