TEMPLATE - WRITERS RETREAT - 3days

Book your retreat and reserve accommodation
TEMPLATE - WRITERS RETREAT - 3days
€750.00

3 Day Writers Retreat

Novel Writing for beginners - 

December 2025

Novel Writing 

Accomadation details and contact information

3 Day Writers Retreat

Your Retreat

Novel Writing for Beginners 

December 2025

Novel Writing

A fantastic long weekend of creative writing in beautiful surroundings with relaxed tutorials from an experienced Writer.

You will have lots of time to develop your novel in lovely surroundings.

Your retreat starts the night before with dinner at the L’Ortensia, a wonderful local restaurant recognised in the Michelin Guide for its excellent cuisine. Its a chance to mingle and meet other writers. Then two days of creative writing in the studio with optional country walks. Morning croissants and coffee are available every day along with delicious lunches. The food is hearty and you will get to enjoy roasted chesnut's, mould wine and local delicacies and also get explore our lovely village on crisp sunny days.

 

Itinerary 

Day One 

4pm (depending on arrival)

Pick up from Bezier airport - We provide a single shuttle bus/taxi from Bezier Airport and also collect guests from the Main Train station 'Gare de Bezier' then take you to your accommodation in St Gervais Sur Mare which is about a 50 minute away.

If you are driving to Riverside Studio there is plenty of parking adjacent to Riverside studio in the village square. Its then just a short walk to your accommodation. 

Evening meet and greet 7pm

Your retreat includes aperitifs and dinner at the L’Ortensia restaurant, which has beautiful views over the village. Here you can mingle and get to know your fellow artists.

Day two and three

9.30am

Croissants and coffee at Riverside studio where your tutor will discuss the programme and answer any questions.

10am

Morning tutorial and painting in studio 

12 Noon

Lunch 

1pm

Afternoon painting in the studio and around the village 

4pm

Free time to relax,  have drinks in the friendly village bar or explore the village with new friends.

Drop off to Bezier airport (3.30 pm on day three to catch return flight) - Departure to the airport on day four will depend on flight time - We usually leave two and a half hours before flight departure.

Information sheet  Retreat details will be sent to you in advance of your trip in a informative information sheet to answer all of your questions and there is also the 'Whats included' sheet below. 

 

 

 

 

 

About Your Tutor

Laura Purcell is an acclaimed novelist and storyteller, best known for her chilling and beautifully atmospheric works of historical horror, including The Silent Companions and The Shape of Darkness. Her ability to weave suspense, rich historical detail, and unforgettable characters has made her one of the most distinctive voices in modern gothic fiction today.

Beyond novels, Laura also brings screen and audio experience to her teaching. She served as lead writer on the acclaimed podcast series Roanoke Falls, a historical horror project executive-produced by John Carpenter and Sandy King, showcasing her ability to craft compelling narratives across different mediums.

With her wealth of experience in both long-form fiction and dramatic audio storytelling, Laura understands the craft of creating tension, atmosphere, and character arcs that keep readers turning the page. She is also passionate about supporting emerging writers, making her an ideal guide for those just starting out.

In this beginners’ course, Laura will:

  • Help you find your unique writing voice and overcome the fear of the blank page.

  • Show you how to build believable characters that readers connect with.

  • Teach you to structure your story, whether you’re working on a short piece or the beginnings of a novel.

  • Share practical tips for developing discipline and confidence so you can see your project through to the end.

Laura’s teaching style is approachable, encouraging, and practical. She understands that everyone begins at a different stage, and her goal is to equip you with the tools, techniques, and self-belief you need to start writing with purpose.

Whether you dream of penning your first novel, experimenting with gothic atmosphere, or simply exploring the joy of storytelling, Laura will help you take those first steps in a supportive and inspiring environment.

What's Included

Professional tuition by experienced tutors.

Reservation of accomadation when booked through Riverside Studios. (You will then either pay the hotel/guesthouse on arrival or in advance depending on their normal terms).

We charge a small admin fee to reserve your accomadation but you can of course book the local hotels/guest houses/airbnbs directly and avoid this charge. We have provided contact details of local accomadation if you wish to do this. 

Airport pickup and drop off from Bezier airport to St. Gervais de Mare (when arriving and departing on designated flights).

Aperitiffs and dinner at the L’Ortensia, a local restaurant featured in the Michelin Guide and recognised for its excellent cuisine.

Croissants and coffee from 9:30 am each morning at the Riverside Studio.

Buffet Lunch (but not on the days of arrival or departure).

We provide craft tables, palettes, water pots and a small selection of paper if you are not bringing your own.  We also have easels for beginner's or students who don't want to bring your own. But in general you should bring your preferred paints, brushes and sketchbooks/paper (so you can work with materials you know and love).

Excluded: Other evening meals, high end paints, brushes, paper/canvasses -  Art materials can be purchased from the Studio along with easels and acrylic/water colour starter kits for begineers. (approximately 100 euros) 

We hope that gives you a good idea of what to expect  but please do drop us a message if you have a query and we will get back to you as soon as we can.

Additional information

Flights

From the UK , Ryan air has regular flights to Bezier from Stansted and Luton, as well as Bristol, Edinburgh and Manchester. Bezier is the closest airport to Riverside Studio and about 50 minutes away.

Alternatively there are regular Easy Jet and British airways flights to Montpellier which is about 1hr 20 minutes from Riverside Studio with direct trains to Bezier.

Equally both airports are served by regular flights from numerous European destinations.

Airport Transport

Riverside Studio will arrange for a free group pick up from Bezier Airport on the first day of your retreat/course. Pick ups will usually be late afternoon followed by a second pick up at Bezier's main train station.

We will then drive you to your hotel/guest house or Airbnb in St Gervais Sur Mare. Where you can change/freshen-up in plenty of time for the meet and great dinner at the Ortensia Restaurant. 

If you are arriving on an earlier flight you can either wait to be picked up at the airport or take the red shuttle bus into Bezier town centre (about 25 minute) where you can see the sights before we collect you from the main station.

Accommodation

There is a wide range of village accommodation which you can either reserve through Riverside Studios via this web site (for which we charge a small admin fee of 20 Euros per room booked),  or alternatively you can book directly with the hotel/guest houses/air BNBs

In both cases we do not take payment for your stay and this will need to be paid directly to the accommodation provider either on arrival or in line with their own terms and conditions.

Non-painting Guests

We welcome non-painting guests if you wish to bring a friend. Their cost for coming will be discounted by X% (50?).

Art Supplies

At Riverside Studio, we want your creative experience to be inspiring and stress-free so we will send you a suggested materials list when you book, so you’ll know exactly what’s need to bring including any specialist materials recommended by your tutor who is running the course. But in general you should bring your preferred paints, brushes and sketchbooks/paper (so you can work with materials you know and love).

We provide craft tables, palettes, water pots and a small selection of paper if you are not bringing your own.  We also have easels for beginner's or students who don't want to bring your own.

We would also suggest a lightweight apron or old shirt for working comfortably. 

Art Supplies can be purchased at the studio including a selection of watercolours, acrylic paints,  brushes and paper. For beginner's we have water colour and acrylic paint sets retailing for around 50 Euros each.

Meals

Food and wine is exceptionally good in the South of France and our lovely little village is no exception. From fresh Croissants in the local patisserie to rich red tomatoes picked from smallholdings along the river, everything smells and tastes divine.

Breakfasts (included)

Riverside Studio daily breakfast includes – croissants coffee, and preserves which is available all morning.

Lunchs (included)

Riverside Studio daily buffet lunch includes  hearty mouth-watering dishes. Some days we will lunch on the village square and play boule and other days we may have a picnic outside in a local vineyard. But rest assured you will have plenty of time to relax and chat with new friends.

Aperitif and Dinner

Meet and great dinner at the L’Ortensia, a local restaurant featured in the Michelin Guide and recognised for its excellent cuisine. Other dinners are at guests own expense, and you can choose from a variety of dishes at the local bar/bistro and pizzeria as well as produce from a fabulous patisserie and boulangerie. There are also many restaurants a short drive or taxi journey away in neighbouring villages.

Bringing Artwork Home

We can arrange for wrapping and shipping of any oversized artwork that students want to keep.

Art Gallery and Selling Your Art

Any paintings left by students may be hung in the ground floor gallery or advertised on our website with donations made to local charities for every painting sold.

Cancellations and Refunds

Your reservation is refundable if cancelled at least 6 weeks before the start of your retreat. Riverside Studio can not offer refunds for cancellations made to close to the course time, but the reservation is transferrable to a different person.

Have Questions

A helpful information sheet will be sent to you before your visit which should  answer most queries, but we are happy to help with any questions you may have if you would like to get in touch.