An online retreat for University of Bristol staff and students

The retreat gives staff or students working in the field of digital futures the opportunity to devote a whole day to writing in a quiet, structured and supportive atmosphere. Whether you’re writing a research proposal, a paper, or a blog, this retreat provides insight into effective writing, and the space to get it done.

The retreat is facilitated by Dr Pam Lock, a lecturer in the English Department at Bristol who has been running these retreats in person and online since 2014. The feedback from these sessions is always resoundingly positive.

We have a limit of 25 places, so please sign up ASAP to avoid disappointment. There will be a waiting list for those who don't get a space initially.

Register now

What you need to know

You will need to arrive 'ready to write' so please have any materials (books, data etc) to hand. There will be some short discussions on good writing practice and how to approach your writing as a professional task but the vast majority of the day will be devoted to writing without distraction. To this end, we encourage you not to use mobile phones etc during the writing periods.

Please arrive promptly for a 9.15am start. We will finish promptly at 4.30pm. Pam will be online from 9am if people want to join earlier to set up and check their connection.

Please note: exceptions to this may be granted if you let us know in advance (relating to childcare/other responsibilities). If you then need to sign off after the first half an hour (which is crucial to the running of the day) you can do so. You also need to be available for the last 15 minutes of the day 4.45 - 5.00 pm.

The retreat will take place online via Zoom. You have two hours of breaks through the day. The sessions you must attend for are the introduction (9.30-10.15)  so you understand the set-up of the day and the summing up/planning session at the end.

Schedule

09.15 Arrival and setting up (time to connect)
09.30 Introduction and Warm up
10.15 Write
11.30 Break
12.00 Write
13.00 Lunch
14.00 Write
15.00 Break
15.30 Write
16.15 Summing up and planning for your next writing session
16.30 Finish

Facilitator

Dr Pam Lock has been running retreats (in person) for about 6 years in person, and online since the first lockdown began. She is pleased to see how productive people still find it and surprised to find how comforting it is writing with people, even when we are not breathing the same air.