Faraway Writing Retreat
A creative writing program
Dates for the Next Program to be announced
A two night-three days programme around Creative Writing, Faraway Writing Retreat is designed to allow you time and space to write and the opportunity to refuel your creative abilities and enhance your writing skills. The workshops are planned to give you a good view of creative writing concepts and writing exercises are built to challenge your proficiency. The essence of the whole program is to provide guidance, enable you to express better and learn from each other. A total of 16 hours conducted over two days include sessions that combine instruction and guidance with time to practise.
At the end of the programme, you may expect to take back a lot of ideas, writing tips and techniques, many good friends and pleasant memories. This programme has only 12 seats.
Program Schedule
| Friday | |
| 2 PM, Dining Area | Welcome The participants shall start arriving at the property. We will welcome them to Faraway Renz with a nice welcome drink and allocate the rooms. Rooms will be provided on a twin sharing basis. |
| 4 PM, Open Lawn in front of Bungalow | Introductions and Greetings We gather over a cup of coffee and share stories, about the program, the trainer, Readomania, Faraway Renz and our lovely participants. After all, this is what we intend to do, tell stories. |
| 5 PM, Drawing Room, Bungalow | Session 1: Let the Writing Begin! Developing an interesting plot and memorable characters. In a lecture mode, the trainer will explain the basics and share experiences/samples/anecdotes. Each participant is expected to contribute to the discussions. The sessions are not segregated along any course structure, but they will cover the essentials of fiction writing: plot, character, setting, dialogue, narrative voice. There will be a lot of writing and lot of workshops conducted by our trainers. We begin with this two hour introductory session. . |
| 8:00 PM, Open Lawn in front of the Bungalow | Bon Fire and Social Gathering We also intend to have a lot of fun. The nights are wonderful at Faraway Renz. Under the starlit sky, we shall sit and sing, tell stories and share experiences. There will be also be some poetry and may be some singing too. Do remember to bring some of your poems/short stories/ writings to read to the crowd. |
| 9:30 PM, Dining Hall | Dinner Food at Faraway Renz is always special; our cook knows how to get some amazing dishes on the menu, which will include some local surprises as well. |
| Saturday | |
| 7 AM, Individual Rooms | Bed Tea Time Wake up to a wonderful view of the valley, the mountains, the greens and breathe in the fresh air. And hey! Get ready, we shall explore the wilderness. |
| 7:30 AM, Kids Play Area | The Wilderness Trail! Let us go for a walk, a nice leisurely stroll, don’t the cobbled pathways of the jungle and walk through the village, listen to Nature and feel happy. This will not be a long and tiring walk, it will be easy and small one, so that we come back in time to start our day. |
| 9:00 AM, Dining Area | Breakfast A nice healthy, fruity breakfast awaits you, to give you all the energy you want for your writing. |
| 9:45 AM, Drawing Room, Bungalow | Session 2: Let writing flourish! After the previous days session on Plots and Characters, we explore the nuances of good writing and understand from our expert, the Dos and Don’ts. Remember to ask your doubts, write a lot and take feedback. |
| 11:00 AM, Porch, Bungalow | Tea Time A quick sip of some nice tea and may be some coffee. A nice break to just look at the Himalayas in front and the pine forests to your left. Have you ever heard the trees talk? If not, take time out and listen to them... |
| 11:15 AM, Drawing Room, Bungalow | Session 2 (Cont.): Let writing flourish! We explore the importance of setting, narration and explore some writing styles. |
| 12: 45 PM, Dining Area | Lunch Oh, so you already have a plot in your mind? That’s interesting What are your characters like? What is the conflict? Will there be a closure? Ah, you must ask the trainer, how to make the setting exciting! Hmm, it is lunch time, so let your thoughts grow, while you enjoy a good meal. |
| 1:30 PM, Drawing Room, Bungalow | Session 3: Lets write! It is time to write something. We have some writing exercises followed by peer review and group discussions. |
| 3:30 PM, Porch, Bungalow | Tea Time Stop yawning! Don’t be so lazy. Just get a cup of tea and get active! |
| 3:45 PM, Open Lounge, Bungalow | Session 3: Lets write! (cont.) Let us get back to writing… |
| 5:15 PM, Drawing Room, Bungalow | It is chat time! Dipankar and his never ending stories and anecdotes about the publishing industry. Ah! That should be hilarious. Don’t worry; he won’t bore you for more than an hour. This is your chance to clear your doubts about the industry. |
| 7:30 PM, Open Lawn in front of the Bungalow | It is Dumb Charades time! But hey, it is not movies It is time to play some games. How about Dumb Charades and Scrabble competition? Lets get started! |
| 9:30 PM, Dining Hall | Dinner Ah! It is Food again, at Faraway Renz. |
| Sunday | |
| 7 AM, Individual Rooms | Bed Tea Time Your last morning in Faraway Renz. Don’t let it go waste. Get started early with a cup of tea. |
| 8:00 AM, Lower Lawns | Breakfast Surprise! We have breakfast in the open area, in the wildness. |
| 9:30 AM, Drawing Room, Bungalow | Individual Feedback Sessions A fifteen minute personal interaction with the trainer for each participant. |
| 11:00 AM, Porch, Bungalow | Tea Time Take a tea break. |
| 11:15 AM, Drawing Room, Bungalow | Individual Feedback Sessions (cont.) A fifteen minute personal interaction with the trainer for each participant. |
| 1:00 PM, Drawing Room, Bungalow | Session 4: Lets wrap it up! Closing Remarks. |
| 1: 15 PM, Dining Area | Lunch Just before you start your return journey, we ensure you eat well and stock up. |
| 2:00 PM, Dining Area | Goodbyes and check-outs! We say our goodbyes and look forward to welcoming you again at Faraway Renz! |
The facilitators:
Vinita Nangia is an associate editor, columnist and writer with The Times of India. As Director for Write India, she fronts a movement to identify and launch new writing talent. She has launched several cutting edge editorial products that specialise in societal trends, dialogues on relationships and life commentary. Her Sunday column in the Times of India, ‘O-zone’, is an ongoing commentary on contemporary living. Her books include the bestselling It’s Your Life: Reflections on Contemporary Living & Relationships, Love is Always Right & Other Musings and Fashion Fair: The Journey of 13 Contemporary Designers. She edited Write India Stories, which launched several new winners of Write India as published authors. Dipankar Mukherjee, Publisher - Readomania
Dipankar Mukherjee is the founder of one of the fastest growing Independent publishing houses in India, Readomania. A management graduate from IIT Madras, Dipankar has worked for the consulting industry for almost eight years, for organizations like IBM and Ernst Young. He has trained 100+ people on creative writing and published more than 75 people in solo novels and anthologies.
The Charges
The fee for the programme is Rs. 15000/- per participant.
The fee includes food, boarding (room on a twin sharing basis), workshop fee and taxes.
The fee DOES NOT include to and fro travel from the location.
If interested in this workshop, please write to
dipankar@farawayventures.com
We hope to see you at Faraway Renz soon!