Always wanted to write a memoir but don’t know where to begin? Our experienced tutor, Margarita Gokun Silver, joins us for the first retreat of its kind here at Retreats for You.
Across the four days you will learn about personal essays – a kind of micro–memoir, and an excellent starting point for jotting down the stories of your life.
The itinerary is below.
Please book as soon as you can! We expect it to be popular.
The personal in creative non-fiction—how to write personal essays that resonate (and may get you a book deal)
When Stephanie Land penned her essay “I spent 2 years cleaning big houses – what I saw makes me never want to be rich,” for Vox, she never thought it was going to net her a book deal, and later, a Netflix series. Same can be said for Lauren Hough, the author of the essay collection Leaving Isn’t The Hardest Thing— the collection that came out of her viral Huffington Post essay “I Was A Cable Guy. I Saw The Worst Of America.” And while this kind of success with agents and publishers is by no means guaranteed, what is guaranteed is that it’s the best place for somebody to start writing stories about their life —you don’t need a fancy degree, a privileged background, or connections in the media to write and publish an essay that can jumpstart your career as a writer. All you need is a story that will resonate with your readers, a burning desire to share it, and—of course— some understanding of the genre. So, bring your anecdotes and tales of the unexpected, and let’s see if you can be the next “Modern Love” darling!
This 4-night retreat will include daily 2-hr sessions of teaching and exercises, followed by private writing time. You’ll have a chance to brainstorm works-in-progress as well as optional follow-up – feedback on an essay you finish once the retreat ends. (You are eligible to send up to 800 words within a month afterwards —optional, of course!)
Margarita Gokun Silver on micro-memoir and personal essay writing
Schedule
Morning workshops, approximately two hours. Afternoons: free writing, one-to-ones. Early eve: Wine o’clock (around the fire or out in the garden if it’s hot), supper, then brainstorming with fellow guests or, full of inspiration, continue writing in your room till the sun goes down!
Day 1, morning. We’ll delve into what a personal essay is and how it feeds into writing your memoir. You will begin to understand how to separate the situation from the story, how to determine your theme, and how to draw a larger meaning from your writing – how did it change you, what did you learn, how did you grow? What could other people learn from it when they read your story? We’ll also look at how writers use elements of fiction (character, dialogue, scenes, etc.) to tell true stories. We’ve all seen the “based on a true story, some characters have been added to aid the story,” on Netflix series!
Day 2, morning. We’ll learn about how you could get your essay published – which publications prefer which types of personal essay, the various shapes they can take, so you can begin writing with a structure in mind. We’ll also brainstorm the best shape for the essay you’re working on and we’ll discuss other stories you would like to tell about your life, and how you can decide on the shape of those future essays, so you have lots of hints and tips to take away with you to help you keep writing and get that memoir done!
Day 3, morning. We’ll focus on voice – one of the most important aspects of any book, whether fiction or non-fiction/memoir/essay —do you want it to be serious or do you want to infuse humour into its language? We’ll discuss ways to exploit the humour in an event that can make people laugh, and how to add humour into stories that are not automatically funny but can be some of the most entertaining pieces of writing. We will also look at the nitty-gritty – going through various publications that accept essays and you will get clear guidelines on how to submit them.
Saturday– check out of rooms at 10 am, and leave with your minds full of excitement and your hearts full of dreams, having made some amazing new friends and had one of the most incredible learning experiences of your life in one of the most beautiful locations. And having had lots of cake…
Nb unlike some retreats, here at Retreats For You we do not make our guests do any chores!
Bed, breakfast, elevenses, buffet lunch, afternoon tea/coffee/cake, nibbles and wine before supper, two course supper with a second glass of wine (or preferred tipple) and help yourself snacks. And cake, did we mention the cake? Make sure you tell us of any dietary requests.
Bio
Margarita Gokun Silver wrote the award-winning collection of memoir-in-essays, called I Named My Dog Pushkin . It came out with Hachette in 2021. Margarita is also a freelance journalist. She has been published in the New York Times, The Guardian, The Washington Post, and Oprah magazine, with pieces in the BBC, the Atlantic, and the National Geographic, amongst many others. Margarita was the Gladstone Library Writer-in-Residence in 2023 and she holds an MSt in Creative Writing from Oxford University.
I Named my Dog Pushkin and other Tales, Hachette, 2021
“While dreaming of buying the boat-sized Buick she’d seen in a pirated VHS of Miami Vice and getting a taste of whatever it is Bruce Springsteen is singing about, she comes up with a plan to escape Mother Russia for good.
When Margarita arrives in the US with her family, she has one objective – become fully American as soon as possible, and leave her Soviet past behind. But she soon learns that finding her new voice is harder than avoiding the KGB.”
Find out more about Margaritas on her website and Instagram.
About Retreats For You
Full board, wine included at supper, mini gym, summer house, roaring fire in cooler months. Own room with an amazingly comfortable bed, crisp white sheets, writing table, tea and coffee making. £739 for four nights. (Two ensuite rooms are available at a supplement, please enquire – first come first served, so please book early to avoid disappointment). Only £125 deposit now, with the balance due 6 to 8 weeks beforehand.
Testimonials from previous students:
Novelda Sommers
“Margarita presented the materials in such away that it was easy to absorb and understand. Margarita is funny and charming, and her style is conversational. She brings a lot of credibility, with her personal accomplishments and successful journey as a writer herself. I left the workshop feeling inspired, and with some new tools to use in my craft.
Another highlight of the workshop was getting to meet other participants and hear their stories. The other writers were highly engaged and encouraging of one another. It was all-around a positive experience.”
Amanda Fletcher
“Margarita is an amazing writer and great mentor. Her class was highly inspiration for me to embark on my own novel-writing journey. the class I took from her was about memoir writing, and I’ll never forget her first lesson: Write what you DON’T know. Meaning, fill in all those details that you may not remember exactly. I’ve taken it to heart ever since.
I think her editorial notes were spot on, and her teaching style is very organized and easy to follow. She’s got an easy-going attitude, and I never felt judged, which is what you want in a writing instructor!”
