November 23rd - 27th History & Fantasy Writers Retreat

Schedule:

Monday: Arrival, Welcome & Historic tour of Conwy

Monday, 23 November: Arrival & Historic Conwy Walk 15:00 – 16:00 | Arrival, Check-In & Settling in with your host, award-winning author and book coach Emily Barroso. Unpack and get familiar with your house and your personal creative space.

16:00 – 17:00 | Guided Walk: The Historic Town of Conwy Step straight into your inspiration. A late afternoon walk through the medieval town to soak in the atmosphere, layout, and historical footprint of Conwy.

17:00 – 18:00 | Free Time & Decompression Unwind from travel, make a hot drink, or jot down initial sensory impressions from the town walk.

18:00 – 19:00 | Welcome Drinks & Informal Socialising Gather with fellow writers over welcome drinks. Share current projects, historical/fantasy focuses, and creative goals.

19:00 | Welcome Dinner A special wine-paired welcome dinner prepared by Emily. Relax, connect, and officially kick off the retreat experience.

Tuesday: Siege Mentality & Writing Complex Characters

08:30 – 09:30 | The Artisanal Buffet Breakfast Enjoy a warm continental breakfast featuring freshly baked local produce and bakery items, seasonal fruits, organic yoghurts, and premium coffees.

10:00 – 12:30 | Workshop 1: The Siege of 1294 (Trapped & Starving) Focus: Writing high-stakes physical and mental isolation for history and fantasy. Prompt: Explore Edward I’s physical desperation inside the castle walls. Focus on sensory deprivation, escalating internal panic, and dwindling resources to portray survival under extreme conditions.

12:30 – 14:30 | Independent Lunch: The Bakeries of Conwy Explore Conwy’s independent cafés for lunch. Discover local gems like L's Coffee & Book Shop, Nonno's Coffe, Popty Conwy & many more delicious enterprises, while taking inspiration from the surroundings.

14:30 – 17:00 | Afternoon Writing Time Return to your dedicated writing space to develop the morning’s prompt or push forward with your own work-in-progress.

17:00 – 18:00 | Masterclass 1: The Psychology of Complex Characters (1 Hour) Led by Emily: Building 3-dimensional, complex historical and fantasy characters. Learn how to access the deepest parts of your own psychology and experiences to breathe raw, authentic life into your protagonists.

19:30 | Dinner Enjoy a relaxed evening dinner celebrating the day’s creative discoveries and character breakthroughs.

Wednesday 25 November: Tactical Deception & Shifting Perspectives

08:30 – 09:30 | The Artisanal Buffet Breakfast

10:00 – 12:30 | Workshop 2: The Revolt of 1401 (The Trojan Horse Trick) Focus: Writing deception, dramatic irony, and tactical plot twists. Prompt: Exploring the Tudur brothers infiltrating the castle disguised as labourers. Focus on subtext, high-stakes scheming, and executing a flawless tactical surprise.

12:30 – 14:30 | Independent Lunch & Coastal Air Free time to grab lunch on the historic quayside and walk off the morning's intense plotting.

14:30 – 18:30 | Extended Afternoon Writing Block & 1-on-1 Clinics A long, quiet stretch for deep drafting. While the group writes, you host private, 30-minute coaching slots to plan work or develop works-in-progress.

19:30 | Dinner A celebratory group dinner to discuss mid-week progress and narrative breakthroughs.

Thursday, 26 November: Immersive Dialogue Masterclass

08:30 – 09:30 | The Artisan Continental Spread

10:00 – 12:30 | Deep Morning Writing Block A completely dedicated independent writing session to let authors build up intense narrative momentum without any morning interruptions.

12:30 – 14:30 | Independent Lunch Explore A final chance for writers to grab a bite in town and pick up local Welsh treats to take home.

14:30 – 16:00 | Masterclass 2: Voice, Phrasing & Authentic Language (1.5 Hours) Led by Emily: Crafting historical or fantasy-appropriate dialogue without sounding clichéd. Prompt: Techniques for utilising ancient phrasing, rhythm, and vocabularies that feel grounded and authentic rather than forced or archaic. Writers rewrite a standard scene of dialogue.

16:30 – 18:00 | Live Editorial Read-Round & Next Steps Writers read a 500-word piece generated over the retreat. You deliver live, expert developmental edits on the spot, sending them home with a concrete action plan.

19:30 | Final Evening Dinner A celebratory final dinner marking the completed manuscript pages, deep characters, and fresh world-building momentum.

Friday 27 November: Castle Walls & Departure

Castle Walls & Strategic Departures 08:00 – 09:00 | Early Breakfast & Room Checkout Final artisnal buffet continental selection and farewell coffees. Writers pack bags and clear rooms completely so they are ready to depart immediately after the morning session.

09:00 – 10:00 | Parallel Tracks: Tactical Wall Walk: A crisp morning walk along the historic Conwy castle walls. Writers study high-ground advantage, defensive lines, and medieval architecture to plan a fictional battle scene or world-building layout.

11:00 | Official Departure Writers depart directly from the venue at 11:00 AM, heading home with fully realised tactical scenes and authentic character voices.