Edwina Shaw writing workshops

Memoir retreat gang 2026!

A glorious weekend of sunshine for our Relax and Write Memoir Writing Retreat this year. Blue skies, towering gums, birdsong and leaves rustling and the feeling of being the only ones left on earth. Peace to write and learn, and best of all, connect with other writers.

Photos by me, and last by Maggie Brown

A recent survey revealed that what most writers crave most isn’t new tech, or writing education or feedback. What writers want most is other writers. A community of writers. Providing a safe place for writers to connect and form solid writing friendships has always been a focus of these retreats. And this retreat was a grand example of how spending a few days away together cements writing friendships faster than years of monthly meetings.

Photos by Maggie Brown

Writing can be a lonely business, but on retreat it’s easy to talk about our stories, to have our ideas heard, to feel seen and valued. Non-writers don’t really understand the dedication and years of work that goes into every book, memoirs in particular, or the courage it takes to say, “My life matters. My ideas count. I deserve to be heard”. Other writers get it! And will keep cheering you on until those stories that have haunted you are finally out of your head and onto the page.

Photos by Maggie Brown – last one by me.

We had a wonderful group, our beloved retreataholics leading the pack, and a whole lot of new writers, testing the waters, trying out their writing chops and escaping the pressures of daily life to hide in the mountains and write. We had a lot of Gold Coast Writers this retreat, who I hope will form their own ongoing writing gang to share work. Our precious Faye came all the way from New Zealand – the retreat a birthday gift to herself. Amelia’s hubby gave her the retreat for her birthday and Angela flew up from Melbourne in search of an affordable retreat.

Relaxing is just as important as writing, which is why gentle morning movement and deep guided relaxations are a part of every retreat. As is nap time! All activities are optional so you can design your own retreat and either attend everything on offer for an intensive learning experience, or sleep in and attend just a couple of workshops to get some ideas, then enjoy a massage, or grab a cup of tea and some of Gay’s delicious treats, head out with a picnic rug and find a place to lie in the sun and journal, read or just lie down and rest. Other writers came along to finish works in progress. Go Georgina go! Happy to report that her first draft is now complete!

Photos by Maggie Brown

Sunshine for a whole weekend in the rainforest is a rare treat, and we made the most of it. Pademelons grazed undisturbed between writers gazing into the treetops. Daydreaming is an important skill for writers.

We feasted on delicious, healthy meals and treats made with love by our beloved Chief Cookie, memoir author Gay Liddington, whose powerful and uplifting book, Will I Ever Be Who I Am, sold like hotcakes on retreat! (You can buy a copy HERE)

Photos by Maggie Brown (and me)

Monique provided bodywork treatments that left us floating a little above the ground, and miraculously healed Jeanelle’s hip! Thank you Monique, for your gentle touch and the wisdom and healing you bring to these retreats.

Photos of kindy collages by me.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, it’s the people who attend these retreats that make them so special. As facilitator it gives me great joy to watch how women support and nurture each other. We cheer each other on and rush to help those struggling, not with story so much, but with the courage and confidence to tell it.

Each special soul who attended contributed to this beautiful weekend just by being themselves. It is a great privilege to bring these groups together. And in the grander scheme of things, I’m grateful that Dear Madman wasn’t published the first time it went to acquisitions in 2014, because if it had, I wouldn’t have created these retreats, which have become one of my life’s most satisfying and joyful achievements.

Happy campers with their collages. Traditional kindy photo to finish retreat. From top left: me, Anne, Angela, Katie, Faye, Sue, Helen, Liana, Jeanelle, Amelia, Bev, Rebecca and Shannon 🙂

Here’s what some of our retreaters had to say:

‘Edwina’s tuition at the Relax and Write Retreats condenses book loads of info on how to write into a weekend that’s fun, relaxing and, for me, easy to take in.’

Vivienne Wynter, author of the forthcoming Sunny (Hawkeye Press)

‘A soul-warming, inspiring weekend of connection, learning and love.’

Shannon

‘I loved the supportive, inclusive atmosphere and left feeling nourished and inspired.’

Angela

‘I love the quiet setting and variety of spaces to read and write. Meeting so many other writers was a bonus. I was able to disconnect and made progress on my writing.’

Maggie

‘Relax and Write is a rewarding experience. Should to shoulder we sit with authors in all stages of writing and the encouragement is strengthening from uncommon places. You will leave nourished in so many ways, it is unfathomable.’

Helen

‘Edwina is a wealth of knowledge who is extremely generous with her time, suggestions and guidance to help you develop your craft. ‘

Jeanelle

‘Want to write a book? When you don’t think you can, let Edwina prove you wrong. A wonderful retreat in every sense of the word, nurturing, enlightening and filled with love and encouragement.’

Beverley Young, author.

Thank you all!

The next Relax and Write Writing Retreat is our Feedback and Revision, Second Draft Retreat for those with a major project underway. August 7- 9,2026. All the info HERE! Plenty of spaces still available but book in fast before the retreataholics fill it up!

My next memoir retreat is a Transformational Writing Retreat in collaboration with the indefatigable Kerstin Pilz, author of Loving my Lying Dying Cheating Husband, in beautiful Byron Bay – September 19 – 25/2026. Two teachers. Five nights in paradise. Writing workshops, yoga and movement sessions, pranayama and deep relaxation, sound bowl healing, special dance therapy session, tarot readings, feedback and a whole lot more! Check it out HERE. Bookings now open! Imagine relaxing and writing for five whole days. Who knows what could happen? All genders are welcome at Transformational Writing Retreats.

Thank you to all the very special women who came along to this first retreat since my burnout. I couldn’t have dreamt of a better gang to bring me back into retreat mode. Thank you to my darling chief cookie and retreat partner, Gay for all you do with such great love and kindness. Thank you to our special helpers too, Vivienne, Tash and Jill. You made everything run like clockwork. Love you all.

Thank you to all my wonderful, inspirational 2026 memoir retreaters, for your energy, enthusiasm, talents and willingness to share. Thank you most of all for having the courage to write your stories. The world needs the stories of working women, of mothers, grandmothers, wise elders, carers and survivors.

With lots of love,

Edwina xx

Photos by Maggie Brown, Beverley Young and me.

PS. Dear Madman event at Books@Stones this Saturday 18/4/2026. 2 – 3pm. Think of a question to ask me! I’d love to see your smiling face. BOOK HERE.

Patrizia, Bec and Jenny busily cleaning up their sentences at our Italian retreat!

When we write our first drafts mostly we’re pouring words out in a frenzy, carried away by the story unfolding in our heads and getting it onto the page. Sentence structure doesn’t matter, or grammar or repetition, we’re busy creating the stone we’ll use to carve and sculpt our story. After this initial flurry and all the joy of creation, the real work of writing begins, rewriting — doing that sculpting and refining to shape and polish our stories to publishable standard. Writing is rewriting.

Whether you’re writing a short piece or something longer these 5 easy tips will help strengthen your writing.

Cut the total word count by ten percent.

Yes, I know this may have you weeping and gnashing your teeth. I certainly felt this way when one of my earliest mentors Judith Lukin-Amundsen told me to do so. But she’d edited Tim Winton and Kate Grenville, so I wasn’t going to argue. My 90 000 word MS had to lose 9000! The easiest way to do this is by cutting whole chapters or scenes that aren’t moving the plot forward, any characters that are only echoes of others or who can be conglomerated with another. EG only one best friend, not three. Write up a scene list and see what can go. We don’t need scenes recounting what went on in a previous scene, unless the perspective is completely different or we have new information. See here for how to do a scene list.

2. Cut the first and last sentence of every paragraph.

I can hear the screams from here! No! Not my fabulous opening line!

This is another tip from Judith L-A. You don’t have to take it literally, but you do need to look at every paragraph under a microscope to see what can go.

Have you written your way into the heart of what you wanted to say with some unnecessary set up? Is a character thinking back to an event that’s just happened? CUT. Did you get carried away by the beauty of your own words with a fancy last sentence at the end of every paragraph? Cut most so the best one shines. Make sure every sentence is contributing and not just repeating information we already have.

Just don’t cut off any thumbs!

3. Cut all backstory or research dumps.

Take a good look at your story, especially the opening after your hook, to check if you’re guilty of a backstory dump. This is a chunk of writing TELLING the reader all about your character (or your family history if doing memoir) in one big block. Instead, cut it and put aside to use for your own information and to weave through in snippets, revealing information a little at a time when relevant to the unfolding plot, without dragging us back into the past.

If you’re writing family history or historical fiction your MS may also be suffering from research dumps. These should be addressed similarly to the backstory dump, no matter how fascinating your discoveries. Intersperse research details as the story is being told, through the specific sensory details and settings where your characters are taking action.

4. Bring the reader as close as you can to the lived experience of your characters.

Cut all “can feel/hear/see/smell”. Instead of Sophie could feel the rain falling gently, use The rain fell gently on Sophie’s face, bringing the reader closer to the sensation. Not He could hear the roar of the plane’s engines, but The plane’s engines roared.

Fabulous old cemetery church in Sicily. Bury all those dead sentence openings!

5. Cut all dead sentence openings.

There is/was and It is/was are known as dead sentence openings, filler words that aren’t contributing and can almost always be trimmed from your sentences. For example: There is an old car in the driveway, can be changed to An old car lies rusting in the driveway. Take a good close look at all your sentences that begin with there are/is etc. and see if you can find a better way to structure them.

I hope these tips are useful and you can see immediately how your writing improves. Remember, less is always more. Leave room for your readers. Space on the page and between scenes can reveal more of the story that spelling everything out. CUT CUT CUT!

For more information on writing clearer, stronger prose see THIS POST.

Good luck! Rewriting has a joy of its own.

REMEMBER I have an Online Memoir and Life Writing Course coming up in January and February 2026. Six weeks of workshops, with feedback on your writing. Make 2026 your year to get stuck into that story that needs to be told. All the info HERE. Not writing from life? I have a series of recorded workshops to get you off to a great start too. Info HERE.

Lots of love,

Edwina 🙂 xx