How will we spend our day?
Your time at the lake begins as you disembark, where Joyce will be waiting with pitchers of margaritas and Rose de Jamaica lemonade. Once you’ve settled into the room or casita you’ve chosen for your week at the lake, you”ll gather with the group for our welcome party, complete with wood-fired pizza and music under the stars.
The work begins the next morning, with optional yoga led by a top notch certified yoga instructor on our brand new yoga platform overlooking the lake and volcano or a wood-fired sauna and swim for those who choose, then breakfast with the group (or on your own in the garden if you prefer). Every day will include a group circle in which Joyce addresses each writer’s work in a way that will offer abundant lessons to all. There will be plenty of time for writing (at the desk in your room, or in one of the many lovely secret spots in Joyce’s garden.)
Over the days that follow, we’ll explore each writer’s story and consider how it could be made stronger. Two sessions will be devoted to each writer’s work. Every afternoon, we’ll gather by the lake or in the writers’ circle for a craft talk and discussion of issues that come up in the writing and revising process. Workshop topics will include how to effectively utilize core elements of craft and technique, including voice, point of view, structure, language, character development, and dialogue, as well as the ethical questions raised when telling true stories involving others.
Finally, we will address the core challenge of every personal narrative: how to move beyond simply recounting what happened to discover the meaning of your experience and how it changed you.
How many workshop sessions you spend in the writers’ circle is up to you. (Some writers attend many or most. Others devote a few hours a day to writing.) Every writer in the group will have an hour-long on-site massage with an experienced massage therapist.
Snacks, coffee, cool drinks and fruit will be served throughout the day. Fresh, healthy breakfast, lunch and dinners made from local organic vegetables and fish from the lake prepared by our incomparable chef, Rosa, will be served by candle light on the patio-with plenty of time to get to know your fellow writers.
For those who choose, there will be an optional sunrise volcano hike and a trip to the nearby village of San Juan la Laguna to visit a women’s weaving collective. The village of San Marcos la Laguna—where you can shop or get a smoothie or gelato or an espresso—is an easy 8-minute walk from Joyce’s property, Casa Paloma.
Throughout the week, Joyce will meet with each writer for a private conference. Evenings, the group will gather for readings of each others’ work by the fire.
The week closes with a party in the garden. Next morning, a boat and van will bring you back to the airport in Guatemala City. Add-on stays at a local hotel or Airbnb (we can recommend which) are available if you wish to extend your trip to write more.
To join us or find out more, e-mail the workshop coordinator Gina Alligood (joycemaynardworkshop@gmail.com)