Special Coaching Packages Available

I understand what it’s like to be stuck in a writing project, or unsure of where to begin. I’ve edited some of Canada’s leading literary journals and have worked extensively with those coming to the page for the first time, driven by a story that needs to be told. Currently I coach both emerging writers and professionals at any stage of a writing project—from conception to realization, or the messy space in between. Sometimes we all need a helping hand.

What does coaching look like? One to one coaching for writers might include support structuring or planning a book, developing and enhancing an ongoing writing practise, troubleshooting a complicated project, or getting particular feedback and editing advice on a shorter piece of writing. It may simply be a way to hold yourself accountable to a longer term project with regularly scheduled check-ins. If you’re unsure what you need, we will work together to tailor the coaching sessions to best meet your needs. This is an excellent way to work together if you’re not yet ready for a full manuscript evaluation or if you simply need some one to one support.

Coaching rates are available by the hour ($90 + HST), with discounted rates for pre-paid packages of six and ten hours. Each season, I work with a very limited number of writers in a one to one capacity. Through January, 2021, I’m offering a special rate for pre-paid coaching packages of six and ten hours. Packages must be pre-paid in advance and working times are flexible.

Coaching rates (available until January, 2021)

Six-hour package: $495 + HST
Ten-hour package: $825 + HST

Be in touch for more information or to schedule a free consultation to see if working together is right for you.

Time to Awaken: A Virtual Retreat

Join us May 24* for a day of writing, yoga, and meditation

*Please note that this retreat has been re-scheduled to Sunday, May 24

It’s been a full winter. As we tiptoe more fully into spring, do you find yourself longing to feel more grounded? Are your body, mind, and spirit yearning to shake off the cobwebs and feel more vigorously alive?

Join yoga instructor Joshua Lewis and author Trevor Corkum for Time to Awaken, a one-day virtual retreat. As much as possible, we’ll replicate the quiet serenity and restorative benefits of an in-person retreat. Over the course of the day, we’ll engage in revitalizing yoga, deep meditative practice, and a series of reflective writing practises designed to nourish your body and sharpen your sensory awareness. Together we’ll embrace the energetic calling of spring, leaving you anchored in body and mind. Special musical guest, kirtan artist Lana Sugarman, will join us for the day.

No prior yoga or writing experience necessary. While participants will practice from home, we’ll offer suggestions for easy hacks for at-home equipment you can use, so if you don’t have yoga props or equipment at your disposal, no worries! We’ll also provide some special healthy recipes and additional activities to help support your day.

PWYC Sliding Scale Fee: $50-$75 per person

*If you have the desire and means to sponsor somebody to attend this retreat offering at the full price, we would humbly accept a donation on your behalf above the $75 fee noted above.

OVERVIEW

Sunday, May 17

10:00 AM Arrive & Opening Meditation
10:30 AM Hatha Yoga for Awakening Vital Energy
11:30 AM Writing Activity
12:15-1:00 PM Health Break
1:00 PM Writing Activity (continued)
1:45 PM Gentle Movement and Restorative Yoga
2:15 PM Music & Mantra with Lana


WORKSHOP PRICE INCLUDES:

-3 yoga/meditation sessions
-reflective writing and journaling exercises
-healthy plant-based recipes and optional exercises
-special musical guest performance
-discounts on future workshops, writing and yoga sessions
-yoga nidra audio recording

REGISTRATION

Please contact Joshua Lewis at yoga@joshualewis.com to reserve your spot. Full payment is due upon registration.

Payment Methods

1. Email money transfer (send to yoga@joshualewis.com / no password required as I’m set up for autodeposit)

2. Paypal via: www.paypal.me/yogawithjosh

How do we write through this time?

Like all of you, I’ve been trying to make sense of this time we’re living through. In the age of the pandemic, how is one to write? 

I don’t know about you, but the past few weeks have made it pretty difficult to concentrate! 

When I can, I turn to meditation and yoga. In these practises, the goal is not to get anywherebut to simply be with whatever is happening. These anchors have taught me that in times of turmoil, when my mind is racing, it’s okay to simply breathe deeply into the moment. In the big picture, there are few things we are able to control.

Writing as a practise can help create a stable, safe container for us to explore what is happening in our lives and in our world. As writers, we’re blessed with a set of tools that allow us to tap more deeply into the moment, even if that means finding time to sit still at our desk and daydream. 

What does our writing practise look like during this time?

For some, it may mean writing as an anchor point to the day--setting aside fifteen minutes, a half hour or even several hours each morning to simply write without expectation. How can you let your writing into the curious, mysterious, scary part of this experience? What arises when you simply let your pen move across the page, without the pressure to create? 

Perhaps your simply name your fears. Perhaps you focus on the sun streaming through your window, or the ladybug on the glass, and see where it leads you. 

Or maybe you need a prompt. Here’s one for you.

On New Year’s Eve, I thought 2020 would be the best year ever. And now…

For others, it may be a time to hunker into your current project. Can the work itself be a healthy buffer? Can you treat your practise space as a place of ritual, a safe space to recharge? 

And for others still, the tumult of the time will offer itself up as material. Some of the great writers of the English language—George Eliot, Virginia Woolf, James Baldwin, Hemingway, Joan Didion—used the upheaval and social disruption of their eras as an opportunity to see more clearly the world not as they had believed it to be, but as it was unfolding around them. We are living through such a time now. Read Virginia Woolf’s diaries of the Second World War and you’ll get a sense of how the world of the ordinary can be replaced by upheaval and the unknown seemingly overnight. 

How can you use the time we’re living in to probe your own experience of living through it? What would a reader a hundred years from now want to know about this time? 

Perhaps your own writing will provide the clues.

Announcing the Hideout Residency Program

Are you a writer, artist, yoga instructor, or self-care practitioner looking for some quiet time to work on your craft, dive deep into a project, or nourish your own practise? Hoping to get away for some dedicated quiet time free of distraction?

We’ve created the Hideout Residencies just for folks like you.

Here’s how it works. The Hideout is our vacation and retreat rental on the gorgeous south shore of Prince Edward Island. Both the Hideout Cottage and The Tryon Suite are available for select dates in the shoulder season each spring and fall for low-cost, self-directed residencies. Writers and other residents should plan to work on a project or engage in practise for a minimum of one week (6 nights). Residents will arrive on a Saturday afternoon and depart the following Friday morning. Both units feature queen-sized beds and bedding, self-catering kitchens, wifi access, yoga mats and props, space to write and practise, outdoor space, and access to trails and bicycles. Because of the rural nature of The Hideout, residents should normally plan to have their own vehicle for the duration of their stay. In exceptional circumstances, transportation may be arranged for an additional fee.

To apply for a residency, get in touch to tell us about yourself, your project, and your preferred residency time slot. You may wish to indicate an alternate date. We’ll follow up with more information, and you’ll then have ten days to secure your spot with a non-refundable $150 deposit. The remainder of your fees will be due 30 days before your arrival.

If money is an issue, we offer one full scholarship to an emerging or established writer or practitioners. Scholarship recipients will still be responsible for travel and food costs. We welcome applications from all, and folks who identify as Indigenous, LGBTQ, or as people of colour are especially encouraged to apply. Be in touch to discuss accessibility questions and concerns.

The scholarship deadline for 2020 is March 31. Please send us a short (up to five-page) writing sample (preferably related to your project), a short (250 word) synopsis of your project, and why being selected as a Hideout resident is important to you. Please include Hideout Residency in the subject line of your email.

Have more questions? Check out our handy FAQ page, or be in touch for more information.

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RESIDENCY DATES 2020

The Hideout Cottage ($575 per week + HST)

May 16-22 (booked)
May 23-29
June 13-19
Sept 19-25
Sept 26-Oct 2
Oct 3-9
Oct 10-16
Oct 17-23
Oct 24-30

The Tryon Suite ($450 per week + HST)
June 13-19
Sept 12-18
Sept 19-25
Sept 26-Oct 2

Learning from an inspiring group of fellow authors

Behind the scenes at Write by the Sea!

Yolande Essiembre attended last year’s Write by the Sea retreat from Shediac, New Brunswick. Yolande generously agreed to answer a few questions about her experience writing, sharing, and learning in a warm community of fellow writers.

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CATCHING UP with Write by the Sea Participant Yolande Essiembre

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Yolande, why did you first decide to attend the Write by the Sea retreat? 

I felt called to attend as soon as I read the title. I love to write, I love being by the sea and I love retreats! It sounded like it could meet all my needs.

What were some of the lessons you learned from the writing workshops at the retreat? What were the benefits to your writing?

I am writing my first book so I had a lot to learn. I learned about the technicalities of writing, about structure, process and prompts. But I mostly learned through conversations, and sharing with a wonderful and inspiring group of authors. Trevor asked questions that brought conversations to a level much deeper than thought. I appreciated the discussions about perseverance, intuition and creativity. I loved listening to the inner wisdom of the participants as they shared their work. 

In terms of benefits, I understood that I was not to compare myself or my writing to other people. I finally grasped the concept that all books are written in stages… first draft, second draft, third draft and so on until it is ready to be released. I now understand more fully the process of writing a book and the amount of time it may require to have it completed. This helped me to assess where I am presently in my project, where I want to go with my book and the kind of help I would need to move forward. Consequently, I have hired Trevor as a writing coach. My book and my writing has greatly improved, along with my confidence.
  

I finally grasped the concept that all books are written in stages… first draft, second draft, third draft and so on until it is ready to be released.

Apart from writing, what were some of the highlights of the retreat and your time on PEI?

One of the things I truly enjoyed was meal times. At noon, healthy lunches were prepared and brought to us at the little school house by Joshua Lewis. He also led us through meditation and yoga session during the week which was a bonus. Both Trevor and Joshua made themselves very available to us, also sharing the evening meals (most of which were included) with the group. It was a great time for socializing and sharing tips with other authors. The last meal together at The Hideout —where authors shared their work — was truly a gift. 

Any advice for those who might be considering Write by the Sea this year?

I believe that we get from the retreat what we invest in the retreat. Participate in events, enjoy your alone time to move forward with your writing. Appreciate the new friends with their knowledge and wisdom and you will have a week to remember. 

What are you working on currently, Yolande? 

I am working on a memoir. Long Lost Mom is my story as a mother who gave a child up for adoption. It is also the story of an adult child searching for and finding his long lost mom after 46 years of being separated.  

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Yolande is the mother to four adult children and grandmother to two wonderful grand daughters. In addition to accreditation in various types of counselling and coaching, Yolande Essiembre holds a master of theology degree from Université de Sherbrooke (Quebec), a certificate in social work and a certificate in religious sciences from the Université de Moncton (New Brunswick).  During the last 15 years of her career, she worked in organizational development and as a wellness counsellor in the human relations field. Since her retirement, she has created and facilitated sessions in personal and spiritual development and is now in the process of writing her book. She is a member of WFNB (Writer’s Federation New Brunswick).  You can find Yolande’s website here.