“The in-person workshop in October 2026 with Susan Wadds (Deepam) at Zaga Beach, Koroni, was a rich and nourishing experience. The overall energy of creativity, collaboration and collegiality was made possible by expert leadership that honoured the AWA method firmly and fondly. I appreciated the kindness with which she set the boundaries and then gently reinforced them when needed. I also enjoyed her imaginative prompts that helped each writer dive into their personal narratives fearlessly. The daily structure supported each writer in their own endeavours and the feedback was warm, generous and sprinkled with openhearted laughter. I gained clarity about what I'm trying to achieve in my work, and confidence in how I want to tell my story. Deepam's focus on craft offered me a way into writing more intuitively and confidently. I appreciated the solid safety and containment which fostered my own capacity to take bigger writerly risks. The nine-day retreat was deeply gratifying and rewarding. Thank you, Deepam!”
~Liesl Jobson
“After writing with Deepam online for a little over a year, I knew I wanted to write with her in person—to spend dedicated writing time with her in a retreat setting. Our world is uncertain. Would it be safe to travel in seven months? Would I be needed at home because of a loved one's health or my own? But when I signed up for the October retreat in March, I knew one thing: I wanted to write with a facilitator who knew how to listen, how to guide, and how to lift up the writers in her circle. Attending the 2026 Write by the Sea Retreat in Greece was one of the best decisions I've made this year, not only for me as a writer, but also for my work in progress. A pivotal moment at the retreat was my one-on-one session with Deepam.
The advice she offered wasn't what I expected. She could even sense my resistance as we talked. But I'd come to the retreat to explore and work on my WIP, so I decided to try on her advice. What a gift it was to work on that change and test it out with a circle of writers, receiving clear affirmation that the direction Deepam had suggested was right for my manuscript. I'm also a facilitator. And a professional editor. Editors sometimes need editing. Facilitators need facilitating. And we know when we're in the right hands. I'll continue to write with Deepam online, and I expect to sit with her again in person—in a writing circle, for a one-on-one session on the beach, or in quiet writing time at a café. If you're on the fence about one of Deepam's retreats, go ahead and hop off. Sign up, and be ready for an experience that might change more than your writing.”
~ Pennie Nichols
“I had the pleasure of attending a Write Your Way In retreat with Susan (Deepam) in Spain last year, and it was a fabulous experience. The structure of the days gave real writing time without ever feeling pressured, and I developed my creative writing in ways I could not have imagined before I joined. Great food, a lovely environment, and a genuinely joyful experience. I would recommend it warmly to anyone thinking of going. I am going again this year.”
~ Dr Rachel Gibbons
“I was at Susan's Spain writing retreat in 2023. Everything about it was organized well and she made sure we were well taken care of before and during the retreat. Early mornings were stretching and breakfast in sleepy silence, then we met for a few hours of writing together and sharing our freshly written work with gentle, affirmative feedback. Sometimes people passed, which was fine. Even though I was working on a specific long project, the prompts gave me starting points into scenes that had been eluding me. They also gave me some opportunity to write about other things, most notably my experience in Spain. In the afternoons I walked, read and wrote. The hills were pretty intense where we were but I always was able to find someone who wanted to walk (at least half way). The other attendees were amazing, and Susan nipped any little hiccup in the bud before it ever became an issue. Most notably, someone wasn't prepared for the mobility required at the retreat location and Susan quickly just traded rooms with her, giving her the room closest to ground level (did I mention the hills in Spain?). I can't wait for this year's retreat in Greece. The moment she said Greece, I said, "Sign me up!" It promises to be a restorative, generative ten days.”
~ Cheryl MacLean
"My husband and I have travelled with Susan ( Deepam ) to Costa Rica, Spain and Greece. Every experience was a complete delight. The writing was carefully balanced with alone time and shared and interesting activities. The locations were well researched little jewels. Eg. In Greece, we stayed a 3 minute walk from the sea. We would highly recommend Deepam’s writing retreats. In the last 10 years, the only time we have left Canada was to journey with Deepam."
Teri and Jon
“I appreciate the care you put into making the experience an interesting and positive one for us all (even chocolate!) and I so enjoyed hearing the writing of everyone and was delighted by the quality and variety of their and your words. Yvonne Thanks, Deepam for a lovely retreat from every day. You were well prepared and were able to stay present with each and every piece of writing offered. That was a labour of love!!”
~ Anita
"My overall experience was one of tastes. I got a taste of writing on whatever prompt is provided, of hearing and responding to others, of receiving feedback ( I wish it had been more specific sometimes, less polite). I had a taste of my potential. I had a taste of other people's inner worlds, their imaginations, vocabulary, concerns, temperament."
~ Jo
“Deepam's wonderful workshops, delivered using the AWA method, have transformed my writing practice and profoundly informed my teaching strategies. By directing attention to what is strong in a piece of writing, the AWA method cultivates both skill and confidence. Rather than aggravate students' anxieties through premature criticism, the AWA method allows them to encourage each other’s strengths. This generous approach builds trust and strengthens bonds in the writing cohort. The AWA method is a good way to write and a great way to get feedback, but its strongest gift may be the way it encourages us as fellow writers to receive each other's voices with generous attention, deepening our own listening.”
~ Julian Gunn, Instructor, Department of English and Creative Writing, Camosun College, British Columbia, Canada
"As soon as I started taking workshops with Deepam, I knew I had to change how I taught creative writing. I was demoralized by seeing my students struggle to figure out how to support each other as writers, and the critiquing methods I was using often left both writer and critiquer deflated. The AWA method as practiced in Deepam’s workshops provided me with an understanding of how to reshape my own instruction to be more supportive while also providing valuable critique to the students. I now ask my students to tell their classmates what is working in their writing and what they can learn from those parts to strengthen the parts that may need more work. There is rigour in their critique that starts with appreciation."
~ Kari Jones, Author & Instructor, Department of English and Creative Writing Camosun College, British Columbia, Canada
“I have quickly become addicted to Deepam’s online workshops, which have lost none of the intimacy and immediacy of her in person workshops. Deepam’s prompts dig deep and illicit writing that is unexpected and beyond the range of what I normally write. I’ve even written my first poem in a recent class. Her feedback digs even deeper and she provides so much insight, it’s as if she’d written each piece herself. She gets inside the writing and so our discussions are meaningful, helpful, and rich. If you love to write this is a wonderful way to spend some time. If you’re new to writing, this is a safe and accepting learning environment, where you’ll feel you’re with your tribe.”
~ Terry V
"Deepam's workshops are always wonderful. The prompts she chooses are inspiring, and I love the supportive, creative environment she creates. Even though we are all on-line, I still feel like I have been among friends when the workshop is over."
~ Kari J
“Deepam’s workshops are a joy. Not only the prompts, along with her warmth and her support, but I always come away feeling like I have struck gold, that I have the beginning of a piece of writing that excites and inspires me. The online connection with the other writers is real and the writing energy is infectious.”
~ Marie L
"Writing with others inspires me to make leaps of imagination and to have fun with my stories. Thank you Deepam!"
~ Laurie E
“I want you to know that your sessions, particularly your prompts, have really transformed my works in progress, and I am so grateful to you for that. ”
~ Barbara K
“I want you to know that your sessions, particularly your prompts, have really transformed my works in progress, and I am so grateful to you for that. ”
~ Barbara K
"It was good to put pen to paper again. You create and maintain such a safe environment, it is not stressful to partake of the exercises you lead."
~ Mary B
“Thank you Deepam for a wonderful writing refuge! It was just the inspiration I needed to ignite a part of myself that has lain dormant for too long. I had no idea that I was going to be led to diving as deeply as I did on Saturday. I am very grateful for the experience.”
~ Roz
"It was a really moving experience for me and I gained so much from listening to everyone and sharing in their journey. I would love to come again."
~ Adrian