Unruffle At Rufflets Therapeutic Writing Retreat

Led by Stuart Delves

The Coronavirus pandemic may well prove to be one of the biggest, most challenging, possibly most life-changing – disorientating or re-orientating experiences in our lives. This writing retreat will provide ways to process your experience, to express your feelings and images of loss and rediscovery, new directions and new resolve about the world and the environment. Come and write poems, stories, meditations, even manifestos!

By way of a cumulative series of writing exercises and assignments, including responding to the wonderful environment of Rufflets, the group will explore writing as a way of navigating current experience and as a way of self-expression and indeed healing.

PROGRAMME

Friday

• Arrive by 6pm
• Orientation and introductions over pre-dinner drinks
• General discussion about writing and some of the group’s reading favourites
• 7.30pm - 8.30pm Dinner
• 8.45pm-10.00pm A gentle introductory exercise and a very brief assignment to complete before breakfast!

Saturday

• 9.30am - 11.00am Sharing overnight ‘homework’ followed by understanding what the group would like to write about
• 11.00am - 11.30am Coffee
• 11.30am - 12.30am Getting started – exercises
• 12.30pm - 1.00pm How form helps shape your story
• 1.00pm - 2.00pm Lunch
• 2.00pm - 3.00pm First draft (written in ‘class’)
• 3.00pm - 4.30pm Time for a walk, more writing (in place of choice)
• 3.00pm - 4.30pm Scheduled 15 minute 1-to-1 sessions
• 4.30pm - 5.00pm Afternoon tea
• 5.00pm - 6.15pm Editing drafts
• 6.15pm - 7.30pm Down time, room time, bath time, drinks in the bar
• 7.30pm - 8.30pm Dinner
• 8.45pm - 10.00pm Sharing edited drafts
• 10.00pm Optional discussion over a night cap in the bar

Sunday

Depart after breakfast or stay for lunch with a walk before or after a visit to St Andrews

Writing Spa 1 is the first in a series of specially created Writing Retreats at Rufflets Hotel.

Stuart Delves is a poet, playwright, flash fiction and copywriter. He has run and designed numerous creative writing programmes. He was Centre Director for the Arvon Foundation in the 1990s and co-founded Dark Angels (creative writing for business) in 2004 and Invisible Grail (the power of narrative in higher education) in 2017. He has written a series of poems about the Covid-19 pandemic and its effects on the human psyche.

This mind-expanding experience break is £895.00 based on two people sharing a Classic Room (£745.00 single occupancy).