Our September 2025 writing retreat has just wrapped up! This special gathering brought together writers who had previously attended one of my tutored retreats. They returned for a week of workshops, focused writing time, supportive feedback sessions, and refreshing walks in the breathtaking Alpine landscape. It was such a joy to welcome them back! By the end of the week, old friendships had been deepened and new ones forged, and the group left with a promise to continue meeting online for ongoing feedback and support.
The attendees came from various groups but shared a common writing-craft foundation from their first retreat, so they were keen to take the experience one step further, together. Finding dates that suited everyone was the main challenge, but five participants were able to make the week of 7 to 13 September. Three stayed at the apartment in Hasliberg-Reuti that had welcomed them before, while two (since the flat wasn’t big enough for everyone) stayed at a lovely nearby B&B. The large seminar room in the apartment comfortably held us all for the workshops and feedback sessions.
Each morning began with a 90-minute workshop to inspire creativity, deepen knowledge of the craft, and strengthen the group’s bond. Ample personal writing time during the day gave everyone space to advance their projects. In the afternoons, we reconvened for two and a half hours of group feedback. A short daily walk in the fresh mountain air – and a mid-week excursion to the spectacular Aare Gorge just outside Meiringen – provided not only physical activity but also inspiration and the chance to connect more deeply. Much talk and laughter were shared also over breakfast, lunch (at the nearby Hotel Reuti restaurant), and dinner!
The workshops built on the group’s shared knowledge base. I provided recaps of what we had covered during their previous retreats: on Day 1, Story Structure and Plot Development; on Day 2, Story Openings; on Day 3, Characterisation… We quickly reviewed these notes together, then moved on to exercises that drilled down into the relevant topic while introducing something new and unleashing creativity. For example, our session on Characterisation was paired with exploring the uses and effects of music (in both fiction and life writing); another exercise delved into the narrative possibilities of photographs, to experiment with Point of View and ‘Psychic Distance’; and so on. You can read attendees’ feedback in their own words. The response has been so enthusiastic that I plan to repeat this retreat next year. I’ll be contacting the community of former participants soon to find out which dates work best.
In the meantime, the next tutored retreat (open to participants at all levels of experience) will run from 1 to 7 March 2026 – an inspiring week designed to nurture your writing, spark new ideas, and connect you with a community of fellow writers. If you’d like to be part of it, you can find details here: https://valeriavescina.com/teaching/writing-retreats/ In that period, Hasliberg-Reuti is often covered in snow, making the landscape magical in yet another way.
Valeria Vescina 