Creative Writing Course by the Ocean
January 23, 2027 to January 28, 2027
Click here to apply for the Creative Writing Retreat in the Himalayas in October, 2026
Write and Publish your Story.
Yes, by the ocean.
Our creative friends in the south of India have been urging us to bring HWR closer to them. Now we have.
We cannot move mountains but we have found an equally inspiring venue right by the ocean where nature will be your muse. If the Himalayan altitude, winding mountain roads, distance or weather have deterred you from visiting the Himalayan retreat, we’re closer now.
The Creative Writing Course (CWC) will be our third event at our Ocean Campus. This course is the most popular writing course of the Himalayan Writing Retreat, possibly India. Its alums have published scores of books, been featured in Literary magazines and won multiple awards. You may groan at Chetan’s dad jokes though. Punning as always, Chetan said “Matter exists in three states. HWR now exists in two – Uttarakhand and Karnataka.”
To know more about the instructor, click here.
The Ocean Retreat is the white building with the red roof
In the CWC, Ten participants work closely, write (and laugh) a lot, get personalized feedback, and make tangible progress. Myths are shattered along with many a writer’s block.
The Ocean CWC is in January, but the Himalayan CWC continues as before and the next one will be in April (dates to be announced soon). Whether you choose the Himalayan or the Ocean retreat, a jump-start to your writing is guaranteed.
For more about our Ocean Retreat see “About the Venue” and “How to reach” below.
Dear poet/writer, we’d love to know you better.
What are you writing?
In prose, you prefer…
To stay informed about articles related to poetry writing,
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We don’t spam and you can unsubscribe any time.
In prose, you prefer…
To stay informed about articles related to fiction writing,
would you like to get emails from us?
And we’re happy to throw in two free courses, too
We don’t spam and you can unsubscribe any time.
To stay informed about articles related to prose and poetry writing,
would you like to get emails from us?
And we’re happy to throw in two free courses, too
We don’t spam and you can unsubscribe any time.
To stay informed about articles related to non-fiction writing,
would you like to get emails from us?
And we’re happy to throw in two free courses, too
We don’t spam and you can unsubscribe any time.
About the Venue
The Ocean retreat is 50 km south of Gokarna, on the beach.
Like the Himalayan Writing Retreat in Uttarakhand, the Ocean retreat is spread out. Seven rooms sit atop three almost private beaches. Like the Himalayan retreat, the Ocean retreat is ensconsed in nature, surrounded by beauty and wilderness. In addition to walking on the beach, the cliffs just above the retreat offers some great hikes and views.
Neither place is pretentious. Rustic as opposed to manicured, earthy instead of high luxury, both places connect us to our creative essence. Instead of a swimming pool, there is the big blue ocean to swim in . Instead of air conditioning expect a cool sea breeze. Instead of a fancy menu, expect a buffet of drool-inducing home cooked North Kerala cuisine.
There are no classrooms here. The learning spaces are a mix of outdoor spaces and verandahs with comfortable seating. Similar to HWR, the Ocean retreat is well run with great food and magnificent sunsets. The birds sing as loudly here, and the surf replaces the silence.
The Ocean retreat will inspire you. For pictures of the Ocean Retreat, click here.
100+ books published by HWR Alums, and counting
Full list of published works here.
Detailed Program
Pre-Work
Pre-Work
- Read the four short stories shared with you
- Watch a film / videos / handpicked material shared in advance
- Create a one-page project outline for the story you are working on. Your story can be anything with narrative: short story / novel or memoir
- Email the project outline one day before arrival
The daily schedule: All five days are punctuated with walks, visits to local stores, cheese platters and possibly a movie night. The popcorn is great, and it’s free.
Day 1 to 6
Day 1 : 5 PM – 7.30 PM
Introductions, expectations + an overnight writing exercise
Day 2
- How are stories made : Character Vs Plot?
- Diving deeper into these
- Who is the best person tells the story (POV)
Day 3
- Time and Chronology in a story
- Setting and description
- Show Vs tell
- Dialogue
Day 4
- Secret ingredient 1 (we don’t share this on the internet)
- Language
- Editing
- Rewrite what you submitted
Day 5
- Secret ingredient 2 (we don’t share this on the internet either)
- Editing (Continued)
- Publishing (contains Secret Ingredient 3)
- Book Marketing
- Writing plans and wrap-up
Day 6
- Leave after a relaxed breakfast.
Early Bird Price
- Taxes Extra
- Strict Zero-Discount Policy
- Accommodation on twin-sharing basis
- Regular Price: INR 48,000/- (+GST)
- Early Bird Pricing ends on January 8, 2027
About the Instructor
Chetan Mahajan
Chetan Mahajan leads this creative writing course. Chetan has spent two decades working in on-line learning, both in the US and India. He started teaching online in 2006 as a faculty member at the University of Phoenix online.
Chetan is a Penguin-published author and an award-winning blogger. Chetan and his wife Dr. Vandita Dubey (also a published author) moved to the Himalayas almost a decade ago. There they founded the Himalayan Writing Retreat.
Chetan is a full-time author and works as a writing coach independently as well as with the London based the writing coach. He also writes for The Mint, Outlook Magazine, HT Brunch, Reader’s Digest and Hindu Business Line.
Maximum Number: 10 Participants
Reviews: 5-Stars
Venue: The Quiet Place, Himalayas (Map)
How to Reach
How to reach
Air
Mangaluru Airport (IXE): 175 kms.
₹5000/-for ac cab, takes 3 hours.
Goa Dabolim International Airport (GOI): 185kms
₹6000/-for ac cab, takes 4 hours.
Train
In the order of preference, based on distance from the Ocean Retreat to the railway station, following are the stations we can arrange a pick up or drop for participants coming / going by train for a nominal fee. Pl note that different trains stop at different stations.
| Honnavar | 14 kms to the North ₹400/- for non ac Maruti Van |
| Murdeshwar | 15 kms to the South, ₹400/- for non ac Maruti Van |
| Kumta | 32 kms to the North,₹600/- for non ac Maruti Van |
| Bhatkal | 35 kms to the South ₹700/- for non ac Maruti Van |
If anyone needs help in train booking, please contact Vimal @ 9870428665 who will find the correct train and book it for you for a fee. He also does Tatkal ticketing.
By Road:
Sleeper /seater buses are available
Mumbai-Honnavar Circle 12 hours
Bangalore-Honnavar Circle 8hours
You can also check the driving time to Honnavar Circle. We will guide you on how to drive to the Ocean Retreat from there.
FAQs
1. Why should I choose HWR Workshops?
Personal Attention: We don’t take more than 15 students in a class. You get a lot of personal attention and feedback. No classrooms of 20-30 people or one-way pre-recorded videos here.
Class Quality: For most courses, we filter our participants. You can’t just pay and sign up. We need to see a writing sample (in our application form) to ensure the class is of a uniform standard.
Cost per hour: Our courses are long and intense. As an example, the Creative Writing course is 18000 for 24 contact hours (3 days, 8 hours each day). The cost per hour = 750 / hour. That is comparable to many of the “cheaper” courses.
Quality of faculty: No lightweights here. Many of our faculty are award-winners. All are experts and great teachers. We don’t settle for average.
Feedback scores: Across courses, we are rated 4.5/5, or higher. You can read our reviews HERE.
2. Do I get a certificate of participation?
Yes, certificates are available on request.
3. Any discounts for students / other categories?
At the Himalayan Writing Retreat, we follow a strict No-Discount policy.
4. Is the workshop fee refundable?
Our cancellation policy is as follows:
For Physical Workshops:
- 100% refund (less 5% of total programme fee) on cancellation 40 days or more before the event start date.
- 50% refund if cancellation is between 20-40 days before start date.
- 0% refund if cancellation is less than 20 days before the start date.
For Online Workshops:
- 100% refund (less 5% of total programme fee) on cancellation 15 days or more before the event start date.
- 50% refund if cancellation is between 15 to 7 days before start date.
- 0% refund if cancellation is less than 7 days before the start date.
5. Is the Himalayan Writing Retreat a business or an NGO?
The Himalayan Writing Retreat is a social enterprise. It works closely and actively with two local NGOs in its community work initiatives: Chirag and Alaap. In 2020, HWR raised INR 6.1 Lakhs to support the Chirag School.
Have more questions? Feel free to write to us at info@himalayanwritingretreat.com or connect with us at +91 73035 16665 (call or WhatsApp).
Event Summary
Event Date
January 23, 2027 to January 28, 2027
Venue
Location : 50 KM south of Gokarna. Exact details will be shared with participants.
Price:
* Price: INR 44000+ GST (twin shared) and INR 69000+ GST (Single)
* Taxes Extra
* Strict Zero Discount Policy
Cancellation Policy
Cancellation Policy for Physical Courses
- 95% refund if cancellation 4 weeks before event start date.
- 50% refund if cancellation 2 weeks before the start date.
- 0% refund if cancellation is less than 2 weeks before start date.
