Learn How to Craft a Travel Article, Write a Memoir and Publish Your Book
I’ll be leading a seven-day writers workshop on the personal travel narrative aboard a traditional 82-foot gulet (a Turkish yacht) September 20-27, 2008. Come join me!
On this seven-day intensive workshop sailing on the Aegean Sea you’ll learn the ins and outs of crafting a superb story and how to bring your work to print, whether it’s a short essay or a book-length memoir. I’ll help you develop powerful stories with simple tools and plot the course to successful publication.
For information about sailing along the ancient shores of Turkey with me, contact Robin Sparks at robin@robinsparks.com.
In this workshop you will learn how to:
• Unearth kernels of inspiration
• Find the right way in
• Create the ideal structure to give a story maximum substance and meaning
• Access memory to add depth and texture
• Use techniques of fiction to add drama and suspense
• Craft the perfect ending
• Edit to make the story a page-turner
• Develop the kind of book proposal publishers are eager to see
• Create the perfect marketing plan so your book will sell
• Write like a poet but think like a publicist
Daily writing exercises will help you find the focus of your story, and discussions will provide guidance for shaping and polishing. Participants will gain confidence about what makes a story work and how to make it shine in the marketplace.
The group workshop will be structured around our tour of the Turkish coast and will include:
• Maximum of 12 participants
• Emphasis on personal travel narrative and memoir, but open to other forms
• Hour-long group workshops each morning
• Daily one-on-one consultations with me
• Writing assignments to prime your pump
• Afternoons devoted to writing and exploring the Turkish coast
• Evening group reading and discussion of participants’ work
• Write about your Turkish experience, craft journal notes into compelling stories, develop material you’re already working on
• Come ready to write, share, learn, and have fun
And Much More…
We’ll begin in the internationally renowned resort of Bodrum and work our way down the Aegean coast and into the Mediterranean. You’ll see turtles nesting, sail past and hike among ancient ruins, visit Turkish villages, natural hot springs and a mud bath, explore inner waterways, and learn to write and get published. All while reveling in a classic Blue Voyage of legend. Turkey is a beautiful country, and Turks ooze with hospitality. Don’t miss this chance of a lifetime!
Want to know what the trip might be like? A few years ago John Flinn wrote a story for the San Francisco Chronicle about a journey on a similar vessel in the same area. Read it for the full flavor, sans the travel writing workshop.
Price: $2500 usd
Includes:
• Two hours minimum of instruction per day and private consultations
• Three delicious meals per day and all drinks
• All land and water excursions
• Use of a jet ski, kayaks, snorkel gear, and fishing rods
• Full use of a luxurious classic Turkish yacht constructed of African teak and brass, and shared with a maximum of 12 students and 3 Turkish crew members
• Shared accommodation in a large double cabin with a private bath
• Three Turkish crew members to make sure that the only work you do is write and play
• Airport transfers
• One night’s stay in the plush Marina Hotel in Bodrum, Turkey
• And last but not least, laughter, exploration and camaraderie galore
The price does not include round trip airfare to Bodrum, Turkey from whence we will depart on our boat on Saturday, September 20, 2008. We have scheduled the workshop during the travel “shoulder season” so that students may benefit from lower airfares. If you would like assistance booking an airline ticket, please email workshop organizer, Robin Sparks at robin@robinsparks.com.
This is a small intimate class of no more than 12, so don’t delay. Reserve your spot by sending your first installment of $1250 via PayPal.com to robin@robinsparks.com. Final payment of $1250 is due by June 1, 2008. Please purchase travel insurance as we are unable to issue refunds unless we can fill your spot.
For information about sailing along the ancient shores of Turkey with Larry, contact Robin Sparks at robin@robinsparks.com.
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