Our Sydney Retreat Is Live (and You’re the First to Know)
Lisa CliffordI hope your holiday period was spectacular! I also hope you found time to write, rest and read. In other words, I hope you filled your creative well.
Now it’s time to plan your writing life for 2026.
If you’re reading this, you’re hearing it first. Before social media. Before the wider list. Because our newsletter readers are the writers who’ve been walking alongside The Art of Writing for years and you deserve first access.
The Art of Writing: Sydney Story Workshop (our first Sydney workshop – yay!)
Woollahra Library, Double Bay
Friday 21 – Sunday 23 August 2026
Three days.
Seven masterclasses.
Five extraordinary teachers.
A literary agent Q&A with the chance to present your précis.
Lunch included
This is a carefully structured weekend that takes your writing seriously, without making it heavy. Whether you’re into memoir, fiction or something still taking shape. There are no ‘writing levels’ for The Story Workshop. This is for you because you want to tell a story.
Book your place now or write to us about a payment plan to secure your place.
Meet Your Teachers
One of the great joys of this retreat is the calibre of your writers and teachers. This August, you’ll be learning from:
- Lisa Clifford — story, memoir, dialogue, place
- Petronella McGovern — character and conflict
- Ashley Kalagian Blunt — theme, plot, and narrative cohesion
- Laurel Cohn — backstory and narrative balance
- Benython Oldfield (Zeitgeist Literary Agency) — literary agent Q&A and industry insight
We’ve Done the Thinking for You! Plan Your Writing Year
If August feels a long way off, here’s the good news:
You don’t have to wait to begin.
In February–May 2026, we’re running four online Craft Clinics designed to keep your writing moving. One focused subject at a time.
Think of them as your writing spine for the year.
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Feb 17 — The Art of Scene
Craft vivid, emotionally charged scenes that move your story forward. -
March 17 — Memory into Memoir
Shape lived experience into compelling narrative. -
April 14 — The Major Dramatic Question
Identify and sustain the central tension that keeps readers turning pages. -
May 12 — Character and Conflict
Understand what your characters want — and what stands in their way.
🎟 Early Bird:
$99 AUD / €55.34
(Available when booked more than two weeks in advance.)
Why This Matters
Writing doesn’t work on the waiting for the ‘right time’ theory.
Writing thrives on commitment and support.
With the Craft Clinics and the Sydney Retreat, your year is mapped out with room for your real life.
Before our upcoming Setting Your Scene Zoom, here’s a quick exercise to slip you back into your story.
A Scene That Starts Too Late
No warming up. No throat-clearing. Just write a scene. Set a timer for 10 minutes.
Begin After the Trouble
Start your scene 30 seconds after something has already gone wrong.
Don’t explain what happened.
Let the reader feel it.
Write one paragraph that includes (and if you’ve done The Art of Writing in Florence, you’ll know this is totally my thing):
- a physical action (hands, breath, posture, not thoughts)
- one sensory detail from the setting (sound, smell, texture)
- something out of place in the room
- a fragment of dialogue (unfinished is best)
No backstory. No scene-setting speeches. Trust me on this, your scene will start so well!
Don’t be afraid of making a scene. Be afraid of making a boring one
If you’d like to read more of my work, you can buy the e-book of The Promise here and Or Death in the Mountains here. Each tells a story close to my heart. One of love, the other of loss and the search for truth.
Oh, I am soooooooooooo excited about writing your story this year!
Warmly,
Lisa
The Art of Writing
