“Writing retreat at The Big Blue”
7 Day Writing Retreat Masterclass with Jonas Saul in Amorgos, Greece
Lakki Village Hotel, Aegiali Beach, Lagada, Amorgos, Greece
Greece Writing Retreat
Unplug from the ordinary and plug into inspiration at this upcoming writing retreat. Immerse yourself in the tranquility of nature, surround yourself with fellow writers, and let the creative energy flow. Whether you're a seasoned author or just starting your literary journey, join this retreat for a week of words, wisdom, a wealth of knowledge, and wonderful connections. Let's turn the blank page into a canvas of endless possibilities.
Meet the instructors
Jonas
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Highlights
- Access to all sessions with Jonas Saul, plus one on ones and more
- Retreat materials included
- Tour the ancient village of Chora
- Go on a village hike
- Visit the 11th-century monastery Hozoviotissa
- Transport to and from Amorgos port and hotel
- Greek breakfast buffet and dinner
- 6 nights accommodation
Skill level
- Beginner
- Intermediate
5 days with instruction
Group size: 3-15 participants
Accommodation
Check-in Time:
15:00
Check-out Time:
11:00
Facilities
- Swimming pool (outdoor)
- Air-conditioned rooms
- Barbeque facilities
- Café
- Environmentally friendly
- Garden
- Poolside bar
- Restaurant
- Yoga shala
- Car rental
- Free parking
- Free Wi-Fi
- Laundry
- Parking lot
- Wireless internet
- Outdoor shower
With a pool, bar, restaurant, and pergola-shaded seating areas, Lakki Village Hotel is the perfect place to relax and enjoy the vibrant local flora.
The rooms are surrounded by a lush, beautifully landscaped garden, harmonized with the Cycladic tradition. Apart from the garden, visitors can also enjoy a view of the swimming pool or the magnificent Aegiali bay from their own private balcony or veranda.
The room has:
- Air conditioning
- Refrigerator
- TV
- Boiler (kettle)
- Safe box
- Bath amenities
- Hair dryer
Program
The week-long Jonas Saul Masterclass offers a wealth of knowledge, practical skills, and a deeper understanding of your craft. All sessions aim to find more readers in your chosen genre and lean toward you writing cleaner, fast-paced novels that people talk about (word of mouth).
Included:
- The novel idea
- To outline or not to outline
- Motivation: Use a daily word count or other ways - but write!
- Show, don't tell: With examples on how to do that
- Use of active voice instead of passive with tips on how to do that and examples
- Style issues: Worm words to omit, words to add. Cadence and flow are important
- Pace: How to write with pace effectively. What to do and what not to do
- Character motivation and scene purpose are broken down and discussed
- How to write to reader psychology so they enjoy the process
- Self-editing tips to tighten up your work. This saves money on editors and catches agents' eyes
- Add tension to the page. You'll receive tools on how to do that effectively
- Increase emotion on the page. Practical ways to do that on every page
- Industry standards on setup and preparation so you don't look amateur
- Cover art and design know-how tips
- Self-publishing vs. traditional?
- Are you querying agents? And self-publishing tips on how to look like a pro
- Promotion: There are ways to find readers without any financial outlay. You'll also discuss inexpensive yet efficient ways to spread the word.
Once the retreat ends, they offer video calls to discuss your writing career. They provide social media plugs to advertise your books as they're released for the following year to over 50,000 followers on their combined social media.
Retreat week summary
- 08:00 – 09:30 Buffet breakfast
- 10:00 - 13:00 Morning sessions run three hours with a short break in between. The itinerary below details these sessions. In the afternoons, you can choose from various activities: edit, walk the beach, swim, hike from one village to another, or take a nap—whatever you like. The possibilities are endless, and the choice is yours!
- Afternoons - One-on-one sessions with Jonas to work on what you need: adding tension/emotion into your manuscript, cover art, formatting, career, social media, etc.
- 20:00 - Meet for dinner, then spend the rest of the evening chatting about writing. You’ll have readings, critiques, and motivational stories of successes and how to manage your career.
Itinerary
May 12
Arrival day: relax and settle in and get ready for an amazing week!
Upon your arrival to Amorgos, a hotel van (or bus) will be waiting to transfer you to the Lakki Village Hotel, where you can check in, rest, swim, or read.
May 13
Introductions and discussions on writing in general
During this first morning session, everyone will introduce themselves and discuss what they're writing and looking for from the retreat. Jonas Saul will talk about the industry and offer clarity on direction.
The novel idea is discussed, including whether to outline or not, motivate yourself with a daily word count or find other ways, and show, don't tell, with examples on how to do that.
You break for lunch and plan a few hour-long one-on-one sessions, sometime throughout the day, to discuss your career and what you want to do with your writing.
May 14
Building the novel and finishing it!
Use the active voice instead of the passive, with tips on how to do that. You'll discuss style issues with words to omit and words to add. Cadence and flow are important. Pace: how to write with pace effectively. What to do and what not to do. Character motivation and scene purpose are broken down and discussed today.
May 15
Revealing the emotional quotient and tension
How to write to reader psychology so they enjoy the process, with self-editing tips to tighten up your work. You will learn how to add tension to the page. You'll receive tools to increase emotion on the page with practical ways to do that.
May 16
Final novel details
Industry standards on setup and preparation for your novels. You'll discuss cover art and design know-how. Also, you'll go over your options, whether you want to self-publish or go the traditional route.
Will you query agents? If not, they will cover self-publishing tips on where to go to sell your books and why.
May 17
Promote without yelling, "Buy my book!"
Promotion: There are things to do to find readers that cost you nothing. You'll also discuss inexpensive yet efficient things to do.
Promotion 101: Author Rania Stone will lead a beginner's session on social media covering funnel marketing, landing pages, and what you need your readers to see, plus essential tips for your website.
After retreat - May 18
Heading home - checking out
Once the retreat ends, they offer video calls to discuss your writing career. They provide social media plugs to advertise your books as they're released for the following year to over 50,000 followers on their combined social media.
The hotel will provide transportation to the port to get you on the ferry, which will take everyone back to Athens (or to other islands if you want to keep touring Greece!). Once on the boat, you can continue to other European cities, keep touring, or stay in Athens longer.
If you’re leaving for home immediately, please consider that the boat ride back to Athens is approximately eight hours. Be sure to give yourself an extra day before flying out to ensure you arrive on time for your flight.
Included excursions
Tours: During your six-night stay on the island of Amorgos, you'll visit the 11th-century monastery, tour the white village of Chora, and go on a village hike!
Instructors
Jonas Saul
Jonas Saul is the bestselling author of the Sarah Roberts Series—more than two million sold!—and has written and published over sixty thrillers. After acquiring an agent, he signed several deals in Los Angeles, with MadRiver Pictures optioning his Sarah Roberts Series—over forty books!—(currently in development). Jonas has often outranked Stephen King and Dean Koontz on Amazon over the past decade. He’s regularly invited to be a guest speaker, teacher, or workshop presenter at international writing conferences and film festivals worldwide. He hosts multiple annual retreats in Greece.
Location
The accommodation is located on Aegiali beach, one of the most beautiful and tranquil beaches on Amorgos island, nestled within a lush green garden.
Lakki Village offers easy access to the port of Aegiali, as well as nearby supermarkets, bars, shops, and taverns, while being situated right on a sandy shore. The surrounding Aegiali bay is a stunning area, with three picturesque villages perched on dramatic hillsides, and numerous walking paths lined with local herbs, offering breathtaking views of the Aegean Sea.
Features
Activities
- Cooking classes
- Diving
- Hiking
- Swimming pool (outdoor)
General
- Air-conditioned rooms
- Barbeque facilities
- Café
- Environmentally friendly
- Garden
- In-room safe
- Poolside bar
- Restaurant
- Yoga shala
Services
- Car rental
- Free parking
- Free toiletries
- Free Wi-Fi
- Hair dryer
- Internet access
- Laundry
- Parking lot
- Toiletries
- Wireless internet
Food
Breakfast buffet
Breakfast is served every day from 8:00 until 10:30 with a big variety to choose from:
- Black coffee, black tea, sage tea, milk, chocolate, orange juice, butter, margarine, jam (apricot, apple, orange, pear, etc), honey, honey puffs, rice pudding, cake, corn flakes, eggs, ham, cheese, Greek feta, olives, tomatoes, seasonal fruits, toast, and homemade bread.
Dinner
Taste homemade Greek cuisine.
The following meals are included:
- Breakfast
- Dinner
The following drinks are included:
- Coffee
- Tea
The following dietary requirement(s) are served and/or catered for:
- Vegetarian
- Regular (typically includes meat and fish)
If you have special dietary requirements it's a good idea to communicate it to the organiser when making a reservation
Things to do (optional)
- Cooking classes
- Greek dancing lessons
- Learn Greek
- Diving
- Donkey ride
What's included
- Access to all sessions
- Village tour: Chora
- Visit the 11th-century monastery Hozoviotissa
- Village hike
- Retreat materials
- Transport to/from hotel and Amorgos port
- 6 nights accommodation
- Greek buffet breakfast
- Dinner
What's not included
- Flights to/from Greece
- Ferry tickets Blue Star Ferries
- Other refreshments / beverages
- Alcoholic beverages
- Lunches
- Travel insurance
- Hotel tax fee
How to get there
Recommended Airports
JTR
Santorini (Thira) National Airport
71 km
Transfer not provided
ATH
Athens International Airport (Eleftherios Venizelos Airport)
212 km
Transfer not provided
JNX
Naxos Island National Airport
57 km
Transfer not provided
Arrival by airplane
Please book your flight to arrive at Athens International Airport (Eleftherios Venizelos Airport) (ATH). A metro can take you from the airport to the port, or you can take a taxi that will cost you around 50 - 60 EUR. It's about an hour's drive.
The ferry takes about 9 hours to reach Amorgos, and the ticket is about 50 EUR unless you want to travel with the speed boat, which is double the price.
You can also fly directly to Santorini or Naxos and take the ferry from there, so you'll spend less time on the boat.
The hotel offers a pick-up service from all of Amorgos's ports.
Cancellation Policy
- A reservation requires a deposit of 21% of the total price.
- The deposit is non-refundable, if the booking is cancelled.
- The rest of the payment should be paid 30 days before arrival.
For this organizer you can guarantee your booking through Tripaneer.com. All major credit cards supported.
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