Costa Rica Writing Retreat – Day 1

One of my favourite activities each year is taking a group of writers from all over North America to an incredible eco lodge in the Costa Rica rain forest, where I lead writing workshops and discussions for seven magical days. There are few things more inspiring than the opportunity to help others find their voice as writers. I landed in San Jose yesterday, took a few hours to read the short stories and novel excerpts some of my writers had sent, relaxed at a hotel for the evening and returned to the airport at noon today to meet everyone’s flights. Half our group is American this year, half Canadian. All come looking for an adventure, and hoping to discover something new about themselves as writers, [...]

2019-05-04T17:30:33-04:00February 5, 2017|Home Page, On Writing, Writing Retreats, Young Writers!|
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A Typical Day on our Writing Retreat

Early Morning… We wake to the smell of tropical vegetation and the screech of parrots. The world is glistening as we make our way through the trees and down to the poolside restaurant to greet the group. There are fresh fruit smoothies, slices of papaya, ice cream fruit, tortillas, rice, beans, pancakes, eggs and toast. The eggs are brought in by a local family and the crusty bread is made on site. The ‘ice cream fruit’ was picked just moments ago. After a group breakfast, we agree to meet on the outdoor veranda in half an hour for our morning writing workshop. Two of us spend that time climbing to the lookout tower where we gaze down on the tops of the rainforest as a [...]

2016-11-25T21:20:20-04:00November 25, 2016|Home Page, Life at Centauri, On Writing, The Finding Place|
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Why Retreat?

The world is a noisy, busy place. With daily distractions competing for our attention, it becomes almost impossible to truly listen to the voices inside of us. When we clear space in our lives and in our heads – when we remove the ambient noise – we can often be surprised by what we hear. A retreat is about giving time and attention to a part of ourselves that may otherwise get pushed aside. If you dream of being a writer, that can mean many things. It means finding the time to complete a project on your ‘bucket list’, but it can also mean learning to listen to the creative voice inside your head. Ideas need time to gestate. We have to nurture them, be [...]

2016-10-19T14:51:24-04:00October 19, 2016|Home Page|
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Join us on Retreat in Costa Rica

In February 2017 we will be holding our second annual writing trip to Costa Rica! As with last year, we welcome solo writers as well as writers with accompanying family members. We’re staying in a spectacular lodge in the rainforest, 10 minutes from La Fortuna. Mornings will consist of workshops for participants whose focus is on writing, while other group members relax around the pool, climb the viewing tower, or enjoy nature from one of the many hiking trails. In the afternoons, writers can take advantage of the serenity to work on independent writing projects, or join other group members on local sightseeing trips: hot springs, zip lining and more. This is a fully escorted tour: we meet your flight, and return you to the [...]

2016-10-17T18:44:44-04:00October 17, 2016|Home Page, On Writing, The Finding Place|
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It’s ‘Authors for Indies’ this weekend!

These days, emerging Canadian authors rely on thriving independent bookstores more than ever. Why? You may have noticed that it’s often difficult to find works by emerging Canadian writers in the big box stores. And though you’ll find them in online stores, they are often buried among the works of more established authors. So the support of independent bookstores, and the enthusiastic readers (and writers) who work there, can be essential to new Canadian authors as they establish a firm readership. This coming Saturday, 30 April, is Authors for Indies Day across Canada – a time for Canadian writers to give back, and a terrific opportunity for readers to meet their favourite authors, whoever they may be. If you want to learn more about Authors [...]

2016-04-29T13:09:27-04:00April 29, 2016|Home Page, On Writing, The Finding Place, Young Writers!|
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Upcoming Readings and Workshops, London Ontario

I will be in London on Saturday 19th March to hold a number of events related to my novel, The Finding Place. If you have an interest in writing, or you’d love to chat with me about my book, I’d be thrilled to see you there! Here is my schedule: 9.30-12.00   Book Signing in the children’s section at Chapters, Wellington Street, London. 1pm              Creative Writing Workshop at the Arts Project (Dundas Street). This workshop is free, and open to ages 9-16 2.30pm         A Reading from The Finding Place, plus a book signing at the Arts Project (Dundas Street) All ages are welcome for this event. For more information on The Arts Project events, go to http://www.artsproject.ca/classes/the-finding-place-julie-hartley-author-reading I hope I have the opportunity to [...]

2016-03-10T19:16:33-04:00March 10, 2016|Uncategorized|
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A Participant Perspective: Our Writing Retreat

The following article was sent to us by L.S., a participant on our recent family/solo writing tour to Costa Rica. She attended the retreat with her teenage daughters, who had previously also attended our arts programs at Centauri Summer Camp. A fortuitous conversation four years ago my daughters at a uniquely special camp called Centauri. The positive impact of Centauri has been vastly disproportionate to the time they’ve spent there which speaks volumes to its ability to affect young people. How two short weeks within an entire year can hold so much meaning is quite remarkable. I’ve never asked what the word Centauri means, allowing me to create my own encompassing definition: A place where kids can find their own rhythm, their own voice, a [...]

2016-02-05T15:27:29-04:00February 5, 2016|Home Page, Life at Centauri, On Writing, Parenting|
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Costa Rica Writing Retreat

My first family/solo adult writing retreat to Costa Rica has now concluded – and what a wonderful week it was! Our group stayed at Finca Luna Nueva, a gorgeous bio-dynamic farm and lodge in the heart of the rain forest, where sloths lazed outside our windows and hummingbirds flitted past the pool. To kick start the week, I gave a reading – from The Finding Place, and from two new novels, one written (Beyond Chaos) and another in progress (The Hibernators). There followed six mornings of writing workshops – an hour long for the younger participants, and two hours for the adult writers. We explored surrealist writing prompts, looked at structure (and planned a novel!), discovered how fiction is inspired by life experience, tried out [...]

2016-02-01T19:37:52-04:00February 1, 2016|Home Page, Life at Centauri, On Writing, Parenting, The Finding Place, Young Writers!|
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Five More Writing Prompts for the Holidays

Hoping for some writing time over the next few weeks? Here’s some more prompts to get you started… A gift is delivered incorrectly to your home. It’s an intriguing shape. What do you (or your characters) do? Choose your genre.. is the gift magical? Sinister? Suggestive of an imminent crime? Do you open it – or is this a human story about what happens as you seek the rightful owner? Write for ten minutes without stopping, beginning with the following prompt: I packed a suitcase, the scent of winter in the air. Attempt a picture book for the holiday season. Your main character is a child who has never seen snow. Write about one of the first holiday seasons you can remember. How old were [...]

2015-12-17T18:03:15-04:00December 17, 2015|Home Page, On Writing, The Finding Place, Young Writers!|
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Writing Prompts for the Holidays!

Have some free time on your hands in the next few weeks, and want to get creative? Here are five prompts that might just help! 1. Write about a character alone and away from family for the first time ever during the holidays. Are they are alone by choice, or out of necessity? Where are they? What has happened? How do they spend their day? If you have time to write for a longer period of time, ensure your character undergoes some form of transformation in the course of your writing. Their perspective and emotional state is quite different, by the end. 2. Ever had the feeling, during a snow storm, that the snow is never, ever going to stop? Write about a time when [...]

2015-12-10T19:17:54-04:00December 10, 2015|Home Page, On Writing, The Finding Place, Young Writers!|
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