Sunday March 20 to Saturday March 26, 2022,
Scheduled to suit writers across Australian and Pacific timezones.
Led by Barbara Turner-Vesselago, who will join us via Zoom from Toronto in times to suit writers across Australian, New Zealand and Pacific timezones, this Freefall Writing Online Workshop will enable writers to access all the benefits of a Freefall Writing retreat, without leaving their own workspace.
Under Barbara’s guidance, Freefall Writing will help you to connect with your deepest intention in writing, and to write with authority and grace.
Barbara will provide detailed, daily feedback on your writing by email, and choose the work to be read aloud each day. Due to the timezone difference between Australia and Canada, I will be supporting her by leading those daily readings and discussion of the writing read aloud. If you would like an idea of my reading style, please feel free to join one of the monthly Readings for Writers.
The schedule is outlined below, followed by testimonials from writers who participated in the last couple of Zoom workshops held by Barbara in Australia and co-hosted by me.
If you have any questions, as always, please get in touch.
Warmly,
Kirsten
Freefall Writing Workshop Online
Scheduled at times to suit writers across Australia, NZ and the Pacific, this Freefall Writing Workshop will be held and taught by Barbara Turner-Vesselago from her home in Toronto, and supported locally by me, Kirsten Cameron, in Melbourne.
The week begins with a workshop on Sunday 20th March hosted by Barbara, following which, writers will jump straight in and spend the afternoon writing. Another four days of writing will follow, with detailed daily feedback on your work from Barbara before you start writing each morning. Afternoon/evening workshops will involve readings selected by Barbara and discussion about the writing led by your local host. Barbara will join the group on Friday to host a final discussion of the week’s work and an extended writing exercise tailored to meet the particular needs of each writer.
Fees
- $995, maximum 10 participants
NB. The times below are listed in Australian Eastern Daylight Savings Time, however, the schedule is set to allow writers to participate from anwhere. For a full schedule in your timezone, get in touch.
Workshop Structure
Sunday 20th March
Morning workshop
- We will meet from 10.30am-1pm (ADST) for an introductory workshop
- Log in to the Zoom Room to meet with Barbara for an introduction to Freefall
- Share introductions with the other writers in the group
- Become familiar with the Freefall precepts and how to get the most out of the week
Note, Bring a pen and paper or be prepared to use your keyboard as you will most likely want to take some notes, and there may be a writing exercise.
Afternoon writing
Launch straight into an afternoon of writing, with up to ten pages of (double-spaced) writing to be sent to Barbara and Kirsten by 7pm ADST as well as write your debrief on how the writing went for you in the private group forum.
Monday 21st to Thursday 24th March
- Daily writing feedback
Barbara will email each writer with feedback on their work by 7am the day after it was submitted, ahead of your next morning writing.
- Morning writing
You will be writing in your own time from the sanctuary of your own workspace, with up to ten pages of (double-spaced) writing to be submitted to Barbara and Kirsten, your local host by 12.30pm in your local timezone.- Debrief on how the writing went for you in the private online group forum
- Group seminar, approx 5pm – 7.30pm ADST
Barbara will make a selection of the previous days work to be read by me, your local host, Kirsten. We will discuss both the work itself and whatever it brings up with regard to writing technique
Friday 25th March
- The training wheels come off, the morning is yours to write again if you wish, with an option to share your writing in the private group forum.
- Group seminar, approx 5pm – 7.30pm ADST
Meet in the Zoom Room for one final reading of a selection of work with your local host.
Saturday 26th March
- Group seminar, approximately 10.30am – 1pm ADST
Back in the Zoom Room, Barbara will join us to recap the week with further insights and suggestions, as well as readings. In addition, there will be a final extended writing exercise tailored to meet the needs of individual writers.
A Week With Writers
Part of the Freefall experience is being able to interact with other writers. New friendships are often made, and the things learnt outside of the formal tuition are a wonderful complement to the practice of Freefall. To support this engagement with each other, we will host an online-forum where we can discuss different aspects of writing, the writers life, or other things that come up that have nothing to do with writing at all.
Payment Terms and Conditions
Payment
Once we receive interest from the minimum number of writers to secure the workshop, a call for payment will be made.
- $400 Deposit is required to secure your booking
- Full payment required by Friday 4th February
Note: Until the deposit is paid your place is not confirmed.
If full payment is not received by Friday 4th February, it will be assumed you have cancelled.
Cancellation fees
In the unfortunate event that you have to cancel your booking, the following fees will be held
- $50 non-refundable admin fee for cancellations made after booking
- $400 deposit is non-refundable for cancellations made after Friday 11th February
- Full amount is non-refundable for cancellations made after Friday 29th February.
In the unlikely event that the workshop is cancelled, the full deposit and fee paid by the time of cancellation will be refunded.
For more information and the full schedule, contact kirsten@kirstencameron.com.
Full Freefall Writing Workshop terms and conditions can be seen here.
Technical Support
We appreciate that the move online does create some new hurdles and Kirsten will be available in the lead-up to the week and during the week to provide basic support to ensure you are comfortable logging in and participating online.
If you have any accessibility requirements, please make these known at the time of booking. Limited assistance can be provided.
Feedback from Australian Online Workshops
“I think I enjoyed writing more than ever this week. It flowed more than usual and I really got into the Freefall ways. I didn’t edit nearly as much. I wrote way more content, and more easily.”
B.Z. Victoria, Australia
“Yes, what a whirlwind week. I learned so much even about myself during that time. I wouldn’t know where to begin describing that wonderful experience.”
K.D. Victoria, Australia.
“Freefall is a technique you use to get the thinking mind to step aside so you can write from a place that is beyond the reach of your ego and its censors.
During the six-day zoom workshop, you get written feedback from Barbara about your morning writing. In the afternoons, a selection of the writers’ work is read out and discussed by a group of up to 12 writers.
The written feedback I get from Barbara shows me where I’m heading in the right direction and where my writing could do with more work. Getting such immediate feedback from a group of writers has also shown me my work in a completely different light. Each writer has their take on it, and it’s invaluable to get this level of perspective in the early stages of my work.
Another benefit of this workshop format is having someone else read out my writing. It’s a third way of exeriencing the written word that leaves me free from what is written on the page to focus my attention on:
- the rhythm of my writing
- how natural the dialogue sounds
- what my writing voice sounds like
- the pacing
- any boring bits
- whether the words and sentences from flow naturally from one to another.
This triple sided workshopping style and feedback in such a short period shows me clearly what is working and what is not in the early stages of my work, and is excellent value for money.”
M.B. Victoria, Australia.
“Thank you again -so much [Kirsten] – for your anchoring of us in so many ways, not just the go-to person for Free Fall stuff but the backstop for each participant. Your endless patience and encouragement is delight to both witness and experience.”
C.F.S. Melbourne, Australia.
Writers Write 