There are as many writing workshops as there are beautiful places to travel. Pick an idyllic spot in the midst of a beautiful mountain range, summer haven, or picturesque city landscape, and you can bet your bottom dollar there's an annual writing workshop somewhere in the vicinity. If everyone has a story to tell, then writing workshops might be the place to start telling them. Writing workshops are a perfect example of educational travel. Mix in some great deals on accommodations and meals with those literary types, and you have yourself a creative vacation that will at the least give you something to write home about.
First, some resources on where to look for the conference of your choice. The Shaw Guides (www.shawguides.com, click "Writers Conferences & Workshops") publishes comprehensive guides to educational travel and creative program rosters to all types of schools including tennis schools, golf schools, cooking schools and language schools. Just scroll down the page to find one that piques your interest. From large-scale conferences lasting two weeks to tiny two teacher programs on writing about national parks, the Shaw site is an excellent resource for selecting the right conference.
A little know but excellent conference appears halfway down the page. The Sewanee Writer's Conference (tel. 931/598-1141; www.sewaneewriters.org) at the University of the South in Sewanee, TN specializes in the great history of Southern storytelling. The 12- to 14-day conference runs July 12 to 24, 2005, and costs only $1,470 including all meals and lodging. Remember, lodging at most of these conferences can be Spartan and will take you back to your university days. Well-known authors Richard Bausch, John Casey and Tony Earley will lead the faculty. These three are all gifted storytellers, especially Earley whose mystical Southern style can be hauntingly entertaining. The Tennessee countryside, the backdrop for this writing course, is beautiful and moderate in temperature, even in the hot Southern summer.
As with most of these programs, you need to submit about a 10-page manuscript of fiction. Don't sweat the writing sample; they just want to get a feel for your style and what you need to be working on. Remember, the faculty realizes you're applying to the workshop to learn. These programs, for the most part, are not intensively competitive.
For those looking for an international feel, try a writing program offered by Tuscany Tours (tel. 707/794-0722; www.tuscanytours.com). Focusing on finding your particular poetic voice, the "Marriage of Landscape and Spirit" (the first of two programs) goes from September 11 through September 17, 2005. Taking place 20 minutes from Sienna in the Crête region, this program costs approximately $1,950 and includes course work, your lodging on an agriturismo (a working farm), some meals and a few planned activities. The faculty has a background in Renaissance writing and you can be assured they'll be no shortage of references to Dante. Apply fast; there are only fourteen spots available for this program. The second program, "Poems, Painting and Pasta," runs October 2-8, an idyllic period in Tuscany coming just prior to the grape and olive harvests. This course also starts from $1,950.
Another great resource for writer's conferences can be found at Poets and Writers magazine's site at www.pw.org/links_pages/Conferences_and_Residencies, which lists 239 opportunities that combine for writing and travel. From Greece to Waco, you can probably find a conference to suit your needs.
For example, the Aegean Arts Circle (www.aegeanartscircle.com) offers a six-day workshop on the island of Andros, Greece taking place from June 27 to July 3, 2005, costing $1,700. Accommodations are at a local hotel overlooking the Aegean Sea. If that can't get the creative juices, maybe the ouzo will. You need to hurry to register for this one though as they stop taking reservations by June 15, 2005. E-mail them at info@aegeanartscircle.com to request a registration form.
Remember, as with all these programs, whether in Prague, Austin, Aspen or New York City, the cost of transportation is not included in these prices. Although these trips can get pretty friendly, bring your own muse.
