Unlocking the Plot

AWC Writing Retreat – a retreat hosted by the American Women’s Club for Creative Written Expression

Facilitator: Kamalini Natesan, Author

3-5 November, 2020, Praya Palazzo, Bangkok, Thailand.

It happened, over 2 days: a creative assembly: expressions both written and spoken.

It was a first, and a memorable one at that.

We checked into the Praya Palazzo resort on 3^rd Nov, and checked out on 5^th.

Resort view

This resort is by the river Chao Praya, and is accessible by boat alone. The resort’s boat picked us up from their private pier by the Wat Rachathiwat.

Celia, Sue, Barbara and Mary joined me on day 1. Lisa and Sanja on day 2 of this writing retreat.

Workshop pictures

Staycation

A retreat of this nature, a ‘staycation’, allows you to stay in the moment; it prevents your thoughts from wandering off, as you attempt to give expression to your inner voice. A little nudge, some guided sessions, and inevitably, you shape your thoughts on a screen, or a piece of paper. That’s exactly what happened when we sat down for our sessions on various themes.

Exploring the senses

Day One

•  ‘Sensing our Senses’, was about bringing focus upon that which moves us – utilising all our senses: auditory, tactile, taste etc. using a  sensorial vocabulary.

What emerged were personal anecdotes, tied up in fictional pieces. We have all lived rich lives, and it shone through in the written pieces that we later shared.

Each piece stood out for its unique voice and cadence.

So much has already been covered in story-telling, yet there lies infinite scope to discover and rediscover novel ideas and expressions, even it be the same story- it always has our stamp on it.

Mary’s expressions were clearly different from Barbara’s, as the latter’s was distinctly apart from Celia’s and Sue’s.

Then there arrived Lisa and Sanja, who brought their own brand of self-expression. It was an exhilarating exercise to listen to so many variations.

The unshared was as much a part of what was shared. We all read between the lines. To declutter and express clearer was an immediate preoccupation.

The perception of the individual inevitably came through in their pieces, springing one surprise after another.

Joy

Around the table: each one resonated in a rich timbre, all her own. We listened, we imbibed, and we were entranced.

The afternoon spent in sketching a character in words was immense fun.

The participants were to bring to life, a person, imaginary or one they might have met, and introduce him/her to everyone.

It was combustive.

The variety of characters who were then introduced into the writing chamber evoked much laughter and entertainment.

Day Two

• An object from our home: personification was the order of the day.  The writers were to bestow their ‘object of devotion‘ with a voice, carve it out in flesh and bones.

The writing stirred everyone. Listening is as much a skill that requires focus, as does writing.

As we sat, casting ourselves into the moulds of: – a keychain; – a little statuette; – a Mannequin pissing; – a photograph dear to one’s heart; – a tiny framed painting of ‘Home’; – a pendant that encased a protective emblem; or – a wooden prayer bead: each item acting as a trigger to wring out our emotions.

Collage

• Making a collage to represent our lives’ journeys, was a fun activity which I had devised as a means of finding an external tangible, to showcase the colorful tapestry of lives that had traversed unusual routes.

The collage turned into a storyboard, as we later sat and ascribed meaning to them, and penned our individual narratives.

• A symbolic memento – a takeaway from the retreat.

For me personally, the bonding that took place over meals, and 2 languid evenings, was the heartfelt gift of a ‘staycation’ whose primary objective was creative expression.

Food tales

It all blended in spontaneous combustion. The group became a cohesive whole, who had discovered more than one way of expressing emotions held within. We flowed, we paused, we bonded, and we vocalised both in writing and using strong female voices.

The unlocking happened, willy nilly, and we gave ourselves permission to share parts of ourselves, without reserve.

I hope to repeat this experience at a future retreat with a different agenda.

All together

AWC Writing Retreat – Feedback from Participants:

From Sanja Stanley

“What an incredible experience, filled with laughter, sharing life’s moments and passion. Passion for writing, for friendships, listening to each other’s thoughts and feelings. Thank you so much Kay for making this happen, allowing us to feel the warmth of our inner voice – letting it roam free. Sheer joy.”

From Lisa Annaman

“It was a great experience. Good hotel and atmosphere… helps put you in the calm and creative writing mood. You facilitated it very well and flowing.  Thanks so much for the opportunity to show my creativeness.”

Until the next writing retreat… Cheers and beers.

From Barbara Smith

“The writing retreat was wonderful. A beautiful setting in which to write, reflect, and share our work in a supportive creative environment. Kay guided us and gave us inspiration from a variety of sources. We explored our ideas together, bonded as a group and shared with open hearts”

From Cecilia Jean Cameron

“We shared two days. We shared an escape. Some meals, some laughs. A few tears.

Shared words and ideas. Personal thoughts… things less easy to share, intimate reflections of ourselves.

I left being glad I came. Took home so much more than just the blisters I got running for the boat.

Thank-you Kay for creating this special space. I’ll come again if you invite me.”

©kamalininatesanNov2020