workshop Rhinebeck, NY

Writing to Be Read

Release Your Literary Potential

Dates

Oct 25–27, 2024

Tuition

Member: $380.00

Standard: $425.00

Register
Woman writing next to a lake

Write and have your writing read with National Book Award winner Susan Choi and a supportive and playful community of literary stars.

Learn more about the inspiring creative community that will gather at the Writing to be Read retreat.

Join us for an extraordinary writing retreat that puts your creative journey front and center. Writing to be Read brings together a constellation of literary stars, led by National Book Award winner Susan Choi, PEN/Faulkner Award recipient Susan Cheever, and The Onion founder Scott Dikkers, to inspire, challenge, and elevate your craft.

Immerse yourself in a supportive community of fellow writers as you explore the art of storytelling through:

  • An electrifying keynote address by Susan Choi, author of the groundbreaking novel, Trust Exercise
  • Intensive workshops led by Choi, Cheever, Dikkers, and other authors, diving deep into character development, innovative narrative structures, and the power of perspective
  • Intimate question-and-answer sessions with industry insiders, offering invaluable insights into the publishing world
  • Daily writing exercises designed to spark creativity and push your boundaries
  • Peer critique groups for constructive feedback in a nurturing environment

Our carefully curated faculty of best-selling authors, award-winning poets, cartoonists, and industry professionals ensures that whether you're penning your first short story or polishing your third novel, you'll find the guidance and inspiration you need.

Set against the serene backdrop of Omega Institute, the retreat offers the perfect blend of focused learning and reflective space. Return home with renewed passion, sharpened skills, and a toolbox of techniques to bring your stories to life.

Don't miss this rare opportunity to learn from literary luminaries and connect with a community of dedicated writers. Your voice matters.

Space is limited. Reserve your spot today and take the first step towards becoming the writer you've always dreamed of being.

This workshop is available both in-person and via livestream. Learn more and register for the online event. Please be aware that our digital team will be present during the event to record and facilitate this session live online. If you do not wish to be captured on camera, please let an Omega team member know at the start of the workshop. 

Schedule

Please note there is a special schedule for this course. View below or download as PDF here. Breakout session descriptions can be found in the participant letter that will be sent upon registration.

FRIDAY

4:00 p.m.–7:00 p.m.
Check In (Rooms available after 5:00 p.m.)

8:00 p.m.–9:00 p.m.
Main Stage

  • Kickoff with Keynote Speaker Susan Choi
    Bestselling novelist, Susan Choi, kicks us off for the weekend.

9:00 p.m.-10:00 p.m.
Wine and Cheese and Susan Choi Book Signing and Q+A

9:00 p.m.–10:00 p.m.

  • Blitz Writing Activity with Gary Chapin
    Gary will launch us into a fast, wildly creative hour of activity that has you creating an instant first draft AND getting feedback on it. Lots of movement. Lots of synaesthesia. Brain spinning. Writing, doing.

SATURDAY

9:00 a.m.-9:45 a.m.
Main Stage

  • Susan Choi, Susan Cheever, and Susan Brearley: Processes and Inspiration
    Bestselling novelist Susan Choi and renowned memoirist Susan Cheever talk about how they do what they do, and why. Facilitated by visionary Susan Brearley, this will be an inspirational conversation about living, writing, and how to get better at both.

10:00 a.m.-10:45 a.m.
Breakout Sessions Choose One:

  • Main Stage: So That Happened: How To Make A Comedy/News Love Child with T. Kent Jones
    In this workshop we will examine how to mine the daily news cycle for rich veins of comedy gold.  Kent will talk about his experience on the Daily Show and other venues. Is this funny? Why is this funny? What are some ways to make this REALLY funny?
  • Susan Cheever Workshop
  • Writing the Body Politic: Part 1 with Lisa Cooper Ellison
    The things we most need to write aren't reasoned but felt. This session combines active listening exercises, meditation, writing prompts, and an audience avatar exercise to help you understand your body's deeper truths, connect them to your audience's needs, and generate pieces that resonates with the people who need your stories most, whether you're currently writing for yourself or trying to broaden your reach.
  • Fresh Verse: Habits, Disruptions, and Prompts to Enliven Your Poetry with Anne Jennings Paris
    Anne will poke your poetry bear in a two hour session that provokes new channels of writing for you. Some activities are very fast, some slow, and there is always feedback. You will write.

11:00 a.m.-noon
Breakout Sessions Choose One:

  • Main Stage: Discover Your Writing Ritual with Emily Kimelman
    Geared toward fiction authors, we’ll explore practices that make it easier to immerse yourself in your writing. How do you write a novel that grabs you immediately, takes you on a ride, throws in a bunch of excitement and suspense, and leaves you happy and satisfied? The plot moves like a steam engine, and the characters are all people you want to spend time with (except the villain who … booo, hissss). Also, the dog does not die. Emily Kimelman, author of the Sydney Rae mystery series will let us in on her process and method, and provide comfort, insight, and inspiration to aspiring novelists.
  • The Psychology of Writing Part 1 with Carol Lennox LPC, M.Ed
    Learn to tap your inner psyche and the power of creative energy to embody and write from flow. This experiential workshop helps you tap into your well of creativity and energy to create flow in your writing. You’ll learn to relax, open to inspiration, and write in this energizing workshop.
  • Writing the Body Politic: Part 2 with Lisa Cooper Ellison
    (Continued) The things we most need to write aren't reasoned but felt. This session combines active listening exercises, meditation, writing prompts, and an audience avatar exercise to help you understand your body's deeper truths, connect them to your audience's needs, and generate pieces that resonates with the people who need your stories most, whether you're currently writing for yourself or trying to broaden your reach.
  • Making an E-book of Your Medium/Social Media Posts with Toni Crowe
    Take your existing Medium essays or any blog content and turn it into an e-book. Get the detailed step-by-step process needed to make you a published author.

2:30 p.m.-3:15 p.m.
Breakout Sessions Choose One:

  • Main Stage: How to Write Funny with Scott Dikkers
    Join the founding editor of The Onion and author of the "How to Write Funny book series" to learn about, and practice, polishing your humor and comedy writing to level up the laughs and reads. Scott is a seasoned writer, editor, teacher, and performer. Lean in and learn from the best.
  • The Psychology of Writing Part 2 with Carol Lennox LPC, M.Ed
    Continue to learn to tap your inner psyche and the power of creative energy to embody and write from flow. This experiential workshop helps you tap into your well of creativity and energy to create flow in your writing. You’ll learn to relax, open to inspiration, and write in this energizing workshop.
  • The Curse of the Writer Mother: Mining Your Family for Material with Amy Sea
    Amy Sea has mined the pit of her family life to write hundreds of stories, some of them poignant and true, some of them ridiculous and true. All of them brilliant. Come to this session and learn how you can do that, too. 
  • Susan Cheever Workshop

3:30 p.m.-4:15 p.m.
Breakout Sessions Choose One:

  • Main Stage: Managing the Chaos in Your Writer's Brain with Shaunta Grimes
    Shaunta has developed a set of systems over the past twenty or thirty years that have helped her to manage what she learned in 2022 (at age 50) is severe ADHD. Shaunta shares three systems that can help anyone (trust me, Anyone) manage chaos in their brain, stick with long-term projects (like writing novels), and hold themselves accountable.
  • How to Write Funny Pt 1 with Scott Dikkers
    Dig deeper! Launching from his mainstage presentation, join the founding editor of The Onion and author of the "How to Write Funny book series" to learn about, and practice, polishing your humor and comedy writing to level up the laughs and reads. Scott is a seasoned writer, editor, teacher, and performer. Lean in and learn from the best.
  • Writing with Comics Pt 1 with David Milgrim
    David will explore the craft of telling stories and lampooning humanity with comics and text. He will focus on developing initial ideas until they are poignant, relatable, and funny.
  • Susan Choi Workshop

4:30 p.m.-5:00 p.m.
Breakout Sessions Choose One:

  • Main Stage: My AI Collaborator with Anne Jennings Paris
    Using Generative AI Tools for Fun, Profit, and Creative Transcendence. Anne will use this short chunk of time talk about her work using AI as a design tool for creating images that have conversations with her writing.
  • How to Write Funny Pt 2 with Scott Dikkers
    Continued! Join the founding editor of The Onion and author of the "How to Write Funny book series" to learn about, and practice, polishing your humor and comedy writing to level up the laughs and reads. Scott is a seasoned writer, editor, teacher, and performer. Lean in and learn from the best.
  • Writing with Comics Pt 2 with David Milgrim
    David will explore the craft of telling stories and lampooning humanity with comics and text. He will focus on developing initial ideas until they are poignant, relatable, and funny.
  • Susan Choi book signing and Q+A

7:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m.
Off-Campus: Bonfire at the Brewery
Join authors at a local brewery, a short walk down the lane. Purchase books at the Omega book store and get your copy signed tonight. Strike up a conversation, make a new friend! We'll see you at
Slow Fox!

8:30 p.m.
Movie Night with the MuddyUm Crowd
Join the MuddyUm crowd to laugh and have a good time! The movie? The Thing, viewed Mystery Science Theater 3000 style.


SUNDAY

9:00 a.m.-9:45 a.m.
Breakout Sessions Choose One:

  • Main Stage: Embrace Your Inner Demons with Carol Lennox 
    Learn how to harness those inner demons and use the arguments you carry on in your head to your creative advantage. Gestalt technique aligns all parts of you to free you to write and create as your highest self. There will be demonstrations and tools given.
  • Quaker Comedy with Susan Brearley and the MuddyUm Team
    The Quaker Comedy Service is a tradition stretching back one whole year! In such a service, any participant speaks their funny thoughts or ideas as they occur to them. Who knows what will happen? Not us! Join us for this celebratory and irreverent hour.
  • Is This a Good Idea? Workshop Pt 1 with Shaunta Grimes
    Shaunta has a unique and intriguing method for developing and testing fiction ideas. Bring your ideas for examination, feedback, and revision!
  • Talk it Out, Scenes and Speed Bumps with Nanci Arvizu
    This is an engaging workshop designed to tackle the challenges within our writing head-on. In this collaborative environment, participants will delve into the intricacies of their projects, focusing on the areas that aren’t quite hitting the mark. Whether it’s a snag in the storyline or a hiccup in the dialogue, this workshop provides a platform to address and resolve these issues effectively. “Working it Out: Scenes and Speed Bumps” is not just about identifying problems—it’s about finding solutions and pushing boundaries to create compelling, polished work.

10:00 a.m.-10:45 a.m.
Breakout Sessions Choose One:

  • Main Stage: Calibrating Your Editorial Compass with Lisa Cooper Ellison
    Many first drafts contain unvarnished, powerful truths that get dismissed, deleted, or overwritten during the revision process, either because writers fail to recognize their importance or work to please beta readers instead of going with their guts. This session uses meditation, generative writing exercises, self-assessments, and opportunities to share to help you build the creative intuition needed to self-edit well, maximize the benefits of feedback, and capitalize on your early draft’s most powerful moments.
  • Branding for Fiction Authors with Jamie Davis and Emily Kimelman
    Together we’ll explore the building blocks of branding for fiction authors and how they help build solid relationships with your readers.
  • Is This a Good Idea? Workshop Pt 2 with Shaunta Grimes
    Shaunta has a unique and intriguing method for developing and testing fiction ideas. Bring your ideas for examination, feedback, and revision!
  • So That Happened: How To Make A Comedy/News Love Child with T. Kent Jones
    Building on his Saturday presentation, In this workshop we will examine how to mine the daily news cycle for rich veins of comedy gold. We'll break down actual stories and ask: Is this funny? Why is this funny? What are some ways to make this REALLY funny?

11:00 a.m.-Noon
Send-off and Goodbye with Susan Brearley
Hugs, farewells, and a send-off with this inspirational message from Susan, to keep you focused on your new writing goals, projects, and newly adopted momentum.

1:00 p.m.
Check Out

The above schedule is subject to change at the discretion of the faculty.

Workshop Rhinebeck, NY

Oct 25–27, 2024

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Writing to Be Read

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Meet Your Teachers

  • Susan Choi

    Susan Choi

    Susan Choi, winner of the 2019 National Book Award for Fiction, crafts novels that defy expectations...

  • Cheever_susan_bio2

    Susan Cheever

    Susan Cheever is an acclaimed, best-selling author with 16 published books and dozens of essays.

  • Scott-Dikkers-bio1_cropped

    Scott Dikkers

    Scott Dikkers, founder of TheOnion.com, is a best-selling author, comedy writer, and performer.

  • Nanci-Arvizu-bio1_cropped

    Nanci Arvizu

    Nanci Arvizu is an author, ghostwriter, and editor, transforming ideas into published works.

  • Rebecca-Barrett-bio1_cropped

    Rebecca A. Barrett

    Rebecca A. Barrett is a creative nonfiction writer who writes essays and "Daily Delights" on Medium.

  • Susan-Brearley-bio_cropped

    Susan Brearley

    Susan Brearley is the editor-in-chief of MuddyUm, the premier humor publication on Medium.com.

  • Gary Chapin

    Gary Chapin

    Gary Chapin is coauthor of 126 Falsehoods We Believe About Education and an editor of MuddyUm.

  • Toni-Crowe-bio1_cropped

    Toni Crowe

    Toni Crowe is an author, speaker, and business coach, offering real solutions to tough problems.

  • Lisa-Cooper-Ellison-bio1_cropped

    Lisa Cooper Ellison

    Lisa Cooper Ellison, EdS, is an author, speaker, and trauma-informed writing coach.

  • Amy-Culberg-bio1_cropped

    Amy Culberg

    Amy Culberg is a humor writer who aims to transform tragedy and the mundane into humor.

  • Jamie-Davis-bio_cropped

    Jamie Davis

    Jamie Davis is an author, coach, and business manager.

  • Shaunta-Grimes-bio1_cropped

    Shaunta Grimes

    Shaunta Grimes is a novelist, teacher, and creator of the online writing school, Ninja Writers.

  • T Kent-Jones-bio1_cropped

    T. Kent Jones

    T. Kent Jones is an Emmy Award-winning  writer and broadcaster.

  • Emily-Kimelman-bio1_cropped

    Emily Kimelman

    Emily Kimelman is the author of more than 20 novels, including the "Sydney Rye Mysteries."

  • Carol-Lennox-bio1_cropped

    Carol Lennox

    Carol Lennox, M.Ed., is a licensed professional counselor, psychotherapist, and writer.

  • David-Milgrim-bio1_cropped

    David Milgrim

    David Milgrim is a best-selling author and cartoonist focusing on mental health comics.

  • Anne-Jennings-Paris-bio1_cropped

    Anne Jennings Paris

    Anne Jennings Paris is an award-winning writer with 15+ years of teaching experience.

  • Andrew-Rodwin-bio1_cropped

    Andrew Rodwin

    Andrew Rodwin, an editor at MuddyUm, spent four decades in high tech as a software engineer.