Escape Reality: How a Writer’s Workshop Transforms Your Vacation into a Creative Journey
Travelling to a chalet in the shadow of Mt. Blanc
The writer of historical fiction lives in the Rocky Mountains. I heard him speak at a workshop five hours from me, in a beautiful site in the Pacific Northwest. I could drive to a more local workshop site.
The 45-minute lecture was a spur to spend more workshop time with him under his tutelage. I have found writer’s workshops, like workshops generally, to be hit-and-miss affairs — one has to know the presenter, or trust people who can speak to the strengths and weaknesses of the teacher, to get what one wants.
A great writer does not necessarily make a great presenter. A great teacher is not necessarily a well-known writer.
It also helps to discern what you need. I wanted to speak to someone steeped in historical fiction, but I would have benefited from thinking more deeply about what else I wanted. What to ask? What about craft do I want to know? What about process do I want to know? Where am I stuck? How do I get past that?
The workshop was held in a chalet in France, and the cost was the same as a tour would have been. The advantage was the built-in stimulating and intelligent conversation at every meal. I had a room to stay in for the duration, and we enjoyed a private French chef who prepared our meals.
The mornings were spent listening to the novelist or critiquing colleagues’ work, round-robin. (There were eight participants.) I suffered, as did confessing others, with impostor syndrome, not usually a problem. But I was with accomplished writers.
OK, not everyone was my cup of tea, but I have found that true in most groups.
We lingered over meals — the wine, the food, the conversation.
The food was exquisite. The site was magnificent, just outside Chamonix, France. It rained intermittently, but it was perfect weather for a writing workshop. The weather wasn’t so beautiful, I’d rather be outside, but the clouds scattered and rain paused frequently enough to provide brief excursion time.
I had this blinders approach, which was good and bad — I came to write. I wish I had investigated the site and options. Most of…
