Unlock Your Creativity: The Power of a One-Day Short Story or Screenplay Writing Course If you’ve ever dreamed of writing a story or a screenplay but found yourself unsure where to start, our one-day short story writing course could be the perfect solution. These intensive workshops offer unique benefits in an environment that promotes creativity […]
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Want to Write Your First Novel: Let’s get you started
So, you’ve decided to write your first novel. Congratulations! Embarking on this creative journey can feel daunting and it’s easy to be put off. Whether you’re overflowing with ideas or staring at a blank page, we can help you navigate the process… 1. Find Your Idea Every novel starts with an idea. It doesn’t have […]
An Unforgettable Experience: V-PAC Films Feature Film at The Retreat
The Retreat recently had the incredible opportunity to host the dynamic team from V-PAC Productions at our venue in Beal for the filming of their latest feature film, They Might Be Monsters. It was a fabulous experience where we met and worked with some amazing film industry professionals. Here’s a glimpse into the magic that […]
The Retreat – Transformed for Wedding Celebration
Our beautiful retreat space was transformed for the wedding of Ashley and Lee. They had the whole place for the weekend, which allowed them to prepare onsite for their special day. The York Room, with its private balcony became the bridal suite and our writing area outside the John Birley suite was set up as […]
Top Applications for Writing Your Next Novel
Writing a novel is an exciting journey filled with creativity, dedication, and, sometimes, a bit of struggle. Choosing the right tools can make this journey smoother and more enjoyable. Here’s a rundown of the best applications to help you craft your masterpiece, from the initial idea to the final draft. 1. Scrivener: The Ultimate Writing […]
A Writers’ Retreat – What’s all the fuss?
In the fast-paced world we live in, finding the time and space to write can be a significant challenge. For many writers, the dream of uninterrupted hours spent crafting stories or honing their writing skills remain elusive, often overshadowed by the demands of daily life. This is where a writers’ retreat comes into play — […]
Writing – Keeping Motivated
Writing is a journey filled with peaks of inspiration and valleys of frustration. Whether you’re a seasoned author, academic or a budding blogger, maintaining motivation can often be the most challenging part of the process. Here are some tips and strategies to help keep your writing momentum strong. 1. Set Clear Goals Define what you […]
Great British Bake Off contestant Karen Wright hosting two events at local writers retreat
Great British Bake Off contestant Karen Wright (pictured) is teaming up with family-run business Writers Retreat in Beal, North Yorkshire, to host two informal afternoon workshops with lunch. Baker, cook and Yorkshire lass Karen has recently published her first book, the beautifully illustrated Meals on the Move: A Campsite Cooking Journey, which chronicles the highs […]
Stuck for ideas?
Check out this list of writing prompts…. After years of searching, a treasure hunter finally discovers the lost city of Atlantis. What secrets does he uncover? A person wakes up with no memory of who they are or how they got to where they are. What happened to them and how do they figure it […]
Finding Story Ideas
As a writer, one of the biggest challenges you face is coming up with new and unique story ideas. Whether you’re a novelist, screenwriter, or a blogger, you need to find ways to keep your ideas fresh and interesting. However, with a little bit of creativity and imagination, you can learn how to generate ideas […]
The Retreat – Opening Night
Friday, 17th March, 2023, saw the official opening night for our fabulous new venue in Beal, North Yorkshire. It’s been a challenging few weeks getting the place ready for our first set of writers but we pulled the developments in on time for us to open as planned with our inaugural group retreat starting on […]
Our own Venue – The Retreat at the Kings Arms
Well, it’s been a bit of a rollercoaster (cliche, I know) but we have now secured our own venue in the heart of Yorkshire and all of our writers’ retreats will now run from there. Set in the lovely village of Beal, the new retreat is close to the motorway network and is handy for […]
Another Competition Success
Writers’ Retreat UK’s Jan Birley has recently, over the last two years, turned her attentions to scriptwriting. Having drafted a TV drama pilot, it has now selected as a quarterfinalist in the Screencraft TV Pilot Competition. Jan has recently finished filming of her first drama/thriller short, which is now in post-production, with her next short […]
Latest Academic Retreat – Lake District
Last week saw our private academic retreat with 11 writers from one school at the University of Newcastle, coming together in our Glingerbank venue in Longtown, at the top end of the Lake District. The weather was stunning, sunny but cook, so ideal writing and walking weather. Our attendees were able to make ample use […]
What’s Coming Up with Writers’ Retreat UK?
At Writers’ Retreat UK, we never stop moving forward. Our aim is simply to provide the best environment and resources for writers and aspiring writers to be productive. We cater for all levels of writer, from those who are well-established, traditionally published and who write for a living, to those who are just starting out […]
A New Venue – Middleham House
We’ve just finished our first retreat in our new venue of Middleham House and what a retreat it was. Of course, our writers experienced all of the great features that set our retreats apart from others, great home cooking, home-baked cream teas, top-class mentoring and the best we have to offer in personal hospitality but […]
Our stunning new venue
We are delighted to confirm Middleham House, set in the delightful Yorkshire Dales town of Middleham, as our latest venue to our collection of retreat locations and we will run our first one there on 6th September for 3 nights. We are very particular about our locations and there is a list of criteria they […]
July Retreat – An Unexpected Visitor
The July retreat is now wrapped and what a fabulous retreat it was. We had a mix of writers, including a novelist, a playwright and an academic writer. Our mentor was the fabulous Laurie Johnson, who has worked extensively as an editor for Harlequin and all the writers found the mentoring sessions extremely useful. This […]
Retreats are go!
This week has seen the start of our latest 6 night retreat in the beautiful Yorkshire Dales town of Middleham. With 6 writers in residence, including one who is signed with Penguin and another about to launch his second book which is for sale in major booksellers, we have a great group (as always!) The […]
Different dietary needs and our retreats
At Writers’ Retreat UK, it’s vital to us that we provide every single writer with the same standard of food no matter what their dietary needs are. We regularly see a mix of vegetarian, vegan, coeliac, lactose intolerance and dairy free diets on our retreats and this poses us no problems at all. Even our […]
A New Venue
Our second retreat for June is now well underway with mentoring sessions happening as I write. The first evening dinner was a vibrant affair with the dining room alight with conversation and laughter. Today, we visited our newest venue, still in Middleham but a little different to the Schoolhouse venue. Where the Schoolhouse is compact […]
When it doesn’t go to plan….
April saw our first retreat back since lockdown and it planned to be a fabulous 3 days (as always). At Writers’ Retreat UK, we only ever book venues that have been checked out by ourselves or have come highly recommended. Unfortunately, COVID restrictions meant we were unable to check out our latest addition to our […]
Inspiring Young Business Woman
Anon-Art the newest marketplace for buying and selling works of art has just launched. Why is it different? With Anon-Art, the sale is done anonymously which means people are buying the art because they love the look of it, rather than focusing on a name or an individual. This is a great way for establishing […]
An Insight into the Novel-Writing Process
Jacqueline James is just about to release her debut novel, Rude Awakenings. Having joined us on two retreats, Jacqui has kindly shared her writing process here. Rude Awakenings is released in February, 2021 and can be purchased on Amazon. I have always written diaries and travel journals, recording life around me and my feelings. I […]