Summer Creative Writing Course in France

Creative Writing Course at the French House Party, Carcassonne:
Recommended in the book “The 100 Best Worldwide Vacations to Enrich Your Life”, the French House Party in the Carcassonne area of south-west France offers residential, all-inclusive experience holidays, including a tutored summer Creative Writing Retreat for writers and creative writing hobbyists. Located in the Languedoc-Roussillon region, Carcassonne is 50 miles from Toulouse which has an international airport. The economy airline Ryanair also flies directly to Carcassonne from the UK, Ireland, Belgium, and other European airports.

Summer Creative Writing Courses 2018: 

"Write Like No One's Watching"
- Duration: 6 days / 5 nights

Run by author and professional tutor Sarah Hymas, this 6-day creative writing course is designed for complete beginners or for people who have a year or two of writing experience.

It is also suitable for those who have attended other writing classes, and for both published and unpublished authors.

• Course Content:
Our creative writing classes promise the exploration of new techniques, mainly in prose, but also addressing poetry. You will not be expected to write in any particular style or genre, except for that chosen by yourself - fact or fiction, prose or poetry.

The course programme includes daily 3-hour group sessions, one-to-ones and an after-dinner feedback focus on at least one evening.

Participants are encouraged to bring with them one or two of their poems or a short story for the one-to-one and another for group discussion.

• Daily Workshops:
The daily workshops will expand the imagination using writing games and exercises that rely on play, memory and a sense of adventure.

In the three-hour workshops, we will be using writing games and exercises to explore new techniques and unleash your imagination.

We will read as well as write, talk, think and feedback on each other’s work. The focus will be on fun and informality; learning through play. We will look at characterization, writing about location, plots, narratives and poetic devices. 

Sarah will also offer her experience to advise on the business side of being a writer, should you wish, including discussing ambitions, expectations and the sort of publications you might best target for getting your work published.

• One-to-one tutorials: 
There will be an opportunity for 20-minute one-to-one tutorials for everyone, on the Thursday and Friday afternoons. Timings will be arranged at our first workshop, to make them convenient for everyone. Of course you only need to take the opportunity of a tutorial if you wish.

If you have some work you would like discuss with Sarah in the tutorial then please bring either two poems with you or 750 words of prose, with a 50-word synopsis. Typed is preferred unless your handwriting is wonderfully legible!


"Pen & Think" - Tutored Creative Writing Retreat
- Duration: 6 days / 5 nights
Designed for the experienced, progressing writer, this retreat is a wonderful opportunity to devote yourself to your current writing - be that a novel, memoir, collection of poetry or short stories.

Participants receive a minimum of two one-to-one sessions with Sarah in the afternoons to explore your work in depth. These conversations are specifically tailored to your needs.

Sarah can help you to keep on writing if the dreaded 'block' is an issue, offer advice on structure and approaches to editing, and provide a detailed analysis and feedback on your work. She is also happy to discuss your ambitions and plans for your work if you are ready to publish it.

There is also one evening feedback session for all participants to discuss each others' work-in-progress, as well as opportunities to share ideas and inspirations with other writers.