LeisureCourses.net – short courses & residential study breaks in great locations

EDITING A NOVEL

An early draft of a novel is a very different beast froma finished manuscript. How do you get from one to the other, and how do you create distance between yourself and your manuscript? How can you hone your sentences while also digging deeper to discover three-dimensional characters and a natural narrative drive? Here is your chance to work with...

STARTING TO WRITE: NON FICTION

Do you have a non-fiction subject you are burning towrite about? Are you unsure how to turn it into a book, or what kind of book to write? This week will help you understand how to turn facts into compelling stories and how to make non-fiction as engaging as a novel. We will inspire you to explore the best...

POETRY

Poets write out of their personal chaos – thepreoccupations that arise from their lives and relationships. But can private experience be poetically shaped to connect with a wider audience? Can we draw on the personal to create work that is publicly engaged? Drawing on concepts such as vision and inspiration, and poetic forms and approaches including ballads and confessionalism, we will...

NARRATIVE NON-FICTION

This week we will explore a wide variety of narrativebasedtechniques for telling vivid non-fiction stories, with particular focus on reportage and memoir. Through an exploration of structure, research, storytelling, character, dialogue and scene-building, we will encourage authentic and vibrant writing with strong narrative and a deep respect for language. This week will suit all levels of experience. Participants are invited to...

POETRY: TOWARDS A COLLECTION

Making the leap to producing a collection is differentfrom writing single poems. Yet it’s a hugely creative and enjoyable process, which includes plenty of new writing as well as reading and editing. We’ve designed this week to support you at this exciting stage, whether you’re doing it for the first time or the fifteenth. Working on a collection also allows...

CHILDREN’S TV

Explore writing TV for six- to twelve-year-olds. Children’sTV has come a long way in the last 25 years. The audience may be young, but they’re fiercely critical – and spoilt for choice. So although there’s a strong market for children’s material, it’s highly competitive. We’ll look at how to hook your audience in and keep them watching. We’ll also cover...

FICTION

Following the success of Arvon’s first-ever queer writingcourse, we return with another week on a queer slant. We will tackle the basics – character, dialogue, plotting – and also explore the challenges and opportunities that alternative sexualities bring to narrative, from pronoun concerns (he, she, they?) to avoiding the excesses of political correctness and writing inclusive and honest fiction. All genders,...

Yoga

A yoga retreat led by Kim Rossi.

The Naked Voice: A Way of Love

Enjoy this retreat with Chloe Goodchild and explore energy movement, sound medicine and vocal practices

Rest and Restore Retreat

Escape for a long weekend and truly rest and recover. Experience complete relaxation and find deep rest.

Reiki and walking weekend retreat

Sing from the Heart group singing holiday SW France summer 2016

Sing from the Heart group singing holiday May 2016

Exploring the Second Half of Life Through Mindfulness

A 3-day retreat for women to embrace the potential of the second half of life, teaching mindfulness and meditation techniques.

A Life at Work Career Change Weekend

Hawkwood Rest-ival: Summer Well-being Retreat

Creative Retreat

The Embercombe Experience