writing for healing

writers at work in paradise — Come and write with us!

Is your creative spirit crying out for a little TLC? Always wanted to write but don’t know where to start? Need to reboot your writing mojo and be inspired to tackle that project based on your life that you’ve been thinking about forever? Come along and regain your love of writing and life at the next Relax and Write Retreat From midday FRIDAY 9 April – 3 pm SUNDAY 11 April 2027 in glorious Springbrook, at the TS Rainforest Retreat Centre high above the Gold Coast hinterland, surrounded by tall trees and lush rainforest with friendly pademelons and wallabies to keep us company.

Join like-minded women (and non-binary) writers in a fun and supportive environment discovering just how much some deep relaxation can ignite your imagination and get you writing again. Relax and unwind with gentle morning yoga sessions and be inspired by innovative workshops to help move those stories out of your head and onto the page. Learn how to turn your life stories into powerful creative works, whether memoir, autobiographical fiction or personal essays.

Fun, friends, feasting and writing up a storm!

“I feel transformed, as a writer and as a human being.”

Bianca Millroy – writer and retreater

The program includes two yoga sessions, four workshops to get you writing, plus advice on submitting your work. Two nights comfortable single accommodation with bathrooms shared between two women, plus delicious vegetarian meals and a special readings night around the fire are included.

“The fully-catered retreat environment was comfortable and stress-free. An atmosphere that encourages, motivates and inspires.” Gay Liddington – writer and retreater

Connect with other creative types in a beautiful, peaceful location and remember your creative self. No more putting your dreams on hold. Treat yourself to this special weekend nurturing your writing spirit. Delicious home cooked meals, cosy corners to hide and write, the joyful companionship of fellow writers on the same path. Isn’t it time you put yourself and your creative dreams first. Let us nurture you for a change. You deserve it!

RETREAT PROGRAM All activities are optional

FRIDAY 9 April 2027

ARRIVAL from midday

4 pm – Meet and Greet

4:30 – 6:30 WORKSHOP 1– Your Stories

6:30 DINNER

SATURDAY 10 April

7:15 am – 8:30 – Gentle morning yoga and breathing

8:30 – BREAKFAST

10:00 am – 1 pm – WORKSHOP 2 – Writing Scenes and Characters in memoir/life writing

1 pm – LUNCH

1:30 – 4:00 – FREETIME and FEEDBACK SESSIONS

4 – 6:00 pm – WORKSHOP 3 – Writing from start to finish – developing a plan

6:00 pm – DINNER

6:45 – 7:30 pm – Readings around the fire

SUNDAY 11 April

7:15 – 8:30 – Gentle morning yoga and breathing

8:30 – BREAKFAST

10:00 – 1 pm– WORKSHOP 4 – Where and how to submit work, goal setting, questions and collage

1 pm – LUNCH

3 pm DEPARTURES

Editorial feedback sessions with Edwina available on request $75 extra for those needing professional advice on a project.

FEEDBACK DETAILS – email Edwina your first 10 pages, double spaced, plus your synopsis at least 2 weeks prior to retreat for full edit/advice plus 30 minutes meeting time.

Massages/Bodywork treatments with Monique DeGoey – a highly sought after Zen Thai Shiatsu practitioner will also be available.

COST for the weekend of writing, fun and feasting, including comfortable single room basic accommodation, with bathrooms shared between 2, all meals, 2 yoga sessions, 4 creative writing workshops and a readings night.

Transport not included.

Unwaged (finding it tough to make ends meet) $600.

Waged (I’m doing okay thanks) $750

Please only choose the unwaged option if genuinely struggling. If you’re doing okay, please help me support those writers who aren’t.

All inclusive! For single accommodation and all retreat activities and meals.

PAY YOUR DEPOSIT HERE

I’ve been running these retreats every year since 2017 and they’re always a joy. I love watching new writing friendships form and the ‘Aha!’ moments when a writer gets a flash of inspiration and finds the answer to a story issue. At these memoir retreats we do a lot of writing to prompts as well as learning about how to write in scenes and develop characters in memoir. Remember in memoir, YOU are the main character. You can’t leave the ‘me’ out of memoir. You’ll also learn how to shape your memoir/story to keep your reader hooked right from the first page.

We always have a wonderful time. You might like to check out the Memoir Retreat Rundown from the 2026 memoir retreat here. Plenty of testimonials HERE .

I hope you can come! $200 deposit will secure your place. Always check with me that places are still available before you pay!

If you’re find money tough right now, just drop me a line and we can work something out.

Your story is important. You deserve to be heard. Come along and join the fun and find a community of like minds to inspire your creativity.

Lots of love

Edwina 🙂 xx

Will I Ever Be Who I Am - A memoir by Gay Liddington

I first met Gay Liddington when she attended one of my Relax and Write Retreats at Burleigh Heads back in 2019. From the first time I heard about her story of courage and resilience in overcoming a troubled childhood of family violence and abuse, I knew it was a story that HAD to be told. I’m always banging on about the importance of getting those stories that won’t leave us alone out of our heads and onto the page, because, to paraphrase Salman Rushdie, we need to take control of the stories we tell ourselves about the past, or otherwise let them forever shape our futures.

When we claim our stories and start writing them, magic begins.

Suddenly the stories are not who we are, but what we make of them. We begin to believe that we can change and shape futures different from the darkness of the past. We learn we have power over the stories, that we can shape them into the story that we WANT to tell, not just what we NEED to let go of. We write and rewrite and polish until we realise we’ve done it! We’ve created something beautiful from the pain that used to define us. Now it is the beauty that defines us. Beauty of our own making.

This is what Gay has done with her brave and compelling new memoir Will I Ever Be Who I Am.

Not long after we first met, I was looking for someone to do catering for a new retreat centre where I was hoping to run writing retreats. Gay put her hand up and we’ve been great retreat buddies ever since. She cooked, I edited and gave advice and slowly over a number of years Gay’s book took shape. I also took shape, my belly growing bigger with each one of Gay’s delicious sweet treats I couldn’t resist. There’s a reason her partner Phil is known as “Tummy Big”.

Gay, her daughter Kylie and friend June with the book launch table laden with goodies!!

Gay was already a writer, a journalist writing feature articles for The Hinterland Times. Now they’re writing stories about her! Here’s the feature article (pages 4 and 5)they published recently about Gay’s book.

Gay had been writing and performing poetry, stories and comedy for decades, but this was her first concerted attempt at writing her memoir. She wanted justice, she said. And to not go to her grave with secrets weighing heavy on her soul.

Writing our stories frees us and is a safe way to right the wrongs done to us, especially when we were children and had no voice, no power.

Gay and Leah Dodds, owner of Rosetta Books at Gay’s launch.

Gay has always been a “Do It Yourself” kind of person, so she didn’t want to pursue traditional publishing. Instead, she bought a design template from Book Design Templates and figured out how to do the layout herself. She then worked with Paradigm Print Media to develop a cover and have copies printed. Her cover image is her own concept, taken from a photo of her at 17 when she’d first escaped to the army. A photo her abusive step-father had torn to pieces, and her loving mother had glued back together again.

Recently we launched Gay’s powerful memoir at the Maleny Neighbourhood Centre, where, true to character, Gay donated a dollar from every book to support the programs run at the centre to support women, children and others affected by family violence. What a day it was! After months of rainy weekends, the sun shone brightly all afternoon as we sat in the outdoor covered area, close to the Serenity Grief Garden. Gay had made enough cakes and biscuits to feed an army, allocating five pieces per person!

A crowd of friends, loved ones, retreaters and book lovers cheered Gay on as we talked about what it took to transform her memories into a compelling and empowering story. As Gay read excerpts from her book, there wasn’t a dry eye in the house. I was already teary from the introductions, so very proud of Gay and all she’s achieved.

We were honoured to have Judith Munday OAM, who was a young officer when Gay first joined the army in 1969, officially launch the book. Judith was there to pick up the pieces and help this broken young woman take her first steps into selfhood. It was only fitting she was also there to celebrate the strong, fearless, creative woman Gay’s become.

Gay’s army memorabilia and the original torn photo.

Gay’s memoir is available for sale HERE on my website, and at Rosetta Books Maleny and Annie’s Books at Peregian. Also coming to Amazon soon for international readers.

There are many paths to publication. Gay’s path was perfect for her, the angels she has such faith in lighting the way before her step by step all the way to her magical day of celebration. Which path will you take?

Here to help you find your way!

Lots of love

Edwina xx