Many summer workshop deadlines have passed, but there are still a few open! Here is a list of workshops that are still accepting applications, and a few to put on your calendar for next year.

STILL OPEN

River Teeth Nonfiction Conference

The conference, hosted by the River Teeth journal, is entering its fourth year. It covers many forms of nonfiction, focusing on essay, memoir, and literary journalism. This year’s conference features guest speakers Jill Christman and Steven Church. Dates: May 29 – 31; Cost: $425; Location: Ashland, Ohio; Register: Registration closes soon — apply now!

Sewanee Writers’ Conference

The conference is held each summer on the campus of Sewanee: The University of the South. Thanks to the generosity of the Walter E. Dakin Memorial Fund, supported by the estate of Tennessee Williams, the conference subsidizes every writer’s cost of attendance. Dates: July 21 – Aug 2; Cost: $1,800 – $1,100 for tuition and $700 for room (single occupancy) and board (assistance offered); Register: APRIL 20.

Slice Literary Writers’ Conference

The fifth Slice Literary Writers Conference will take place this fall. “Our panels and workshops will cover topics from the craft of writing (plotting, dialogue, characterization, poetry, and more) to the business of writing (pitch letters, landing a book deal, and beyond). Top editors, agents, and authors will discuss crucial steps to help launch a writer’s career.” Dates: Sep 12 – 13; Cost: $350 for one day, $250 for single day (scholarships available) Location: Brooklyn, NY; Register: Details here.

The Masters Review Online Workshop

Our very own workshop takes place online so there are no expensive travel costs or time away from work. This manuscript critique is available year-round and is hosted by a guest instructor who offers detailed feedback on your short story or essay. Our hope is offer quick and quality feedback so your story will be as close to publication-ready as possible. Our current instructor is Anne Valente, whose short story collection By Light We Knew Our Names won the Dzanc Books Short Story Prize. For more information on our rolling submissions, costs, and application, click here.

NEXT YEAR

Each day at the One Story Workshop for Writers starts with a three hour-long workshop. Afternoons include excursions to New York City literary landmarks meant to inspire and generate new work, writing exercises, craft lectures, special guests, and panels on how to get published. This intense and fulfilling week ends with a celebratory dinner and an evening of readings by the students. The deadline for admission is in early April. Mark your calendars for next year! Details here.

The Tin House Summer Workshop usually takes place in July at the beautiful Reed College campus in Portland, Oregon. Applications for scholarships and general admission take place in early Spring. This year, the scholarship deadline was March 18, 2015. Details on this workshop can be found here.

The Kenyon Review Workshop — the focus here is truly on the workshop itself. Classes emphasize collaboration and new work, which writers will often generate in class. Applications for the workshop are accepted through early April, for several summer sessions which take place from June through July. The full program overview can be found here.

For a closer look at some of our favorite workshops, check out our list of The Best Up and Coming Writng Workshops and Conferences. Also for your reading pleasure, here is our list of the Best Writing Workshops in the Country.

We gave you the heavy hitters when we announced the Best Writers Workshops in the Country. Of course you’d heard of most of them. Find here, five truly excellent workshops and conferences that while slightly younger, are a cut above the rest. Many of them are smaller, more intimate — and ho! — more affordable than their larger counterparts. This list represents five great resources and opportunities for the up and coming (as well as the established writer) to focus, learn, and grow. Enjoy!

One Story Workshop for Writers

Dates: July 13 – 18.

Application Deadline: Rolling applications open on February 20th and close on April 30.

Cost: $1,400 includes workshops, lectures and writing excursions in NYC as well as daily lunch, coffee/tea, wine/beer, refreshments and goodbye dinner. No scholarships offered. (Guys, wine and beer!)

Location: Center for Fiction; 17 E 47th St, New York, NY 10017

Workshops Offered: Two fiction workshops.

History: We started the One Story Workshop for Writers in 2010 to open our office doors to our readers and writers. It’s been wonderful to expand our literary community, and we look forward to sharing our experience and resources with you in 2014.

What a Typical Day Consists Of: Each day starts with a three hour-long workshop. Afternoons include excursions to New York City literary landmarks meant to inspire and generate new work, writing exercises, craft lectures, special guests, and panels on how to get published. This intense and fulfilling week ends with a celebratory dinner and an evening of readings by the students.

-Michael Pollock, Manager

Link to more info: http://www.one-story.com/index.php?page=workshop

River Teeth Nonfiction Conference

The conference, hosted by the River Teeth journal, is entering its third year. It covers many forms of nonfiction, focusing on essay, memoir, and literary journalism. This year’s conference features guest speakers Philip Gerard and Brenda Miller.

Dates: May 30 – June 4

Application Deadline: May 9; March 15 for those interested in book-length manuscript consultation; Deadline for scholarship applications: March 1.

Cost: $425 registration fee includes conference admission, Saturday and Sunday breakfast, and a one-year subscription to River Teeth. Applications submitted before April 1 receive a $50 discount. Essay consultations are an additional $50. Book-length manuscript consultations are $300. Merit-based scholarships are available.

Location: Ashland, Ohio

Workshops Offered: The River Teeth conference focuses on panels and seminars rather than the workshop. However, half-hour essay consultations and hour-long manuscript consultations are offered at an additional cost.

What a Typical Day Consists Of: Days at the River Teeth conference start early and are crowded with classes and seminars, with a break in the middle for manuscript consultations and an evening reading or book signing.

What Makes It Different: “The River Teeth Nonfiction Conference follows the journal’s charge, that ‘good writing counts and facts matter.’ The conference seeks to build and sustain a community of nonfiction writers who are passionate about improving craft and pursuing truth in nonfiction, with all of its uncertainties and complexities. The conference prides itself on being both persistently committed to the pursuit of excellence in writing while maintaining a measure of levity and humility, creating an environment conducive to friendship and growth.”

—Sarah M. Wells, Managing Editor

Link to more info:  www.riverteethjournal.com/conference

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Spring is nigh, and with it comes deadlines for the prestigious and exciting Summer Writers Workshops. But which to choose? We’ve narrowed down the field to six of the country’s best. Whether you’re a new writer, seasoned veteran, agent, or editor, these six workshops provide the perfect environment for cultivating and improving your craft.

Bread Loaf

General Info: Bread Loaf is America’s oldest, and some would argue best, writers conference. It offers small, intensive workshops on the scenic Bread Loaf campus of Middlebury College in VT. Days at the conference are packed with lectures, classes on craft, readings, and talks by editors, agents, and other professionals in the publishing industry. The conference brings together established and emerging writers. A range of financial aid is available for writers in varying stages of their careers. They even offer work-study scholarships for emerging writers, which include being a waiter in the Bread Loaf dining room. Who would pass up the opportunity to serve dinner to the likes of this year’s attendees Natasha Trethewey, David Shields, and Percival Everett?

Location: Middlebury College, Middlebury, Vermont

Workshops Offered: fiction, nonfiction, poetry

Deadline: March 1

Cost: $2,935 for general contributors; $2,810 for auditors; fees include room & board Some financial aid available.

Dates: August 13 – 23

Link: http://www.middlebury.edu/blwc

What Makes It Different: In his letter on the program’s website, Michael Collier, the director says: “[Bread Loaf] provides a stimulating community of diverse voices in which we test our own assumptions regarding literature and seek advice about our progress as writers.”

Sewanee

General Info: The conference is held each summer on the campus of Sewanee: The University
of the South. Thanks to the generosity of the Walter E. Dakin Memorial Fund, supported by the estate of Tennessee Williams, the conference subsidizes every writer’s cost of attendance. Like those at Bread Loaf, days at Sewanee are made up of workshops, craft lectures, and readings. Among the members of this year’s lustrous faculty are Jill McCorkle, Alice McDermott, Claudia Emerson, Charles Martin, Mary Jo Salter, Daisy Foote and Dan O’Brien. Many literary agents and publishing professionals come to Sewanee each year.

Location: The University of the South, Sewanee, Tennessee

Workshops Offered: fiction, poetry, playwriting

Deadline: April 15

Cost: $1,800-$1,100 tuition; $700 for room & board. Financial aid available.

Dates: July 22 – August 3, 2014

Link: http://sewaneewriters.org/

What Makes It Different: “Enjoying what one contemporary poet has called Sewanee’s ‘remoteness without cultural dislocation,’ the Sewanee Writers’ Conference gathers a distinguished faculty to provide instruction and criticism through workshops and craft lectures in poetry, fiction, and playwriting.” – Adam Latham, Admissions and Creative Writing Administrator Sewanee Writers Workshop

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