How Writing Changes in a Group
Posted on 04. May, 2010 by joanna in Writing
I got an email the other day asking whether a few days away would really make a difference to the writing experience.
The short answer was ‘yes’ but the longer answer got me thinking harder about how and why writing retreats change things.
I think it’s to do with the way writing changes when you’re in a group.
We tend to think of writing as a solitary activity.
Part of the benefit of a writing retreat is that you get the time and the space to write, on your own, without distraction.
But that’s only part of the story. The other bit is the way your writing changes when you’re writing (reading, thinking, testing, learning, experimenting) with others too.
You find that your words change with:
Permission: Other people can give you permission, even quietly and subconsciously, to stretch beyond your normal comfort zones. This is particularly true with people you didn’t know before. Old labels and ways of thinking about yourself get left behind.
Encouragement: Other people encourage you. Give you courage. There’s also an odd thing, that as you encourage others (as you undoubtedly will) that voice of support encourages you too.
Feedback: You learn from the feedback you get from others. When it comes with good intention it helps to strengthen your writing.
Experiments: You get ideas from other people: new things to try, new approaches to experiment with, new voices to write in. It’s an invitation to stretch and experiment.
Stories: You get ideas and inspiration from other people’s stories (the one’s they’re writing, or the one’s they’re living.) That can help to wake you up or see things from a different perspective, to notice new angles. At some level this helps you see the ways all our stories are inter-connected, which gives you more confidence to tell them.
Humour: The sharing of words leads to laughter, and countless moments of shared humour. (I’m not quite sure why this is: anyone?) It can help to lighten you up, and lighten up your writing.
Recognition: Although writing is often done alone, it is written to be read. You feed off and grow through the act of sharing those words, and seeing other people’s recognition of one small part of who you are, and how things have been.
Energy: Writing with other people changes the dynamic. It can give you more energy, it can add more energy to your writing, to the way your words dance on the page.
I’m not sure I’ve found the right words to describe how this works, and I’d love to hear about your own experiences. How have you found that writing changes in a group?
~~~
The next writing retreat I’m running is the Tell Your Story Women’s Writing Retreat, June 14 – 18, in Fife (on the East Coast of Scotland, near St Andrews). Just a couple of places left: book quickly if you want to be there 
New Year, New Start for Your Writing
Posted on 04. Jan, 2010 by joanna in News, Writing
There’s something so exciting about a new year isn’t there?
All that sense of possibility stretching ahead of us like a path in deep midwinter snow…
I know that some of you are starting to think about new writing projects you want to make happen this year, about getting back to pieces of writing that have been languishing in a cupboard for too, too long now, or about bringing that writer part of your soul out of hiding.
Out into the light.
It’s exciting to hear about those plans, and to learn how you’re going to use the opportunity of a writing space retreat to make them happen. Please keep on sharing those hopes, dreams and plans with me!
The calendar of writing retreats in Scotland, is now out – you can find all the details of dates, venues and prices here: Calendar of retreats for 2010.
Here’s to all the new writing that will tumble and fall onto the page this year.
Happy new year everyone
Welcome to the Writing Space
Posted on 11. Dec, 2009 by joanna in Info, News
Hello and welcome to the Writing Space!
I’m opening the doors ‘officially’ today to this new site – a new space for me, creating space for you.
Here’s the philosophy behind the Writing Space:
Sometimes you need space and distance from the way you normally work, play, think, write, live… in order to get back into your natural writing rhythm. To tap into the power of your own words.
Sometimes you need to share space with people who will encourage and support you, who will coach and challenge, who will listen and respond wisely, who will write with you, and then share their words.
Sometimes you need space and time away from the busyness to write the things that want to be written. That are asking you for the gift of that time, and space, so the words might flow.
Sometimes you need to give yourself writing space to help make sense of what’s going on in your life: to notice patterns, to realise what’s significant, to process, to reflect and to learn.
Sometimes you need space in the natural world to wander, to wonder, and to listen to what nature has to teach you.
The Writing Space is about giving you that space.
You’ll find information on new opportunities that will be running in 2010 and beyond, including writing retreats and weekends. (More on the writing retreats here).
There are other things in the pipeline including some one day events, and products to inspire and encourage you to write.
If you’ve got a particular product or service that you think would help create space for you to write, please do just let me know.
I hope you enjoy looking around. If you know of someone who’d be interested in or in need of some space to write… please do let them know about The Writing Space.
Thank you, and I hope to see you again soon
Joanna