News
< Writers Come to West Hollywood for Toolbox Day | Main | Previous Action Alerts 07/27/06 >
Rachel Resnick Leads a Writing Retreat to France
July 07, 2006
Story Continued...
Ready for a week of creative pampering? Want to make this a summer of transformation? Eager to explore new ways to express yourself and hungry to experiment with different forms of writing? Willing to unleash your imagination? Dreaming of a luxurious stay in the magical countryside of France? Now you can have it all. Pack your bags, pens, notepads and laptops! Discover the stories inside you. And join me at the premiere launch of Writers On Fire – an exclusive one-week writing retreat chock-full of creative adventure.
SITE OF RETREAT: Picture a deluxe 6-night stay at the breath-taking, privately owned Chateau St. Philippe. This stunning 18-room renovated Chateau originally built in 1032 is nestled at the base of the Alps, near to Lyon and Geneva. Please visit http://www.chateausp.com for more information about the Chateau itself, the rich history, surrounding areas, numerous activities and photographs.
DATES: From August 4th – August 9th, I will guide your creative journey during a 6-night, 5-day immersion workshop. With only seven participants, the opportunities for intimacy, play and growth in this creative adventure are unparalleled. Soak in the natural enchantment and transformative light of the Savoie region of France, luxuriate in one of the oldest renovated historical sites in all of France, and bask in personal attention.
Arrival is August 4th, and departure is August 10th. You may also arrive one night early, on August 3rd, and stay at no extra charge. This would afford a chance to settle in before we begin the workshop. With such an exclusive group size, in this unique high-end setting, and with so much personalized attention, this retreat will fill up fast.
CREATIVE WORKSHOP: This is a generative workshop - meaning we will be writing while we are in France rather than discussing work you’ve written earlier. We’ll use memory as a tool for writing both fiction and memoir (and we’ll discuss the difference between the two), and dip into prose poems, short-shorts, one-act theater writing, travel writing and erotica, in order to explore some of the many ways and perspectives with which we can approach story-telling.
This class is designed for all writers - beginning to advanced - who want to venture into new territory and create, or at least begin, new work to serve as the start of a new writing year. Get a jumpstart on fall! Do something you’ve always meant to do! It is also a good class for those eager to stretch or cross the boundaries of genre - fiction writers who want to tell the truth; nonfiction writers who want to learn to lie; poets who want to try prose; prose writers curious about playwriting; screenwriters, actors and filmmakers looking to capture stories on the page; and novices primed for adventure.
YOUR WRITING SCHEDULE IN FRANCE*:
Thursday, August 3rd: Early arrival for those who prefer.
Friday, August 4th: Arrival. Icebreaker dinner at the Chateau: 8pm.
Saturday, August 5th: Morning session: 9am-12pm. The Necessary Lie: Turning Life Into Fiction. Afternoon session: 1-3pm. Memoir Intensive. 9pm: Screening of 1935 “Bride of Frankenstein” in the 10-seat private movie theater.
Sunday, August 6th: Morning session: 9am-12pm. Here Comes Frankenstein: Writing Visceral Fiction. The Thrill of High Literary and the Pleasures of Genre. Afternoon session: 1-3pm. More Fiction. 6-7pm: Guest lecture on the Frankenstein series of paintings and Q&A with fine artist Pat O’Neal. [Mary Shelley composed the classic horror novel Frankenstein in the mountains not far from the Chateau.]
Monday, August 7th: Morning session: 9am-12pm. Tour-de-force Travel Writing & The Power of the Personal Essay. Afternoon session: 1-3pm. Dramarama: Cooking Up the One-Act Play. 9pm: Screening of “Quills” in the movie theater, in preparation for tomorrow’s tour. Discussion of de Sade follows.
Tuesday, August 8th: Morning session: 9-12pm. Sudden Fiction: The Flash Art of the Short-Short. Afternoon excursion: 1-3pm. Guided tour of Fortress de Miolans.
Wednesday, August 9th : Morning session: 9-12pm. Erotica: Sade & How To Write Without Censure. Tapping Your Inner Libertine. Hike: 1-3pm. Excursion of Light. Group stops at various points to discuss ways light can be described. Last event: 8pm. Public reading of works created during retreat at local gourmet restaurant, followed by celebratory dinner.
Thursday, August 10th: Departure.
The evenings are free for writing and exploring the spectacular and richly atmospheric grounds – 17 acres—and nearby villages.
Participants will be encouraged to use their vivid memories, as well as experiences with the retreat environment, each other, food, dreams and observations in their writing exercises and assignments. Inspiration may also come from writing journals and dream logs.
I will offer two personal coaching sessions with each participant, to work out a plan for your future writing and other creative endeavors and to clarify and expand your individual goals as a writer. The first one-on-one session will be at the beginning of the conference, and the second toward the end of the conference.
Each evening we will organize wine and cheese gatherings in the library as breaks from writing and opportunities to mingle.
*Schedule subject to change.
WHEN YOU LEAVE, YOU’LL TAKE: Concrete critiquing of your writing, to whatever degree you desire; a coaching plan for how to work regular writing into your life and how to use writing to expand your creative energy and the power of your imagination in all areas; and the experience of a unique, breakthrough creative journey/holiday.
COST & WHAT’S INCLUDED: The special price for this inaugural Writers On Fire writing retreat is $1,750 for single occupancy. This price includes a daily continental breakfast as well as wine, beverages and snacks; a guided tour of Fortress de Miolans where the Marquis de Sade was once imprisoned and escaped!; and a 6- or 7-night stay. For couples, the price is $1,950. If your partner wishes to paint using the inspiring surrounding area as a backdrop, please bring your own painting equipment and materials. There are laundry facilities on the property, and a daily cleaning crew who’ll also make beds and clean bathrooms in all the rooms.
Transportation: If you are coming from Paris, you can take the TGV (bullet train) and arrive in Chambery in 3 hours, versus 5 hours by car. For transport to and from either Lyon or Geneva airport, we suggest that you simply rent a car from there and make the easy one hour drive to the Chateau. All the rental places – including AVIS, Hertz, Europcar—are readily available at either airport . Directions from either airport to the Chateau will be provided. I can also put group members in touch with each other to coordinate their arrivals or shared car rentals, if desired. If you choose to rent a car and you are coming from the States, we suggest you go online and make reservations, as that is cheaper. Rental car would afford freedom of movement for exploring surrounding areas allowing for a richer experience. There is also a taxi service based in the nearby village of St. Jean La Porte, which you can call. Let us know if you need this information. We also suggest you time your arrival before dark, to ensure your safe arrival and ability to find the Chateau in the countryside.
Food: Each morning, a continental breakfast including coffee, tea, juice, fresh fruit and cheese, bread and pastries will be available. Cheese and wine, sodas and other noshes will be available in the afternoon. The price does not include lunch or dinner, but these meals can be easily ordered if we plan ahead at least a day in advance by menu through a local caterer. Menus can be emailed in advance upon request. We can make a meal plan for the week once we all arrive. We can also arrange, if everyone desires, for a private chef to come and prepare food. The Chateau owner, who will be present for the workshop and often does this for group visits, and says the price is reasonable. Or, you can arrange trips into nearby villages and stock up on fresh local produce for your own cooking forays. The Chateau boasts a large, fully equipped gourmet kitchen, and is available for your culinary explorations. Each evening, the group can also venture out for dinner. Whatever options you choose, the gourmet food and drink will be a memorable part of your French sojourn. Please make sure to reserve $100 for the fancy five-course dinner on the last night when we do our reading. Don’t forget to dress festive!
YOUR HOSTS: This summer, for the first Writers On Fire retreat ever, we are lucky to have the O’Neal family hosting. The O’Neals own the Chateau, and are based in Southern California. Guinness, the friendliest Bernese Mountain dog ever, will be there to greet you. The special price reflects the nature of this inaugural retreat, since we will be sharing the accommodations with our host family. However, there is plenty of privacy in the Chateau and throughout the property.
PREPARATION: All you will need for each meeting is a pen and a notebook. There will be writing assignments out of class as well. The conference will not have computers, so you may wish to bring your laptops if you work on computer. A printer will be available on the premises for out-of-class assignments. No advance submission of work is required.
SIGN-UP: If you are interested, please contact me directly at katamon@verizon.net, or (310) 455-7767 with any questions or a letter of commitment. Checks may be sent to Rachel Resnick/415 S. Topanga Cyn. Blvd. #173/Topanga, CA 90290, or you may also go to http://www.paypal.com and enter my email, then send the payment. I will try to honor a letter of commitment, but only your full payment will secure your place.
I look forward to hearing from you soon, and can’t wait for this creative journey to begin. I hope you’ll join me this first round, or in the future! Let me know of your interest and I will add your name to the mailing list either way. There will be many more retreats to come, at this setting and in other fascinating international sites.
Sincerely,
Rachel Resnick
Rachel Resnick
WRITING RETREAT LEADER BIO: RACHEL RESNICK, best-selling author of Go West Young F*cked-Up Chick (St. Martin’s Press); published nationally – Los Angeles Times, Women’s Health, BlackBook magazine (and various anthos, including The Dictionary of Failed Relationships, Best American Erotica 2004, Women On The Edge, L.A. Shorts, Absolute Disaster), and numerous literary magazines including Black Clock, Swink, Le Storie, Barcelona Review – a contributing editor at Tin House magazine; graduate of Yale University, B.A. in English Literature, and of Vermont College, M.F.A. in Creative Writing; creative-writing instructor and lecturer at UCLA Extension Writers’ Program, USC Professional Writing Program, Loyola Marymount, mediabistro.com, Cal Arts, LACC, Chapman, Whittier, Emerson, Antioch; recently completed the mod-noir novel Sway.
Please refer to http://www.rachelresnick.com and/or http://www.myspace.com/rachelresnick for more information on writing retreat guide. Also, http://www.writersonfire.com coming soon!