Writing an opus magnum. Mesmerised by a Christian nurse from WW1. Editing Bible reading notes. Researching church growth in cathedrals. Creating and illustrating children's stories. Bringing beautiful poetry into being.

Words words words. And those who create them. They were all brought together for a weekend of creativity in these peaceful surroundings. Arriving eager to write yet coming from busy lives and tiring journeys; with great anticipation of a productive time away.

48 hours with nothing else to do except enjoy writing.

Help! Can we do it? they asked themselves and each other.

And over each meal, during times together, on the stairs or at the table, came great encouragement and sometimes advice; eager questions and gentle motivation; tips and bon mots of experience.

Hemming it all, times of prayer - the rhythm of noon day prayers and evening Compline, sitting in a candlelit chapel inviting the Lord to be the Creator again and create through the tongues wanting to be the pens of ready writers.(Psalm 45:1)

Walking in the sunshine for a long hour after lunch, clearing heads, breathing deep of the freshly minted air, viewing the spring, pulling back shoulders hunched over laptops and paper all morning.

And eating. Creativity takes effort and needs feeding. Scones with clotted cream at tea time; the piece de resistance on Saturday evening of a Scrumpy Beef casserole with dumplings created with great aplomb by the man of the household.

Then came a true gift.

Saturday evening. Sitting around the roaring log fire, and a time to share. A voluntary reading or explaining or drawing each other into other worlds. A reading of poetry. A description of growth. An idea for resolutions in an editorial. A life of love for others and sacrificing all for the calling given by God.

Words words words.

Words of depth and beauty. Words of challenge and entertainment. Words of self-giving, of hard graft, of vulnerability.

Followed by an Examen, still around the fire, committing what has been written and what will be written, into the hands of the Creator of Creation.

A final burst of activity after breakfast on a sunny Sunday. The Youth Group leading the informal morning service in the ancient village church. Lunch.

Now a looking forward to what will be. Publication, God willing?

The Write Stuff?

If you would like to experience a Writers' Weekend, book in for one of the upcoming dates:

July 11- 13 or September 19-21

Full details here: http://www.thevine-at-maysfarm.com/calendar/