Kelly Rigby

Kelly Rigby is a freelance editor, creative consultant and writing coach. The writers she’s worked with have gone on to land publishing deals and literary agents, be long and shortlisted for major literary prizes, win Romance Writers of Australia awards and Varuna fellowships, and achieve success in independent publishing.

Tertiary qualified in creative writing, business, and TESOL, Kelly has thirty years combined experience working as a writer, editor and teacher. The past ten years she has worked exclusively with fiction and memoir writers and is a Senior Tutor for The Writers Studio, where she teaches story structure and novel writing.

As a writer, Kelly has written two short films and numerous short stories, and been published in print, as well as on the web. One of her essays was chosen for a Louise Hay book – Modern Day Miracles, and another was selected for a Covid Anthology, Stories from the Heart, Penning the Pandemic, which was published in cooperation with The Royal Historical Society of Queensland. She was also a columnist for Hearts Talk, the Romance Writers of Australia newsletter. Her most unusual publication was an 8 word story about CHANGE which appeared on a Queensland billboard. 

When she’s not writing and editing stories, Kelly is reading, watching or talking about stories. She has been interviewed for podcasts and is known for sharing advice and encouragement on her Write With Kelly Instagram account. In her downtime, she can be found hanging with her kids and an overly needy cavoodle, and feeling guilty when she chooses cake over her yoga practice.

Chetan Mahajan

Chetan Mahajan is the co-founder of the Himalayan Writing Retreat. A Penguin-published author, he quit the corporate world and moved to a village in the Himalayas to be a full-time author, blogger, and teacher almost a decade ago. He is also a writing coach with the London based “the writing coach”.

Chetan blogs about life in a Himalayan village at www.uncity.blog. This blog won the Indiblogger award for Humor in 2017.

He is currently working on his first novel “Tara and Vishnu” and also co-authoring a non-fiction book. Chetan often writes columns for Readers Digest, Mint, Outlook Magazine, Hindu Business Line, and the Hindustan Times (Brunch).

Fall 2024 – Retreat Schedule.

We begin in the cities of Delhi and Agra. Then we travel to the Himalayas. All stays and transfers are pre-arranged. The serenity of the rural Himalayas is a stark contrast to the touristy India of the first two days. In the mountains, we continue to discover a sliver of India every day, but at a relaxed, unhurried pace. Up here, you write with snow capped Himalayan Giants in the distance –  three times the height of Mount Kosciuszko. If you have questions about India, click here to read our India travel FAQs.

Program
The daily program is outlined below. In addition, each writer will have a one-on-one session with the instructors to discuss their manuscript or any other aspect of their project / writing.

Day 1, September 30, Monday

Welcome!

Arrive at Delhi Airport any time after 12 noon on the 30^{th h} of September 2024. One of the Team members from the Himalayan Writing Retreat (we’ll share these details before your arrive) will meet you at the airport and bring you straight to your hotel. Your stay is arranged at the Coloners Retreat  (or equivalent), one of Delhi’s best Boutique hotels. In addition to being highly rated, the hotel is also close to Dilli Haat – a great place to explore India’s handicrafts and traditional arts, and also to shop.

No class on this day.

Today, we’ll get settled and have an opportunity to get to know one another better.
Note: Many international flights land in Delhi at unearthly hours. If your flight gets in before noon on the 30^th of September, we will still meet you at the airport and take you to your hotel. We’ve also negotiated a great room rate at which you can stay for an extra night. Please confirm your travel itinerary to us at the earliest opportunity so that we can book accordingly.

Day 2, October 1, Tuesday

This love story inspired a Wonder of the World.

We start the day early and drive to Agra in a private coach to see the Taj Mahal. “Jet Lag is for Amateurs” says Dick Clark, but it is real and this four-hour drive from our hotel will allow you to rest or sleep off some of your jetlag. We will try and get back in time for a short session on travel and writing soon after. The round trip will take a full day. Lunch will be at one of the best hotels in Agra. We will have dinner and stay the night at our Delhi hotel.

Topic of the Day: Observation and Specific Detail (no workshop)

The liminal state of travel (and even jet-lag!) is perfect for observation—you’re extra-sensitive, raw, and open to experiencing your new surroundings in a more passive and receptive way. Today, we’ll take advantage of any discombobulation to practice openness to specific sensory detail via close observation of the world around us.

Over breakfast, you’ll receive brief instruction on our observational tasks for the day, designed to enrich and expand upon your experience at the Taj Mahal. After we return, we will reconvene over dinner to discuss our observations and tools for using those specific details in our writing during the days to come.

Henry James said: “Try to be one of the people on whom nothing is lost.” This is good advice for human beings in general, but especially for writers. As we visit the Taj Mahal, consider: what can you notice in these surroundings that everyone might notice? What can you notice that very few people—or even no one but you—might notice? As you do so, remember that most people rely on their sense of sight above all the others. Can you use not only sight but also hearing, touch, smell, and taste as you try to let nothing be lost? What do the details that you take note of say about the place and the people in it? What do they say about you, the observer?

Day 3, Oct 2, Wednesday

Off to the Mountains!

On the train ride we continue honing our skills of observation and connection to place and will try to write a story, a scene or a personal essay in the voice of a character you have already come up with before the trip. This could be a protagonist you have in mind, an antagonist, or a character you are having trouble connecting with. If you do not have a character already then we can provide prompts to help you. Just for the purposes of this exercise, you will write in first person point of view (POV) to embody the character. They will be taking this trip with you and since a story always needs conflict as well as character and place, we will do an exercise to help you come up with the perfect conflict for this character. A conflict that accelerates the pressure as they travel through India bound for the Himalayas. 

We head out early and board the train from New Delhi Railway Station to head towards the Himalayas. We board the Kathgodam Shatabdi Express train and travel First Class to the town of Kathgodam (5 hours and 40 minutes). This is where the mountains start. We transfer to taxis for the last three hours of our travel. Halfway home, we stop for lunch at the iHeart café which specializes in awesome coffee. We arrive at The Himalayan Writing Retreat (THWR) in Satkhol Village – our home for the next seven days.

The Himalayan Writing Retreat is custom-built for Writers. To provide inspiration and offer a sense of serenity.  This niche property has six double-occupancy guest rooms and a full staff to cater to your needs with love and the highest standards of hygiene. The food is tasty, fresh and includes a lot of local cuisine. 

We reach the Retreat around 4 PM and have a short session in the evening where we discuss our plan for the next few days.

Topic of the Day: Finding the Magic of Your Story

Elizabeth Gilbert talks about how the planet is inhabited not just by animals, plants, bacteria and viruses but it’s also inhabited by ideas. These ideas are disembodied life forms, separate to us but also effectively waiting for someone to find them and bring them to life. She sees everyone as having an elusive creative genius at our core. To write a story or book, we need to open ourselves up to this genius and to all the ideas around that are just waiting to work in partnership with us. For the next week, in this pristine natural setting of the Himalayas, we are going to slow down and tap into the magic within so we may open up a channel between you and the deep well of creativity that exists for all of us. 

Creativity also needs freedom. So, we are going to put our hand on our heart and pledge our allegiance to our muse. Ask them to communicate with us this week and bring whatever voice we have inside to the surface. Your subconscious knows what you should write. Not your head. Your mind will always question and doubt – it’s what the mind is good at. To find our unique slant on our idea, or to help generate an idea we want to explore further, we are going to do regular free writing exercises this week. These will help us find what our heart and subconscious want to say. Finally, we will finish with a talk about the elements of a strong premise. What is High concept versus low concept? And the importance of knowing your genre.

Dy 4, October 3, Thursday

Early Morning: Yoga session (evening yoga session also available on demand)

Morning: Workshop sessions and craft class at the Himalayan Writing Retreat.

Afternoon: An optional trip to the local school (www.chiragschool.org) and a social enterprise (http://b2r.in/). For those interested we can walk back – it is a 2 mile walk through the forest.

Evening: Open Mic Bonfire after sundown.

Topic of the Day: Truth and Character

“No two people ever walk into the same room.” This quote by Katherine Dunn encapsulates a vital understanding when writing character. We all know people have different personalities, strengths and weaknesses; however, to write compelling stories we must go beyond this to look at their environment, background, socio-economic status, families and deeply held desires. An early twenties male law graduate who comes from a long line of lawyers and plans to follow suit will not think, behave or even see a setting or unfolding events in the same way as a fifty-year-old mother of five who is dependent on her husband’s income but yearns to be an artist. They won’t speak the same, be affected by the same world and life issues, and they will carry different fears and traumas. Even men and women who have outwardly similar lives will be different on the inside. Characters, like people, must be just as nuanced to be believable.

If a foundation of writing stories is realistic characters plus conflict, it’s vital we find the truth of all our characters. Who are they beneath the surface? What part do they have to play in the story, and does it fit with who they are? Our characters cannot be chess pieces we move around at will. We must discover what they want and allow them to unfold on the page. They dictate the plot – the plot does not exist outside of them. 

Today, we will look at: Archetypes in fiction and the idea that everyone is the hero of their own story; how we must choose the perfect antagonist and support characters; and problems/complications to put pressure on your protagonist and aid in their metamorphosis through the story. We’ll discuss how characters create subplots that serve the main storyline, and consider how you can use dialogue, well-chosen exposition, and specific action cues and details to reveal character.

Day 5, October 4, Friday

Early Morning: Yoga session (evening yoga session also available on demand)

Morning: Optional hike & write. After breakfast we head out for a short hike to a nearby temple on the hilltop. Along the way we stop and write sitting on a ridge in the pine forest.

Late morning/lunch: Workshop and craft class at the Himalayan Writing Retreat.

Afternoon – open time at the Himalayan Writing Retreat, or explore the forest reserve.
Evening: Bollywood movie night. It’s kitschy, yes. But it is part of the India experience. So we watch a Bollywood movie with English subtitles. And Popcorn.

Topic of the Day: It’s All About Stakes

“Good stories are driven by conflict, tension and high stakes” ~ William Landay. Stakes are why we care in stories. You can create the most fascinating characters but if you have a story where little is at stake, you cannot write the best version of that story. Today, we will look at the different kinds of stakes, and the role that story structure plays in stakes, reader engagement and pace. We’ll consider how story structure can enhance every novel or memoir, regardless of whether you see yourself as a plotter or pantser, and discuss the basic principles of writing commercial fiction. Finally, we’ll identify if the character arc you have devised is integrated with the story arc to create a book that entertains, speaks an emotional truth and leaves us thinking on a thematic message for this human experience long after we have read the last page.

Day 6, October 5th, Saturday

Early Morning: Yoga session (evening yoga session also available on demand)

Morning: Optional walk through a local village.

Late afternoon: generative class on writing and reflection.

Topic of the Day: Scene Craft: Desires, Action and Subtext

To reflect on what makes up a novel or memoir, think about those Babushka nesting dolls and how smaller dolls sit inside the largest doll of all. The physical book with the cover and back blurb is essentially a large story doll – it’s what we see first – but the novel itself is told through following the stories of the smaller dolls inside. All those story dolls together are the book. Today, we will use this as an analogy to look at a novel as one big story that is broken down into chapters, which tell a mini-story, and those chapters are made up of scenes, which also tell a mini story. Essentially, writing a novel is writing stories within stories and putting them all together.

Scene craft is an art that combines principles of story and conflict, with character and point of view, your choice of vocabulary, register, and the use of figurative language and sentence structure to build a story and character journey in the mind of the reader. When we get it right, the writer guides the reader exactly where they want to go and for the reader, the experience is immersive and seamless. They feel cradled by the writer’s skill and focus, safe to relax and enjoy the ride. In our discussion, we will consider: sensory language, concrete nouns, strong verbs, dialect and metaphor; when to dramatise versus summarise; subtext; and the lazy writing habits that prevent you from finding your unique voice and style.

Day 7, October 6, Sunday

Early Morning: Yoga session (evening yoga session also available on demand)

Morning: workshop session and craft class at the Himalayan Writing Retreat.

Midday and afternoon: We head over to the hill-town of Mukteshwar, a one hour drive.

We visit the ancient temple of Mukteshwar (https://bit.ly/2ujZUbJ).

Topic of the Day: Find Your Perfect Story Opening

No one ever buys a book if they don’t like the opening pages. Whether it’s an e-book on your Kindle or you’re perusing the shelves in your favourite bookstore, a pivotal step in the purchase process is checking out the all-important first page, or first chapter. It’s as critical as getting the right cover and back cover copy. In the case of e-books, we can read a whole early sample of the book to see if it has grabs our attention enough to part with our money. So, it’s easy to see why opening pages are slaved over by authors to get them as perfect as possible. 

Today, we’ll look at the elements of how to establish tone and voice, meet genre expectations, flag the theme, and hook the reader with the right opening chapter for your novel. Mary Shelley said, “Every thing must have a beginning … and that beginning must be linked to something that went before”, so we will discuss the importance of showing the protagonist’s prison and revealing character through action, as well as how to weave in backstory. We will also look at some opening pages of best sellers of different genres and read some opening lines and discuss when is the best time to fine tune your opening chapter.

Day 8, October 7, Monday

Early Morning: Yoga session (evening yoga session also available on demand)

Morning: Free writing time at the Himalayan Writing Retreat, or explore on your own. 

Afternoon: Workshop session and craft class at the Himalayan Writing Retreat.

Topic of the Day: Endings: Story Payoffs, Character Arcs and Theme

“The opposite of the happy ending is not actually the sad ending–the sad ending is sometimes the happy ending. The opposite of the happy ending is actually the unsatisfying ending.” ~ Orson Scott Card. 

A great book can be ruined by the wrong ending. It’s not only about avoiding plot holes or convenient saviours swooping in to rescue the protagonist. Writing an ending your book deserves involves many considerations. Those last pages are your final chance to make sure the reader closes the book feeling like the story you told made sense and was a worthwhile investment of their time and money. Resolving the story in a gratifying way, having definitive character change and tapping into emotion are some of what we will discuss. If you slave over your opening, then you must do as much work on your closing.

We will also discuss what to do when you think the book is finished. This covers Alpha and Beta readers and writing an elevator pitch and synopsis.

Day 9, October 8, Tuesday

Early Morning: Yoga session (evening yoga session also available on demand)

Morning: Workshop session and craft class at the Himalayan Writing Retreat.

Afternoon: Optional hike to visit the ancient Kapileshwar temple (said to be over 1000 years old).

Topics of the Day: Tips for Navigating the Writing Life and Ask the Editor

Sometimes writing is intoxicating and we are desperate to be alone with our imagination and to return to the mystery of the page. Often it is not like this. It is gruelling, confusing, we may feel like we are a fraud who dare not call themselves an author. It may surprise you that even multi-published authors can feel this way. Our final session will explore the novel writing process, editing tips and tricks, and how to navigate the emotional rollercoaster of the writing life. How to produce the words and stay on track even when the world around us makes us question if it’s selfish or impossible to prioritise this creative time. To produce the work, the writer must nurture themselves and find value in the page, whether the words are ‘working’ or not. Keeping the muse alive is as important as making progress on your novel writing, redrafting and editing. It’s a long journey and we are the only ones who can make us do it. There will be time to ask Kelly any editing questions that feel relevant to you. 

Today, we will have time to re-read some of what we have written this week, and to develop our understanding of our own strengths. We will return to the idea of truth and character and the magic we have found in our stories. We spend time articulating our identity as a writer – what we have discovered about our voice and writing project this week, and how we will use these new insights as we move forwards with our writing lives.

Day 10, October 9, Wednesday

Early Morning: Yoga session

Morning: We pack up and head back to Delhi by taxi and train. Our stay in Delhi the night of April 9 th is at the Majestic Golden haveli in the old city, which is a part of the Dhampura Haveli, a Unesco awarded Unique Heritage Hotel (Detail here: https://www.havelidharampura.com/).

Day 11, Oct 10, Thursday

Morning: After breakfast we check out from the hotel and head out for a guided tour of the old city. We start with the spice market – where all your senses will be on overdrive. A short rickshaw ride takes us through more of old Delhi where we visit a Jain temple, a mosque, and end our tour with a visit to the Gurudwara Sis Ganj Sahib, a Sikh temple. The tour is a deep dive into Indian culture and values. This tour, again, is conducted by the highest rated operators in India.

After lunch back at the Haveli, we can head out for some shopping or you can wait at the hotel for your flight (for waiting here and keeping a room, extra charges may apply). Airport drops are arranged for everyone based on your flight schedule. Those wishing to stay longer can do so at a pre-negotiated rate.

The Himalayan Writing Retreat is built for writing and learning. We are rated 5-star on google and facebook.

Once here, you will be sharing a room with a fellow participant (unless we’ve confirmed a single). All essentials like food, hot water, towels etc. are provided. No hidden costs.

It can snow in winter. Weather can vary and the weather chart of Mukteshwar (12 km from the retreat) is here. A pair of sturdy walking shoes, some rain protection and an extra layer or two are always a good idea.

Our rooms are built to let nature in and inspire you. To see pictures of the rooms click here . To see pictures of the writing spaces click here.

You’re probably traveling to India for the first time and have many questions you want answers to. We’ve tried to answer some of those here. We’ll also answer specific questions during online info-sessions we have with all participants before your travel.

Q.  Do I need a Visa?

A . Citizens from some countries need visas in advance. Travelers from Maldives and Japan can get a visa on arrival. To get more details, please check out https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visa_policy_of_India#Visa-free_entry . Citizens of most countries (including UK, USA and Singapore) can obtain an e-visa for their travel. The latest updated information is at https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/evisa/tvoa.html .

Q. Okay, so I need a visa. How do I get it?

A. It’s actually pretty simple, as now you can get an e-visa. That means you don’t have to go anywhere in person or stand in Iine. You can apply online, and the visa will come to you in the email. Simply carry a printout of it with you. You can apply for the e-visa here. https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/evisa/tvoa.html

Q. When is the best time to buy my ticket?

A. The sooner you buy your ticket, the better the price you get. If you decide to buy a non-refundable ticket, do so once you have your visa in hand. Sometimes visa processing can take longer than anticipated. And you wouldn’t want potential visa related delays messing up your travel budget. So to get the best fare, apply for the visa at the earliest.

Q. Do I need travel insurance?

A. Yes, you need travel insurance. It is simplest to buy online. You can also use a trusted agent.

Q. What about food and water? Will I get sick?

A. You should only drink bottled water. Never drink tap water, or even brush your teeth with it. We provide for safe bottled water for all your travels. The food you eat should be freshly cooked and from the safest sources. Avoid anything raw or from the street. Avoid uncooked foods like cut fruit or salads. Travelers diarrhea can happen to tourists anywhere and the best way to avoid it is to eat and drink from safe places. In addition, maintain the highest standards of hygiene by frequently washing your hands and so on.

All the places where you will stay or eat with us are very sensitive to the needs of international tourists, and maintain the highest levels of hygiene.

Q. Do I need jabs/vaccinations?

A. Yes. Visit your local doctor before your trip and get a round of vaccinations. More detailed information is available here . 

Q. What sort of weather should I expect?

A.  India is a warm country. Your stay in the plains will be in Delhi. During spring and fall days Delhi is warm and sunny, sometimes hot. Evenings may be comfortable. You can see the climate chart for Delhi here.

The bulk of your time will be spent in the Himalayas in Satkhol village. Satkhol is not on the weather map but you can see weather forecasts for Mukteshwar which is six miles away (and 1000 feet higher). The climate chart for Mukteshwar is here.

The temperature in the Himalayas varies during these seasons. It can go from warm, sunny days to cool evenings and cold nights – colder if it rains. Although fall and spring are not the rainy season, showers can happen so it’s best to pack layers. Buildings here do not have heating so you’ll wear warm layers indoors as well. 

Q. How should I plan to dress for India?

A.  Except for big cities like Delhi, Indians tends to dress conservatively. While men can wear whatever is comfortable for them, women face some challenges.

– Shorts, tank tops and tops that show cleavage – though comfortable for Delhi – are not appropriate for public places or religious monuments

– Short sleeve tops are fine everywhere (bare shoulders/sleeveless tops are okay for Delhi)

– Any lower that is mid calf or longer – tights worn with long tops, capris, trousers, skinny jeans, skirts, dresses – are fine for everywhere

– Most people find keeping a scarf or thin cotton shirt to wear over a top (if it’s sheer or figure hugging) and trousers or long dresses handy when travelling around.

It is also best to bring a wide brimmed hat, shades and lots of sunscreen. These will come in handy when dealing with the Delhi sun/heat as well as the bright sunshine of the mountains.

Q. How much money should I carry?

A. Your stay and transfers are all taken care of by us. Credit cards work in urban areas but not in Dilli Haat (where you may go shopping). In the rural Himalayas – where the retreat is – there won’t be too much to buy.  Avoid carrying too much cash on you.

Q. What about electrical devices? Will my laptop / phone charger work?

A. The power supply in India is the same as UK and the Middle-east, although the plug points are different. India’s power supply differs from the US.  Indian power is 220 volts while the US is 110 volts. Avoid bringing high wattage things like hair dryers, etc. We’ve actually seen stuff like that go “poof” in a cloud of smoke.  

Electronic devices such as laptop and phone chargers mostly work with 220 volts. Please read the voltage range given on the devices you plan to carry. If the “input” reads 110-240 volts you’re good. But if the input says “110 volts” only then you may need to buy an adapter or charger for India.

Q. Will there be Wi-fi?

A. The Delhi hotel, “Bungalow 99 (or equivalent) has internet connectivity in all rooms. The Himalayan Writing Retreat also has fairly decent broadband, but not in all rooms. We have  broadband in most common areas. Our Wi-fi is a 100 Mbps fiber-optic line with an uptime of 95%+.

However, because of our remote location, the occasional outage can happen. A local Jio SIM/ Dongle is a good backup. That can also come in handy in case of the rare event of the power failure for more than 3-4 hours (our two inverters last that long).

Q. Can I get a local mobile phone connection? Will I need one?

A. Your phone company probably offers an international roaming package. They can be expensive but maybe the simplest choice. There are also some other services such as https://www.trabug.com/ but we don’t have any first-hand reports on these yet.

Will you really need one? Since you will mostly be in a group with people you know it is not essential, but it does help if you have one. It can be helpful for coordinating things, and certainly if you like to go exploring on your own.

Q. What should I do when I land in Delhi?

Most flights reach Delhi at a rather unearthly hour. When you exit the airport, someone will be waiting there holding a prominent placard with your name on it. After you link up with the person picking you up, we will request you to give a confirmatory call from the phone of the person receiving you. We will share India contact phone numbers, names and other details with you during the info session.  If by any chance you cannot spot your name on the placards, call the contact number we give you.

Q. Do I need to carry any medicines?

If you take specific medicines on an occasional or regular basis, please carry enough to last your entire trip. Medicines are available in Delhi but the brands, salts and dosage might be different from what you are used to. The Himalayan Writing Retreat is located in a rural area. We have doctors at hand but we are 2  1/2 hours away from the nearest emergency room and well stocked medical store. So, it may be wise to carry a basic medical kit (the kind you would carry on a hike). You could include medicines for an upset tummy, travel/motion sickness (if you suffer from it), jet lag (optional), fever, common cold, allergies, aches and pains. 

* Please also let us know if you suffer from any food related allergies, or have specific dietary requirements.

Have more questions? Feel free to write to us at info@himalayanwritingretreat.com .