SECRETS OF STORY
WRITE IN THE SOUTH OF FRANCE
September 2017 (Two Sessions this year, 2nd-9th, and 16th-23rd)
We’ll stay seven nights, six full days, in the colorful town of Collioure. With the foothills of the Pyrenees on one side and the Mediterranée on the other, Collioure is perfectly situated. It’s beautiful too – photographs of its waterfront and phallic bell tower adorn the cover of many a travel guide.
There are also the requisite cobbled side streets, picturesque vistas, and inviting town squares.
THE WORKSHOP:
Every morning we’ll meet from 9:30 to 12:30 for the “class” portion of the experience – a basic workshop format of mini-lectures from Debbie and Charlotte, in-class writing exercises, and discussion of the pieces each of you will submit. (Yes, we will give you writing assignments at the end of class each day. Even in paradise, there is work to be done.) We’ll also assign a couple of books for you to read ahead of time. In class we’ll discuss the elements of story in the assigned books.
We’ll have a group cocktail hour each day around 6:00, so from 12:30 till then you can eat, sleep, write and explore as you wish. Time permitting, we may organize an optional side trip or two to nearby points of interest. The region is rich with Roman and medieval ruins, Romanesque and Gothic cathedrals, beaches, vineyards, and vistas painted by Matisse or Dérain or Soutine.
Day One Saturday September 2: Arrive in Collioure and settle in. The train from either Paris or Barcelona stops in town and our houses will be walking distance from the station. Saturday is market day in Collioure so you might want to check into a nearby hotel the night before to experience a wonderful French market fully. We’ll spend Saturday getting acclimated and getting to know each other, with a festive dinner in town or at home, depending on the group’s choice.
Day Two Sunday, September 3: Character. Who is your central character – how do you see her, how do you present her on the page? We’ll consider some of the many ways to work with character to develop and enhance your story.
Day Three Monday, September 4: Setting. Where does your story take place? How do you make it real for the reader?
Day Four Tuesday, September 5: Theme. What’s it all about, anyway? One writer has explained theme thus: “Plot is the events of story; theme is the meaning behind or revealed by story.” We’ll have a day when we explore how a theme emerges.
Day Five Wednesday, September 6: Structure part one. How do you put your story together? We’ll spend one day looking at traditional structures: the classic three-act structure, the Hero’s Journey, etc.
Day Six Thursday, September 7: Structure part two. Sometimes the best way to structure a story is not in a linear fashion. We’ll discuss the pleasures and pains of less conventional ways to structure your story.
Day Seven Friday, September 8: Revision! A crucial piece of the process often overlooked in workshops. We’ll talk about both the big-picture and the fine-tuning aspects of revision, and give you a chance to rewrite of one of the pieces you’ve submitted to the workshop.
Day Eight Saturday, September 9: Time to leave.
Week Two: Unless you’d rather stay! In past years, several students have opted to spend another week in whatever little piece of paradise we’ve chosen. If you’d like to stay an extra week in Collioure in 2017, please let us know immediately.
Week Three: September 16 to 23 we will repeat the workshop.
YOUR LEADERS:
Debbie Guyol (dguyol@aol.com) teaches creative writing in the Mature Learning Program at Clark College, where she has inspired scores of students since 2002 and edited an anthology of student writing called Elderberry Wine Vintage 2010. Debbie is also a lawyer who has practiced in New York City and Portland. She is the co-author of The Complete Guide to Contract Lawyering, as well as articles for legal publications. Her co-authored book Pride and Prejudice and Kitties was published by Skyhorse Publishing in April 2013.
Charlotte Rains Dixon (chardixon@comcast.net), a writer and writing coach, teaches at the Writer’s Loft in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, and Room to Write at the Scarritt Bennett center in Nashville. Charlotte has also ghostwritten over a dozen books on diverse topics. Among her work-for-hire projects are The Complete Guide to Writing Successful Fundraising Letters, Beautiful America’s Oregon, and Beautiful America’s Wyoming. Her long list of magazine credits includes pieces for Vogue Knitting, The Oregonian and Stepping Out Magazine. Her MFA in Creative Writing is from Spalding University. Charlotte’s novel, Emma Jean’s Bad Behavior, was published by Vagabondage Press in February 2013. http://www.wordstrumpet.com/
TESTIMONIALS – 2017 will be our fifth year presenting workshops in France. Our students have loved our sojourns – Céret in 2013, Pézenas in 2014, Collioure in 2015, back to C`éret in 2016. The writing has been good too!
Renee Soasey says: “Debbie and Charlotte have a way of nudging and nurturing writers to new horizons, and they create an atmosphere of camaraderie into the bargain. I felt each of us at the workshop in Céret made real progress in our writing goals – and we had so much fun doing it! The town of Céret and our wonderful accommodations made a charming backdrop to indulge in not only writing, but fabulous wine and food topped off with laughter and friendly conversation. I can’t wait to do it again!”
Jenni Gainsborough says: “Céret was the perfect place for a writing retreat – so different from home, fascinating in its culture and history, it sparked creativity. Yet the beauty of its setting and its tranquil pace of life made it easy to focus on writing. And when I needed a break there was so much to see and enjoy and be reinspired by. The camaraderie of the group added so much – listening to other people’s work was inspiring and their interest in and insightful comments about my writing were so helpful and encouraging. And we had fun! Leisurely dinners with wine and conversation flowing freely were our reward for days of hard work.”
Albert Bouffard has joined us all four previous years: “The Let’s Go Write experience in France, with its collegial and congenial spirit, enriched me, and I have no doubt, all the participants. The writing almost palpably improved; acquaintances became friends; and entrenched habits broke open, as we bumped up against another cultural and linguistic tradition. Not a bad thing for writers. And I can’t forget the good food, excellent cooks and the waiters and waitresses who so often entertained us with un sens de l’humour. As my six year old grand daughter would say: ‘How cool is that, Papa!’”
AND THEY LOVE US!
“Charlotte is warm, personable, and real. Her ideas work.” Zan Marie Steadham
“Debbie’s classes are inspirational, educational and a lot of fun.” Helen Cartales
“I attend every workshop Charlotte and Debbie offer, as my schedule allows. I come away from each of these workshops feeling inspired, energized, smarter, and highly motivated.” Dawn Montgomery
Questions? Contact Debbie, dguyol@aol.com, or Charlotte, chardixon@comcast.net
Cost: The price is $1900 until December 31st, 2016; after that it goes up to $1975. We require a $300 deposit on registration and complete payment by May 31, 2017. The program is limited to eight participants. If your spouse or partner wants to come along, there will be a small additional charge. The price of the program covers lodging, tuition, breakfast and four dinners. Lunch and other dinners are flexible – a mix of meals at home and in restaurants– with the cost shared among participants.
THE DETAILS:
The housing cost for week two (September 9-16) is shared equally among everyone who stays for that week, and will be determined once we’ve made our final housing payments. In past years it has hovered around $500 per bedroom.
How to apply: Send us a short statement (250 words or fewer) about where you are in your writing now and why you would like to join the workshop and what you hope to get out of it. Please also let us know whether you prefer the week of September 2-9 or 16-23.
What to expect: Please bring a computer with word processing capability. The houses where we stay have internet access; you will be expected to send your writing to other class members each day via email. We will discuss student writing as a group, focusing on each day’s subject matter. We encourage constructive discussion of how to improve the writing.
Physical fitness: Okay, we won’t make you do pushups or run a marathon, but you should be aware that there will be stairs, there will be hills and there will be walking. It’s not terribly strenuous, but be advised.
Transportation: We will rent cars to use as needed for grocery shopping and short excursions.
Cancellation policy: The $300 deposit is not refundable. Once you have paid the balance of the cost, we will provide a full refund (less deposit) if you cancel before June 30. If you cancel thereafter there is no refund unless you find a replacement student for us.
Well, hello there. Yes, it’s been awhile. Yes, we’ve been to France yet again since last we talked. And yes, we have another Portland workshop planned. (And more coming next year.)