THE ST. GEORGE ISLAND RETREAT for WOMEN
Concept and Schedule

What it's all about...

St. George Island in Florida's panhandle is an ideal setting for a gathering of writers who are looking for a supportive and inspiring place to write. In-residence participants will stay at Abbeyfeale, a private home with a pool and beach view in the gated community of St. George Plantation on the Gulf of Mexico. Commuters will reside off-site, but share all activities offered at Abbeyfeale except lodging and breakfast.

Designed to inspire creativity and allow for personal growth, the retreat offers the unique opportunity to work alongside published authors in a nurturing environment. Novelist Adrian Fogelin will work with writers daily. With a focus on your works of fiction or nonfiction in progress, we will hone creative techniques, draw on peer critique and identify individual writing styles to enhance skills and facilitate personal development as writers. Workshops will be led by Adrian Fogelin, and topics will be planned to best address the particular needs of the participants and are apt to include such topics as plot design, voice, tone, point of view, tense, and character development. Adrian will also prompt writers to think about using one's own life as a resource and how to define where a story should begin.

We will explore ways to self-motivate and create writing systems that meet our individual needs and encourage productivity. Your days at the Fiction Among Friends St. George Island Writers' Retreat will combine structured time and unstructured time, group time and alone time, a schedule designed to give you the tools and support you need to progress with your work and the creative time to do it. At all times during free writing periods someone will be on hand to listen to your passages, offer feedback and, as needed, suggest ways of getting "unstuck." You may leave pages of writing in a drop-box for Adrian to critique and discuss with you.

Although I will count on participants to share in the whole-group workshop and feedback sessions, most of the remaining time is yours to write your heart out. If writing longhand is your style, that's great. If you are accustomed to writing on a computer, I suggest bringing a laptop. If you do not own one, consider renting one from a chain rental store (for example Rent-a-Center or RentWay), where they can be taken for a week for a about $50. Or, if you "Google" the topic "computer rentals" you'll find places where computers can be ordered online and shipped to you. I'll have a printer, paper and assorted office supplies available at the retreat.

My goal is to have every participant leave this retreat with clear direction, new techniques, sharpened skills, deeper creativity and a sense of personal empowerment.

Remember to consider also attending the Apalachicola a la Carte Writers' Workshop day on November 5th.

Your host,

Perky

WEEK'S SCHEDULE

Tuesday, November 4	Perky will arrive at Abbeyfeale 4 p.m.
Wednesday, November 5	Apalachicola a la Carte Workshop Day and Author's Night - Benedict Hall and Trinity Church - Schedule on St. George home page
Thursday, November 6	Retreat participants arrive at Abbeyfeale in time for 11 a.m. get-acquainted brunch. The writing begins!
Friday, November 7	Morning workshop with Adrian, writing, consulting, readings, critiquing
Saturday, November 8	Morning workshop with Adrian, writing, consulting, readings, critiquing
Sunday, November 9	Morning workshop with Adrian, writing, consulting, readings, critiquing
Monday, November 10	Resident retreat participants check out of Abbeyfeale by 9 a.m. Perhaps gather with others for offsite breakfast?

 

(updated 10-25-08)