Searching for an Oasis and Finding Ca’ la Somara
October 24, 2008
October in Sardinia. Finally, the chance for Emma and me to put our plans into practice.
Except, the plans changed, as plans do. Because some things hadn’t quite worked out the way we expected (the way things do). And because we both knew, deep down, that were there things we needed to add to Absorbing Writing to make it just the way we wanted it to be. Knew we wanted to take it in a slightly different direction.
Luckily enough, it turned out we both wanted to take it in the same direction:-)
We knew we wanted to add in some vital ingredients. We wanted to add:
More time away: a 7 day retreat to give the time and space to unwind, to recharge, to refocus, to find your writing voice
More interaction: spending a week together as a group to create the conditions for learning, sharing, inspiring
More space to write: more time would mean more freedom to do your own writing. The right location would make it possible.
So we agreed to change tack. And then used the time in October to hatch new plans, and get ready to launch a new programme for 2009. You can read all about it here: our writing retreats in Sardinia.
But we also knew we had to find the right place to make the whole thing work. Decent, quality, affordable accommodation. Fantastic food. A welcoming environment. A place where you could relax, and be inspired. A place you could write.
It was the search for a writing oasis. The kind of place you know you’ll recognise when you see it it - but don’t quite believe you’ll ever find.
Except we did. Find the perfect place that is.
It’s called Ca’ la Somara. You can read more about it here… or dip into this photo album to see just what it’s got to offer.
And once we’d found it, well then we then we were able to use our time to explore, to walk up and down the roads round about, to check the nearest bus routes, to walk to the local town, to look at the bedrooms, to think about the best places for group conversations and where you’d write in private, to take photos, to talk to the owners, to sit at the long table under the vine and hear in our minds the sound of your after dinner conversations. Sharing your words. Telling your stories.
Knowing, just knowing, that we’d found the right place. A writing oasis.
And that’s how we’re ready now to offer something new. Something you’ll love.
A writing retreat to Ca’ la Somara.
May 4 - 11 2009.
Will you join us?
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Thanks for visiting Absorbing Writing. Please follow this link if you're looking for more information on our writing retreats in Italy. You might also want to get our free RSS feed so you can keep in touch with any future updates. Thanks and see you again soon!
Writing Workshops on Wordle
July 7, 2008
This is how the news and articles from this site come out on Wordle
I love the way ice-cream stands out… and is it just me or is the word cloud kind of reminiscent of an ice-cream too?
Writing Workshops Spring 2009: Help Us Plan
July 3, 2008
As Emma mentioned, spring and early autumn are the best times of year for us to run the writing workshops. While she’s melting in the heat just now we’re busy planning the schedule of workshops for the spring.
We’re planning around various workshops between 17th April and 2nd May 2009. If you’ve got a strong preference for spring time dates, please do let us know (info@absorbingwriting.com)
We’d like to get your views on the shape and content of the workshops we run in the spring. Please do take just a few minutes to complete this customer survey and let us know what would work best for you.
Many thanks. You can follow this link to start the survey, or click on the picture below to open it.
Writing Workshops in Italy: 5 Easy Ways to Keep in Touch
June 30, 2008
Here are 5 easy ways to keep in touch with news about the writing workshops in Italy. That includes the three we’re running this autumn and those we’re planning for Spring 2009 (more news on that front coming soon).
You can keep in touch with us:
1. On Facebook
We’ve got an Absorbing Writing page on Facebook that you can join as a ‘fan’ to keep up with news, dates, posts, listings and meet other people who are interested
2. On Twitter
You can find me on Twitter @joannayoung and Emma @emmabird - follow us and say hello to let us know you’re there!
3. Direct to your inbox
You can get all the updates from this site direct to your inbox. It’s free to use - you just need to provide your e-mail address and remember to click the link once you get the opt in confirmation from Feedburner. Follow this link for updates on the workshops direct to your inbox.
4. Through this blog
You can get all the news from the ‘news’ section of this site. You can bookmark if you’re coming back often for news on the writing workshops, or get updates by free RSS feed.
5. By signing up to our newsletter
You can get news and updates on future workshops - dates, themes, venues - by signing up to our free newsletter.
These are 5 of the best ways we know to keep in touch. Which one works best for you? Are there others we should add to the mix?
Photo Credit: Small Town Italy 3 by Austin TX on Flickr
Welcome: A New Home For Info On Our Writing Workshops
June 9, 2008
Welcome to our new site!
We’ve moved to this new site to make it easier for you to find all the information you need, quickly and easily, on the writing workshops that we’re running this autumn (and next spring).
We’re pretty pleased with how it looks - hope you’ll like it too! Please do let us know if you notice anything that’s a little wonky… we’ve only just finished moving the furniture around.
If you want to get future updates on the workshops we’re running you can grab the RSS feed or get updates direct to your inbox.
See you again soon!
Joanna in Edinburgh
Photo credit: Welcome by storem on flickr
Writing Holiday In Italy: Keep In Touch Re Future Dates And Venues
March 25, 2008
If you’d like to keep in touch with us regarding future dates and venues for the Absorbing Writing workshops please sign up for our mailing list. It’s an easy way to make sure you don’t miss out on future opportunities!
Thanks
Joanna Young and Emma Bird
A word on e-mails:
Your privacy is important to us and we will never (ever) pass on your details to a third party.
We’ll only contact you when we need to, but if you decide at any time you don’t want to receive further updates you’ll find an unsubscribe option at the bottom of each e-mail you get from us.
What people are saying about the writing workshop
January 23, 2008
One of the great things about 1) writing your own pr material and then 2) putting it out through a blog is that you get almost immediate feedback, comments and reactions.
Here are some of the things that people have been saying about “Absorbing Writing” so far:
From Business Blog Angel:
Joanna has teamed up with another BusinessBlogAngel client - Emma Bird of HowToItaly.com - to create a most wonderful proposition…
a writing workshop cum holiday in sun-drenched Sardinia. If you want to hone your writing skills and benefit from the talents and knowledge of these 2 brilliant minds, get yourself over to Absorbing Wiriting In Sardinia fast - I have no doubt that places are being snapped up fast!
From Location Independent
Emma Bird from How To Italy and Joanna Young from Confident Writing have joined together (having met through blogging) to run the Absorbing Writing workshop later this year which is “a writing workshop in sun-drenched Sardinia…aimed at expats, nervous writers, business writers wanting to inject some oooph into their writing and bloggers who want to make their posts much more readable”.
From Success Rocks!
Emma Bird from How To Italy and Joanna Young from Confident Writing are joining together to run the Absorbing Writing workshop in sun-drenched Sardinia. Sort of knowing these two ladies from their blogging exploits, a couple of Twittersations and some emails, I am sure the workshop will be fabulous.
“Twitterstations” by the way refers to conversations taking place via Twitter. If you’re on Twitter you can follow Emma @emmabird and me, @joannayoung
Writing on Twitter is an art form in itself (great for improving your skill in brevity) but it’s one that we’ll probably need to save for another day! We will be working on blog writing skills in the workshop though, and you’ll get the chance to post your own material on to this site… so if you want to “inject some oomph” into your blogging…why not sign up now?
from Joanna in Edinburgh
January 2008