The urge to write has never really left you.
It waits beneath the noise and rush of daily life, asking for time, for quiet, for a place where your thoughts can settle.
Maybe you’re beginning again.
Maybe you’re searching for direction.
Maybe you simply want to hear your own voice without interruption.
Give yourself the space—and the setting—to follow the thread of what wants to be written.
It waits beneath the noise and rush of daily life, asking for time, for quiet, for a place where your thoughts can settle.
Maybe you’re beginning again.
Maybe you’re searching for direction.
Maybe you simply want to hear your own voice without interruption.
Give yourself the space—and the setting—to follow the thread of what wants to be written.
2026 / October 2nd - 7th: A 5 day writing retreat
WRITE LIKE A GARDENER
A gardener knows that things grow in their own time. The soil needs preparing, seeds need tending, and sometimes the best thing to do is simply wait.
Writing is much the same.
Write Like a Gardener is a slow, immersive five-day writing workshop led by writer and writing coach Shubha Menon, at Himalayan Orchard in the Shimla Hills.
Bring the idea that has been quietly growing in your mind — a novel, a story, a memoir, or simply the beginning of something you have always wanted to write.
Over five days, Shubha will guide you through the essential elements of storytelling, including character, structure, plot and voice, with writing exercises, individual time with her and plenty of space to develop your own work.
This is not a highly structured or intensive writing boot camp. There will be time to write, read, think and wander — through the orchard, along the hillside, under the trees and beside the fire.
The workshop: Each day combines a morning session with Shubha, practical writing exercises and time for your own writing. Individual sessions with Shubha will give you the opportunity to discuss your work and receive guidance on your particular project.
The five days explore:
Day 1 — Idea Seeds
The story only you can tell. Finding and developing your starting idea.
Day 2 — Character
What makes a compelling character? Exploring the heart of your novel.
Day 3 — Plot & Structure
Beginning, middle and end. The Hero's Journey and the development of plot.
Day 4 — Voice
What is voice? Finding and developing your own.
Day 5 — What Next?
Keeping your writing alive after the retreat, creating accountability and making keepsakes from your work.
There will also be orchard walks, silent writing, reading, fireside conversations and plenty of unstructured time.
Sharing your work is encouraged but always optional.
Your Secret Garden: Himalayan Orchard is a 75-year-old farmhouse in the Shimla Hills, surrounded by an orchard, gardens and verdant countryside.
Part home and part ongoing experiment, the Orchard has evolved organically over the years. There is an organic kitchen garden, long walks, wild flowers, wood fires in winter and homemade fruit wine.
It is a place to step away from everyday distractions and give your writing some room.
Come to reflect, reconnect and perhaps allow an idea that has been waiting in the background to finally take shape.
The Head Gardener / Your writing coach: Shubha Menon is a writer, writing coach and author of three books. She began her career in advertising and worked at Ogilvy before leaving in 2019 to write full-time.
Her work spans fiction and nonfiction, plays, articles, scripts, exhibitions, stories and other forms of writing. She is an empanelled long-term writer with UNICEF India and a certified writing coach with the International Coaching Federation.
Shubha has conducted writing workshops for students, professionals, organisations and aspiring novelists, and has worked with writers at different stages of their projects.
Her approach is practical, encouraging and personal: helping writers move past confusion, develop a regular writing rhythm and find their way into the story they want to tell.
Come with your idea seeds.You don't need to have a finished manuscript.
You don't even need to know exactly what your book is about.
You simply need a story, an idea, a question — or the desire to begin.
Let's grow your first book.
Logistics
Non-sharing external washroom: Rs 24000/-
WRITE LIKE A GARDENER
A gardener knows that things grow in their own time. The soil needs preparing, seeds need tending, and sometimes the best thing to do is simply wait.
Writing is much the same.
Write Like a Gardener is a slow, immersive five-day writing workshop led by writer and writing coach Shubha Menon, at Himalayan Orchard in the Shimla Hills.
Bring the idea that has been quietly growing in your mind — a novel, a story, a memoir, or simply the beginning of something you have always wanted to write.
Over five days, Shubha will guide you through the essential elements of storytelling, including character, structure, plot and voice, with writing exercises, individual time with her and plenty of space to develop your own work.
This is not a highly structured or intensive writing boot camp. There will be time to write, read, think and wander — through the orchard, along the hillside, under the trees and beside the fire.
The workshop: Each day combines a morning session with Shubha, practical writing exercises and time for your own writing. Individual sessions with Shubha will give you the opportunity to discuss your work and receive guidance on your particular project.
The five days explore:
Day 1 — Idea Seeds
The story only you can tell. Finding and developing your starting idea.
Day 2 — Character
What makes a compelling character? Exploring the heart of your novel.
Day 3 — Plot & Structure
Beginning, middle and end. The Hero's Journey and the development of plot.
Day 4 — Voice
What is voice? Finding and developing your own.
Day 5 — What Next?
Keeping your writing alive after the retreat, creating accountability and making keepsakes from your work.
There will also be orchard walks, silent writing, reading, fireside conversations and plenty of unstructured time.
Sharing your work is encouraged but always optional.
Your Secret Garden: Himalayan Orchard is a 75-year-old farmhouse in the Shimla Hills, surrounded by an orchard, gardens and verdant countryside.
Part home and part ongoing experiment, the Orchard has evolved organically over the years. There is an organic kitchen garden, long walks, wild flowers, wood fires in winter and homemade fruit wine.
It is a place to step away from everyday distractions and give your writing some room.
Come to reflect, reconnect and perhaps allow an idea that has been waiting in the background to finally take shape.
The Head Gardener / Your writing coach: Shubha Menon is a writer, writing coach and author of three books. She began her career in advertising and worked at Ogilvy before leaving in 2019 to write full-time.
Her work spans fiction and nonfiction, plays, articles, scripts, exhibitions, stories and other forms of writing. She is an empanelled long-term writer with UNICEF India and a certified writing coach with the International Coaching Federation.
Shubha has conducted writing workshops for students, professionals, organisations and aspiring novelists, and has worked with writers at different stages of their projects.
Her approach is practical, encouraging and personal: helping writers move past confusion, develop a regular writing rhythm and find their way into the story they want to tell.
Come with your idea seeds.You don't need to have a finished manuscript.
You don't even need to know exactly what your book is about.
You simply need a story, an idea, a question — or the desire to begin.
Let's grow your first book.
Logistics
- Group size: 8–10 participants
- Fee: (inclusive of accommodation, meals, and all writing activities) Sharing with one other person: Rs 28000/-
Non-sharing external washroom: Rs 24000/-
- Dates: October 2nd(arrival) to 7th(departure) / 5 nights
- To apply & for more details: Send us an email at [email protected]
- Travel & payment: Contact Himalayan Orchard
- Bring: Laptop, pen, notebook and your smile.
UPCOMING
2027 /
You're invited to Join us at Himalayan Orchard for a retreat, led by Vrinda Condillac, a New York–based writing teacher and freelance editor. Drawing on twenty-five years of experience guiding students and shaping manuscripts for publication, she creates a supportive environment for writers at any stage of their project. The retreat offers a flexible structure designed to build confidence, strengthen craft, and help participants move their work forward.
2027 /
You're invited to Join us at Himalayan Orchard for a retreat, led by Vrinda Condillac, a New York–based writing teacher and freelance editor. Drawing on twenty-five years of experience guiding students and shaping manuscripts for publication, she creates a supportive environment for writers at any stage of their project. The retreat offers a flexible structure designed to build confidence, strengthen craft, and help participants move their work forward.
Retreat Format
Each day includes three optional activities:
Session Overview
Each day includes three optional activities:
- Group writing sessions to cultivate focus and explore specific skills.
- Individual consultations with Vrinda to discuss projects, clarify ideas, and address challenges.
- Dedicated writing time—either independently or alongside others.
Session Overview
- One-on-one guidance: Daily 20-minute meetings tailored to each writer’s goals, offering feedback, strategies, and a framework for continuing their work
- Group exercises: Free writing, reflective prompts, and practical craft workshops covering structure, transitions, compression, character, dialogue, and descriptive writing.
- Focused writing hours: Quiet time each afternoon to apply insights from the morning sessions.
What to Expect
- A simple, distraction-free setting centered on writing
- A respectful, collaborative, and inclusive atmosphere
- Thoughtful feedback that clarifies intent, strengthens skills, and helps resolve creative roadblocks
- Supportive peers committed to the writing process
What Not to Expect
- Instruction on publishing or securing an agent
- Manuscript editing or evaluation
- Lectures on literary traditions
- Any requirement to arrive with prior training—writers of all levels are welcome
Retreat Schedule
- Arrival Day: Settling in; reflection on goals.
- Daily (post-breakfast): Check-ins, free writing, and a craft workshop.
- Daily (post-lunch): One-on-one sessions and independent/group writing.
- Final Evening: Forward-planning and optional readings.
Logistics
- Group size: 8–10 participants
- Fee: (inclusive of accommodation, meals, and all writing activities)
- Dates:
- To apply: Send us an email; tell us a bit about yourself.
- Travel & payment: Contact Himalayan Orchard
- Bring: Laptop, pen, and notebook
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About the Facilitator
Vrinda Condillac teaches writing at Barnard College and previously at Columbia University, where she earned her MFA in Creative Writing. She has worked in book publishing at Alfred A. Knopf and has been a long-time freelance editor, during which she supported numerous award-winning and bestselling books, including works by Suketu Mehta, Anand Giridharadas, Suleika Jaouad, Nawaaz Ahmed, Deepa Narayan, and Anand Gopal. She has guided writers across genres—novels, memoirs, essays, creative nonfiction, and academic work. Born and raised in Shimla and Kotgarh, she returns home each summer, and this retreat reflects her wish to share her craft in the landscape that shaped her. |
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