Creative
Writing Workshops
Jan is taking some time out from regular term-time workshops with Northbrook
College, the WEA and the University of Sussex to do some travelling, research
and more writing. She will however, still be running some workshops – including
a summer school at Missenden Abbey in 2010, a writing holiday in Spain in June
2010 and a course on writing women’s fiction at Sussex university in May 2010.
For more details of these courses or other forthcoming events, please contact
Jan by e-mail.

Some comments about the workshops…
‘Many thanks for a really great day!’
‘You encouraged everyone to get involved and comment with no fear of being
put down.’
‘Jan is an exceptional teacher and seems to bring out the best in all of us.’
‘She makes me want to write.’
‘I enjoy every moment of your class.’
Writing Holiday
in the Sierra Almijara, Southern Spain
Date: 28th June – 5th July 2010


-
7 days of writing-time
and me-time
-
Guidance, advice and
motivation from experienced creative writing tutor, mentor, and
widely published author
-
Individual appraisal
of work
-
Constructive group
workshop sessions
-
Tranquil and beautiful
surroundings
-
Small hotel in
stunning location with patios, gardens and swimming pool
-
Large & comfortable,
single occupancy rooms with ES facilities & air-con
-
Full board, tea and
coffee provided
-
Al fresco lunches and
dinners at the hotel and at local restaurants
-
Air conditioned work
room
-
Internet access and
use of PC
-
Minibus transfer from
Malaga airport to the hotel
-
Help given with
booking flights if desired
Feedback from
last year’s writing holiday in Spain
“The best group holiday I’ve ever
been on. I enjoyed every moment.”
“I hadn’t written anything for months. During this week I started
writing again. I was inspired. Thank you so much.”
“Money well spent, time well spent, much learnt and much enjoyed. Jan's
creative writing course was just that... creative.”
“Brilliant.”
“Jan’s inspiring tutorship and her relentless enthusiasm and
encouragement, combined with the support of fellow writers and the
breathtaking beauty of the surroundings, created a truly invaluable and
unforgettable retreat. Please may I come again?”
The Venue and Location
Finca el
Cerrillo is a restored 200 year old farmhouse situated close
to the traditional Andalucian villages of Canillas de Albaida and
Competa, high in the foothills of the Sierra Almijara, Southern Spain.
The Finca was a working olive mill until the mid 1960’s and has been
carefully restored to preserve the charm and character of old Andalucia
whilst providing the modern comforts of a small and charming hotel.
Circular walks from the hotel pass through shady olive groves, orchards
and vineyards ending in whitewashed villages. And from its terraces
there are magnificent views of the valley below and of the nearby
national park. The Natural Park, with its wild flowers, forests of
Corsican Pine and aromatic, shrub-covered hillsides has spectacular
views of the mountains and the sea.
The Finca’s individually styled, spacious rooms have tea and
coffee-making facilities and there are plenty of places inside and out
to sit and write or just relax and enjoy the ambience. The terraced
gardens with carob and palm trees surround both sunny and shaded patios,
the Finca has its own olive grove, and the swimming pool and deck areas
have stunning views - as you can see from the photos on the web site:
www.hotelfinca.com which details the full range of facilities available.
Food served at the Finca is freshly prepared and delicious with most of
the produce bought locally from the two nearest villages. On warm
evenings dinner is served on the candlelit terrace. The hotel is an
hour’s drive from Malaga airport and provides a minibus for stress-free
transfer.
The writing
course.
The course is ideal for those
working on a writing project and needing some uninterrupted writing time
in order to focus and get some editorial feedback, and also for writers
who are looking for the motivation or ideas to begin a writing project.
The group will be a maximum of twelve and we will meet in the morning
for writing motivation exercises designed not only to source new ideas
but also to develop more depth in existing work. Every day there will be
a particular theme and writing issue to focus on but participants are
also invited to bring their own ‘writing problems’ to the table… Late
afternoon we will meet to share work, get constructive feedback and
discuss writing issues that have emerged during the day. The rest of the
time will be free for individual writing and your tutor/ mentor will be
available to read and appraise your work and discuss it with you
individually during the week.
There will be a free day mid-week when we are planning to visit the
Alhambra Palace in Granada. The cost for this excursion will be approx
£30 if pre-booked.
What it
will cost
The cost is £720 for single
occupancy ES. Twin rooms ES at a reduced rate (£605) will be available
(depending on demand); maybe there are 2 of you who would be happy to
share. We will also welcome partners/ friends who are not participating
in the writing course (fee for shared room w/out course is £505).
Although it can be very warm in late June/ early July, please note that
the hotel bedrooms and work studio are fully air conditioned. A deposit
of £150 will secure your place; balance is payable by 20th April 2010.
What it
will include
-
7 nights at the hotel
with buffet breakfast
-
Lunch on 5 days (the
other day we will be in Granada)
-
3 course dinner every
day – some at the Finca, some at local restaurants.
-
tea and coffee-making
facilities in rooms
-
full use of all the
facilities at the hotel (see website) including pool and library
with PC and internet access; also free wi fi access for laptops.
-
the writing course
-
transfers to and from
the hotel/ airport and to local restaurants.
The flight will be extra, but there
are many bargain flights available to Malaga from the UK and we are
happy to liaise with you to help you book one.
If you would like to register interest in this course, please contact
Jan by e-mail at
jan.henley1@gmail.com
or phone 07899728176.


Courses at Missenden Abbey
Residential or non-residential available
The Course
As writers, how can we make our story or novel one that people will want
to read? Through individual and group writing exercises, tutorial
sessions, and friendly, constructive workshops we will be looking at
ways to develop character, theme, symbolism, dialogue and narrative
voice and structure in our creative writing.
This course aims to… enable students
to improve their knowledge of narrative technique in the writing of
fiction which they can use to work on and develop their own stories/
novels.
It is for… beginners and more experienced writers; anyone interested in
writing fiction.
During the course… through a series
of individual and group writing exercises, tutorial sessions and
workshops, students will cover a range of narrative techniques. Topics
will include the development of character and internal thought, the use
of dialogue, ways of developing themes and symbolism, story structure,
narrative voice and style.
The Venue
You can find out more about Missenden Abbey by going on to their web
site:
www.arca.uk.net/missendenabbey
All
workshops to be led by Jan Henley.
Missenden
Abbey provides a glorious setting. The Abbey is luxurious and there are lots of
walks in the grounds and surrounding countryside. Students have the option
of staying at the Abbey or attending workshops as a ‘day student’.
For more
details and a brochure please contact Missenden Abbey. Tel: 01494 862904 or e
mail:
adultlearningchil@buckscc.gov.uk
Courses at Alston Hall, Preston.
The course
In this friendly workshop we shall be exploring the art of
characterisation.
Through exercises, group work, discussion and tutorials we shall develop
character profiles and see how using character action, dialogue and
introspection can produce exciting, three dimensional fictional
characters
and page-turning stories.
The venue
Accommodation: Hand & Bath towels and soap are provided in each room
along
with tea & coffee making facilities. Not all rooms are
en-suite but public facilities are available on the same floor as the
standard accommodation. A member of staff will be on duty throughout
your
stay.
Catering: With prior notification, we can cater for vegetarian, vegan,
low
fat, medically recommended and religious restricted diets. Please inform
the college of any changes to your dietary requirements. We record your
dietary requirements on our database for future reference.
Transport & Travelling: If you are travelling by road there is a full
map
on the reverse of the brochure. The College minibus will pick up on
request
only from the Meeting Point at the side of Preston Railway Station &
from
Stand 41 on Preston Bus Station.
Alston Hall is a
friendly and inspirational setting for a creative writing course. It is situated
in beautiful countryside. And the food is absolutely fabulous...
For more details
contact the college Tel: 01772 784661
email
alstonhall@ed.lancscc.gov.uk
web
www.alstonhall.com
Winchester Writers
Conference
Many workshops and talks feature in this
conference at the end of June. Mine is a mini-course entitled Pitch and
Presentation with Julia Bryant, aimed specifically at novelists who want
to find out how best to pitch and present a novel to agents.
www.writersconference.co.uk
Tel: 01962 827238.
Writing Holidays in Spain
2009

Days of uninterrupted writing-time and
me-time, in a place of tranquillity, with good food, warm weather and
like-minded people. (And no housework…)

The Venue
The venue is a 3 star hotel set in a stunning location in the Natural
Park Sierra de las Nieves, Spain. This hotel is a 40 minute drive from
Malaga airport, and sits in the mountains overlooking the charming
spa-town of Tolox. It has magnificent panoramic views of the mountains,
streams and pine forests of the area (check it out on
www.cerrodehijar.com ). It has an outdoor swimming pool (with mountain
views), very comfortable rooms with full en-suite facilities, and lots
of areas – indoors and out –for writing. If you want exercise, there is
excellent walking from the hotel and if you want to explore the village
of Tolox, taxis are available to take you there and back. Best of all is
the sense of tranquillity that you will find here – it’s a perfect
writing retreat.
6 day writing course.
The course will be ideal for those working on a writing project and
needing some uninterrupted writing time in order to focus and get some
editorial feedback, and also for those writers who are looking for the
motivation or ideas to begin a writing project. The group will be a
maximum of ten and we will meet in the morning for (optional) writing
motivation exercises designed to focus on developing a sense of place,
characterisation, narrative voice etc. These exercises can be used to
find new ideas but also to develop more depth in your existing work.
Late afternoon there will be a workshop in which we will meet to share
work, get constructive feedback and discuss writing issues that have
emerged during the day. The rest of the time will be free for individual
writing and I will be available to read and appraise your work and
discuss it with you during the week.
What it will cost
The cost will be 845 euros (£670) for a single room ES. Twin rooms at a
reduced rate (790 euros - £628) will be available (depending on demand).
I am happy to welcome partners/ friends who are not participating in the
writing holiday (fee for double or twin room without course is 640 euros
- £508. There may be optional art trips for those not writing (at a
small extra cost and depending on demand). We can benefit from this
year’s prices by booking the hotel this year. I will be asking for an
immediate deposit of 150 euros to secure your place, with the balance
payable in February 2009. (Fee is payable in euros because of currency
fluctuations, but you are welcome to pay at the current English currency
rate of the time before Feb 2009 if you are concerned about this).
What it
will include
• 6 nights at the hotel
• full board (a buffet breakfast, lunch, 3 course dinner)
• tea and coffee or juice throughout the day.
• the writing course
• meet and greet at Malaga airport
• transport to and from the hotel/ airport.
The flight will be extra, but there are many bargain flights available
to Malaga from the UK and I am happy to liaise with you to help you book
one.
If you would like to register interest in this course, contact me by
e-mail.
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