Submit Your Work to Apply for the StoryHouse Juried Writers’ Retreat
Writing your book baby doesn’t have to be a solitary process. Join a community of similarly motivated authors, as you spend a long weekend focusing on your craft.
Join us for our upcoming retreat, a 4-night, 5-day intimate experience, where we’ll gather 10 writers in a Napa Valley sanctuary to write, edit, workshop, relax and connect.
After five days and four nights in a quiet, creatively inspiring locale, you’ll be amazed at the exponential forward progress your writing will make.
Upcoming Retreat:
September 24-28, Napa Valley, California
Lead by Founder and Literary Agent, Felice Laverne and Editor-in-Residence, Melissa Valentine.
We are accepting 10 writers for this retreat to keep the communal atmosphere intimate. If you are not accepted to this retreat, you may be waitlisted for either this retreat or the next retreat. Those who are waitlisted do not have to apply again for upcoming 2025 retreats.
Important Dates:
May 15 - Deadline to apply for the retreat.
June 1 - All accepted guests will be notified and invited to book their spot.
July 1 – Room booking window closes. If attendees have not booked their room by July 1, their spot will be given to a waitlist applicant.
Fees:
Non-refundable application fee - $20
Retreat Pricing:
All retreat packages are all-inclusive of accommodation, meals, beverages, retreat activities and ground transportation.
Private room ensuite package - $5,500
Shared room package (you + 1-3 roommates) - $2,900
You will book your travel to the San Francisco International Airport (SFO) separate and independent of booking your retreat package.
Upon acceptance, we will require a $1000 non-refundable deposit, with the remainder of your tuition due by EOD July 1. Reminder: If attendees have not booked their room by July 1, their spot will be given to a waitlist applicant.
Thank you so much for your interest in StoryHouse Writers’ Retreats.
Writing at home is wonderful, but a writers’ retreat is a different kind of marvelous…
Join us at our next retreat. We can’t wait to meet you.
Felice Laverne
FAQ
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The application fee is to ensure that only writers who are serious about their intent to attend and participate in the retreats apply.
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These retreats are designed to offer our writers an intimate locale where they can commune with only other like-minded writers, so no other guests are allowed, including pets.
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No, you can submit any 20-page sample of writing, preferably unpublished so that we can see your level of writing before publication edits for the juried selection process. Upon acceptance to our retreats, you will have 30 days to submit the 20 pages that you would like to have workshopped by your peers at the retreat. Retreat attendees will be grouped into 5-person workshops, where you will each be sent your other 4 peers’ works for workshopping 30 days prior to arrival.
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One of the wonderful things about this workshop process is that we will pre-sort all 10 writers into two groups of 5, based on the genre you write. That way, you’re able to workshop directly with other writers with complementary writing genres to yours, so that you can get the most informed level of feedback possible. You will receive your group assignments 30 days prior to arrival, so that you will have time to read each others’ 20-page workshop submissions.
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The jury will only consider 20 pages of your work for this juried selection process. If you submit less than 20 pages, then we may not be able to consider enough of your work to offer you acceptance to the retreat.
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Yes, the beauty of this retreat is in the communing that you will be able to do with your fellow writers, uninterrupted by travel. We will have several planned activities throughout the day and evening that will enhance the experience of your stay and deepen the bonds you forge with other writers while here.
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We’ve got you covered! Upon acceptance, we will send out a short survey to gather our attendees’ dietary needs, so that everyone can enjoy the delicious food while they’re here.
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Yes, we will have a shuttle to pick up and drop off attendees to and from San Francisco International Airport. The survey sent out upon acceptance will ask for your proposed flight times, so that we can plan a shuttle that will accommodate everyone who needs it—which means that your bonding time with other writers can begin before you even arrive on the retreat grounds! This fee is already included in your all-inclusive retreat tuition.
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Once attendees pick whether they’d like their own private ensuite or a shared room with other writers, the rooms will be assigned on a first come first serve basis, based on the order in which attendees book their rooms. Once room options (either all ensuite or all shared rooms) are all booked up, that options will be removed from the website.
Submit Your Application
IMPORTANT: By selecting the button above, you will be redirected to an Application Fee Payment Page. You must submit the $20 fee in order for your application and writing sample to be considered for the Story House Juried Writers’ Retreat.
