Venice Writing Retreat

I found the Venice writing retreat an amazingly positive experience. It was beautifully organised (thank you, Trish!) and it felt like every little detail had been really well thought out… I couldn't have imagined working and being alongside kinder, more helpful and creative people. It was just so much fun… The tutor sessions with you, Richard, were always brilliant and so much fun but at the same time so productive and creative. You stripped all of the unnecessary baggage out of my story and have left me with something so much more straightforward and yet more emotionally complex and satisfying.

It was fantastic.  I enjoyed the people, the place and the opportunities to write.  There was freedom from the everyday things that distract us, and there was so much to be amazed and motivated by.  If you could just have bottled some of it in a spray bottle to use when we needed to mist back the memories or revel in the feeling of accomplishment or joy of camaraderie. First - I liked Jo-Anne and Richard, our mentors, and their ability to be at the same time guiding lights, nudging parents, and motivators. Second - I liked the opportunity.  We were there for one or two weeks with every opportunity a writer needs - time, people to motivate, a fabulous place to be inspired by, and plenty of sunshine to keep us out of the dark places writers sometimes go. Third - I liked the variety of people and the inspiration that being with other writers provided.

"Every writer I know has trouble writing," said Joseph Heller, who took eight years to pen Catch 22. For many, an overseas writing course may seem like an extravagance, or, worse, an exercise in distraction. I found the opposite. For a writer, the Venice retreat is a place to run away with yourself, to find the thing that makes writing easy.

The unfailing support and positivity from Richard and Jo-Anne is quite extraordinary, and it helped with all that nervousness and anxiety. I liked finding out how All About Writing works and its ethos, and I’m dead impressed. I want to have a closer association with AAW and I want to come back to Venice on another retreat. I loved the sessions with Richard, Jo-Anne and Fred. The morning conversations (they could have been an hour), the meals together, getting to know the other participants. The schedule, the very efficient communication and organisation (thank you Trish). The generous food and drink. The quiet. The staggered payments! It’s helped me think hard about quite how I want to work now while I’m a full-time academic. I loved being pushed into writing with fiction techniques and want to do more.

… Time to write all day if one wished.  Good food, good wine and chats. For me it was great to have Josie 'on tap'. To be able to write and brainstorm and interact with her daily meant that I could get through a pivotal, multi-character scene very quickly and efficiently.  We could also discuss the way forward somewhat. It was inspiring.

The Venice writing retreat was an incredibly positive experience. In terms of writing I think it was perfect timing to use the retreat for planning and starting a new novel. I found the brainstorming sessions extremely useful and Richard seemed to intuitively know exactly the tone I was reaching for and helped me both with plotting and finding the little nuances that will make the story come alive. I found the group sessions useful - both in terms of the content and to create a touch point with the other delegates. I had misgivings that I am attempting a project above my skill level and both Richard and Josie were outstanding in giving me confidence AND in helping with the details that have helped me set up the story in exactly the way I wanted and especially with the details that will bring the characters to life and make them likeable without being overly dramatic.

It felt like a family experience staying together, not in a hotel, but in a home steeped in history…   I loved that we weren’t rule bound and could do our own thing.  I saw so many unhappy, grumpy faces on guided tours as they ticked off the to-do list.

Although I wasn’t sure what to expect, I knew, however, that Jo-Anne and Richard’s approach is always professional and that their guidance is thoughtful, generous and pertinent. From day one, with their first short talk on an aspect of writing, I was motivated to commit myself to the process of the retreat. It was a wonderful indulgence to be able to step away from everyday responsibilities and to be simply a writer for six full days. All I had to do was think about the words I had written and to make my manuscript as good as it could be.

Thank you a thousand times, for an outstanding retreat in Venice and the start of a annual tradition. Thank you Jo-Anne, Richard and Trish…  Your organisational skills, as well as all your excellent creative sessions, feedback, encouragement, insight, caring... simply astonishing. Magic is happening here and your writers look to you, hoping that this is the start of an annual tradition!

What a dream Venice will fast become.   It was such a hugely successful adventure which you, Trish, made happen with sheer brilliant competence,  determination and energy. And as for the mentors -   the morning meeting and the one-to-ones were very important.

I only have happy and positive memories of my time spent in Venice on the writing retreat. There was nothing not to love about Venice or the writing experience! Each day I spent at the All About Writing retreat was like being handed a precious gift - unwrapping a myriad of sensory experiences and creativity that made be feel completely energized and alive! I loved the way the course was designed to afford the writers the time and space to write as well as explore Venice. Being my first visit to Venice, I did find I was torn between wanting to write and to explore the city but thankfully I found that there was time to enjoy both. There was never any pressure from our writing mentors or course organisers and i liked that aspect very much.

I found the experience extremely positive, helpful, stimulating and fun. Loved getting to know the faculty. It was wonderful to immerse fully in my project for a week. I found the one-to-one sessions with Richard immensely useful, enjoyable and challenging. The morning group sessions and writing tips were good… Being in a group with other writers gave me positive feedback about my writing project.

I thought the retreat was totally fabulous. It exceeded all my expectations… Venice is a beautiful city and afforded a veritable feast of things to see and do when we were not busy scribbling away…. The one-on-one sessions with our tutors were excellent. A huge thank you to all of you for what I sincerely hope is not a once in a lifetime experience. When is the next one?