Write It Out® Retreat

Tuscany, ITALY

Friday October 19 to Friday October 26, 2012

“Viva Italia”

What: A small writing retreat focused on time for you to write. In addition, interact with exercises in workshops that are focused on personal sensory experiences of Italy. The exercises guide you in techniques of expressive writing and enhance all genres of fiction and memoir writing as well as personal essays and creative journaling. Simple yet powerful exercises from the Write It Out program have helped thousands of writers discover insights, connections and understanding that is valuable for their own personal growth. Suggestions for publishing and the art of query letters, pitch and platform are offered. Early evening salons provide entertainment and an opportunity to share creative work. Private appointments are scheduled for editorial consultations.

The first meeting will be on Friday evening for introductions and arranged times for workshops and private consultations. The retreat ends Friday morning, October 26^th.

Where: This retreat is held at the gracious Villa Le Barone hotel, once a private home and Tuscan farm and now a four star hotel, that is filled with art owned by descendants of the original Della Robbia family. “As writers we use the pen to describe what we see, hear, taste, feel and smell, just as artists paint landscapes and people.” Ronni said. You will find your own secluded places to write at outdoor nooks, a lounge beside the pool or in comfortable parlors. The hotel is situated above the village of Panzano with Etruscan roots and in the heart of the chianti classico region. A few steps from the Villa is the 10th century church of San Leolino where Sunday services are held amid 13^th century art and sculpture. The village is within walking distance or a short car drive away winding down the mountain roads where one can visit the famous butcher shop and hear the owner recite Dante. The Villa is located about an hour from Florence, Siena and San Gimingano and fifteen minutes by car from Greve in Chianti. Optional sightseeing trips can be arranged.

Living at a gracious villa, absorbing the Italian sensibilities and recording those experiences is the unique value of this vacation retreat. Dining on gourmet, Tuscan meals on the terrace under the stars or in the formal dining room is an additional treat for the senses. Relax and let the aura of life in Tuscany filter into your writing and memories and you too will fall in love with Italy.

Suggested accommodations are at the Villa Le Barone, Panzano in Chianti, Italy (www.villalebarone.com). Taxi arrangements to and from the Villa from the airport or train station in Florence can be arranged. The Villa provides driving directions.

Who: Ronni Miller, facilitator.

“I was welcomed to Italy with open arms by a stranger”, Ronni Miller said “and that has made all the difference in my life.” Her love affair with the country and its people began many decades ago and gave birth to a body of her fiction that is set in Tuscany and Venice. Some of the scenes are set at Villa Le Barone as well as another Tuscan villa where Write It Out workshops were held for over ten years. Years of experience as a writer, educator, editor, copywriter and publisher created the Write It Out® program, a motivational and expressive writing program for individuals of all ages in 1992. Dance With The Elephants-Free Your Creativity and Write, and Cocoon to Butterfly - A Metamorphosis of Personal Growth Through Expressive Writing, published by Robi Jode Press, are the texts connected to her program. As a facilitator of expressive writing, Miller lectures and runs workshops in hospitals, medical offices and private locations to help individuals cope with life altering events through writing. In her private practice she guides individuals to express their stories in writing and edits fiction and nonfiction manuscripts. She says, “Italy continues to provide me with rich sources of light, love and writing.”

TUITION and REGISTRATION

TUITION: $999 includes workshops, salons, and private consultations. Accommodations, food, transportation and sightseeing is not included.

REGISTRATION: Include a short bio, reasons to attend the retreat and writing experience. Payment by check made out to Write It Out and mailed to Write It Out P.O. Box 704 Sarasota, FL 34230. Questions? Contact RMillerWIO@aol.com or 941-359-3824.

Registration and payment of $999 tuition is expected in full by August 6, 2012. A special 10% discount is offered if payment is received before July 25, 2012. Thereafter the full tuition will be $999.

CANCELLATIONS: Tuition refund will be paid in full if the retreat is canceled by May 16, 2012 due to low registration. Thereafter a refund is dependent on the minimum required for registration.