Blog
Applications for Writing Workshops Vermont Now Open!
by Writing Workshops Staff
6 months ago
Applications for our October 2022 workshops are NOW open!
Workshop dates: October 12 - 16, 2022
Applications will close April 3rd, 2022
**Applications are Required**
*Early Applications are encouraged as spots are limited.
Do not pay for the workshop until you receive a formal acceptance notification via email.
Click HERE to Apply by April 3rd, 2022.
Any questions about this workshop? Use the Chat Button (lower left) to talk with us. Find a detailed FAQ at the bottom of this page.
Our workshops are open to writers who want to strengthen their voice, develop a greater understanding of craft, and forge a path to publication along the way. We take your writing seriously and place the highest importance on teaching the craft of writing so that students can produce meaningful and memorable work that has the opportunity to find a readership beyond the workshop. Our mission is to bring your writing out of the wilderness and into community, and every October we think there is no better place to do this than in the Green Mountains of Vermont when the fall colors will be their most brilliant at our workshop retreat.
Note: All attendees will need to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19. Find a detailed FAQ at the bottom of this page.
Lodging at The Essex Resort & Spa
Immerse yourself in both comfort and inspiration for 5 days, 4 nights at The Essex, Vermont's Culinary Resort & Spa. This 4-star resort and wellness spa is surrounded by 18 acres of landscaped grounds and only 9 miles from the town of Burlington. Hotel accommodations are included in your full tuition payment.
Class Size
Each fiction, poetry, and nonfiction workshop cohort will have no more than 9 participants, led by James Tate Hill (nonfiction), Morgan Talty (fiction) & Lindsay Tigue (poetry). Each writer will submit two completed packets of writing. One submission will be workshopped by your cohort and instructor and a second submission will be submitted for your one-on-one meeting with your workshop leader. Daily craft talks are open to all participants and led by workshop faculty.
Schedule
Wednesday, October 12, 2022
3:00PM: Hotel check-in begins.
4:30PM: Dinner meet & greet.
Thursday, October 13th - Saturday, October 15, 2022
Mornings: Workshops and one-on-one instructor meetings led by James Tate Hill (nonfiction), Morgan Talty (fiction) & Lindsay Tigue (poetry).
Afternoons/Evenings: Lunch Break followed by optional craft seminar, led by workshop faculty. Optional mid-afternoon/evening activity followed by dinner.
Sunday, October 16th, 2022
11:00AM: Final check-out.
Optional Evening Activities
Optional Afternoon Activities will be included throughout the retreat:
Thursday 10/13: Bike ride through Burlington led by Mike Franz. Departing from hotel at 3pm.
Friday 10/14: Day trip to the nearby town of Stowe where we will visit local cider distilleries and the Ben & Jerry's factory. Departing from hotel at 3pm.
Saturday 10/15: Reading and happy hour starting downstairs in the hotel at 4:30pm.
Workshop Faculty
Fiction Instructor Morgan Talty is a citizen of the Penobscot Indian Nation where he grew up. He received his BA in Native American Studies from Dartmouth College and his MFA in fiction from Stonecoast’s low-residency program. His story collection Night of the Living Rez is forthcoming from Tin House Books (2022), and his work has appeared in Granta, The Georgia Review, Shenandoah, TriQuarterly, Narrative Magazine, LitHub, and elsewhere. A winner of the 2021 Narrative Prize, Talty’s work has been supported by the Elizabeth George Foundation and National Endowment for the Arts (2022). Talty teaches courses in both English and Native American Studies, and he is on the faculty at the Stonecoast MFA in creative writing. Talty is also a Prose Editor at The Massachusetts Review. He lives in Levant, Maine.2022 Schedule Detail
Tuition
Tuition is $2,595 and includes the following:
- Lodging at The Essex, Vermont's Culinary Resort & Spa for 5 days, 4 nights
- 3-day writing workshops in small groups of no more than 9 writers, led by James Tate Hill (nonfiction), Morgan Talty (fiction) & Lindsay Tigue (poetry).
- Critical feedback on two writing submissions
- Several craft of writing and/or business of writing seminars
- One-on-one conference with faculty
- Optional afternoon activities
- The time of your life
- Payment Plans: accepted writers will have the option to pay their tuition in full or opt for a payment plan divided into equal monthly payments by selecting Affirm (for U.S. & Canadian residents) or Lay-Buy (for applicants outside of North America) at checkout.
- Detailed FAQ at the bottom of this page.
Click HERE to Apply by April 3rd, 2022.
Our Destination Workshop Testimonials:
"The communication leading up to the workshop was excellent. Diana was a wonderful workshop leader and I would gladly take a class from her again. As organizers, Blake and Mike cover all the bases so attendees can totally relax in the environment and focus on writing and group connections. The overall experience, the inclusion of food and housing, the community that was built, the work we did -- thumbs up on everything!" -Catherine V.
"Best experience I've had as a writer. I have done writing workshops before, but nothing like this one. I received genuinely transformative feedback, knowledge, and social support around my writing and novel. I will always be grateful for all I gained, learned, and experienced in this workshop. I can wholeheartedly say that the amateur writer who came into this workshop is now a tremendously evolved amateur writer with a new lens on transferring thought into text. I learned so much about my own craft, and how to tailor the style, and plot points to better suit the story I want to tell. The adventures, authors, experiences, feedback, people, places and workshops were gratifyingly high quality. It felt safe being an amateur. I received transformative feedback on my current WIP which has greatly shifted the ways I write." -Enrique E.
"The workshop exceeded my expectations. The support from my group members was so helpful, but group cohesion was much better than I could have predicted. I looked at the week as a personal retreat, so the money was worth the time alone. And then being able to enjoy the grounds of the retreat and the company of other writers made it even better. I appreciated Brandon Hobson's generous feedback and the way he structured the workshops to allow specific and focused feedback. It was a lovely hotel with beautiful grounds and a great staff." -Margie D.
"I loved my first experience with Writing Workshops Hawaii. The teachers were amazing, the location was beautiful, and the community of writers were inspiring to be around. The entire trip was well thought out and organized, from the shuttles to the planned activities. For me it's not the destination, it's the workshop itself. I'll probably follow you anywhere." -Diane F.
"Brandon Hobson was very helpful and I’m returning home feeling inspired and re-invigorated. The week overall provided a great balance of structured group time and individual time. It was a fantastic experience and I’m glad I did it. I would 100% recommend Writing Workshops Hawaii!" - Aubrey M.
"Writing Workshops Hawaii was one of the most amazing gifts that I have ever given myself. I did not have to think of anything but writing and taking in the beauty and wisdom that Hawaii offers because everything was already done and thought of for me. All you have to do is show up. A truly magical and rejuvenating experience where you get to create, travel, and hangout with like-minded people. I will never be able to travel to Hawaii and do the touristy thing because I've been spoiled by Writing Workshops. And Diana Spechler made me feel like I have a seasoned writer on my side for life. I gained so much knowledge about the writing and publishing process on this trip. I also learned from Brandon Hobson and would recommend taking a course or at a retreat with either of them. I received an invaluable one-on-one with Diana. She had thorough feedback regarding my writing and also about publishing. Diana's time did not feel rushed and she tailored a plan for me based on my unique writing style and my desires as a writer. Diana is like the friend who succeeded and is willing to share all her secrets. I found the afternoon seminars extremely valuable. There were a lot of questions asked by other writers that I found helpful. If you're thinking about applying, you should!" -Corrie C.
Program Staff
Executive Director Blake Kimzey worked as a bicycle tour guide in Paris in his 20s. He is the founder of WritingWorkshops.com and has an MFA from UC Irvine. Blake sits on the Board of the Elizabeth George Foundation and his fiction has been broadcast on NPR and published byTin House, McSweeney’s, VICE, Longform, Redivider, Short Fiction, Smokelong Quarterly, Hobart, The Los Angeles Review, The Masters Review, and The Best Small Fictions. Blake’s collection of short tales, Families Among Us, was published by Black Lawrence Press.
Operations Director Mike Franz was General Manager and Tour Guide at Fat Tire Bike Tours, Paris, for seven years. His tours were featured on Rick Steves-Paris, The Independent-UK, and the television show 1,000 Places to See Before You Die. Mike taught government, economics, and public speaking for ten years at Headwaters High School in Austin, Texas, where he won teacher-of-the-year award after his first year of teaching.
Application & General FAQ
What is the application deadline?
Applications for our October 2022 Vermont Workshops open March 2nd will close on April 3rd, 2022. Early applications are encouraged. Click here to apply now.
What is your COVID policy?
COVID-19 vaccinations are required to attend Writing Workshops Vermont 2022. It is the responsibility of attendees of Writing Workshops to make sure they are vaccinated and have the appropriate documentation required to enter the state of Vermont.
If the state of Vermont or the United States government forbids entry to the state of Vermont, or if The Essex Resort & Spa closes, for the dates of October 12 - October 16, 2022, Writing Workshops will offer a full refund for program fees. Writing Workshops will not reimburse for any airline tickets or additional trip-related expenses incurred. If the Vermont 2022 writing workshop takes place on the dates planned, no program fees will be reimbursed, regardless of attendance.
What will my application include?
- Brief bio informing us of your involvement in the writing and literary community, as well as any prior or forthcoming publications. (250 words max)
- Purpose statement explaining why you would like to participate in Writing Workshops Vermont. You can also discuss current manuscripts or writing projects that you might choose to workshop. (500 words max.)
- Writing sample excerpt in fiction, nonfiction, or poetry. This does not have to be published work, though that is acceptable, nor does it have to be a piece you plan to workshop. Complete works under the word count are not required;excerpts are acceptable. (Fiction/nonfiction: 2500 words max. Poetry: 3-5 poems of no more than 5 pages max.).
- Applications are open. Click here to apply now.
When will I know if I've been accepted to the workshop?
We anticipate notifying all applicants of their status no later than May 1st, 2022. We cap our workshop participation at 9 writers in each genre cohort. Our goal is to provide an intimate, rigorous workshop environment so that participants can come to Vermont and find meaningful connections and excellent feedback on their work. We will accept applicants on a rolling basis until each cohort is full and then begin waitlists. Due to the volume of applications and competitive acceptance, writers are encouraged to apply early. We employ a reading committee of professional writers and editors, and applicants will be notified after the application window closes.
How much does it cost?
Tuition is $2,595. If your application is accepted, full tuition is due by May 7th, 2022. Upon acceptance, you will have the option to pay your tuition in full or opt for a payment plan by selecting Affirm or Shop Pay at checkout. There will be no refunds after May 7th, 2022. If a refund is requested prior to May 7th, 2022, all but a $500 deposit will be refunded. We have this refund policy because the balance of our Vermont hotel deposit and all group expenses are due the first week of May and are nonrefundable.
Are Payment Plans Available?
Yes. Accepted writers will have the option to pay their tuition in full or opt for a payment plan divided into equal monthly payments by selecting Affirm or Shop Pay (for U.S. & Canadian residents) or Lay-Buy (for applicants inside or outside of North America) at checkout.
Are Scholarships Available?
Unfortunately, we do not have the ability to offer scholarships for this workshop. However, we do have payment plans available.
What does tuition include?
- Lodging at The Essex, Vermont's Culinary Resort & Spa for 5 days, 4 nights
- 3-day writing workshops in small groups of no more than 9 writers, led by James Tate Hill (nonfiction), Morgan Talty (fiction) & Lindsay Tigue (poetry).
- Critical feedback on two writing submissions
- Several craft of writing and/or business of writing seminars
- One-on-one conference with faculty
- Optional afternoon activities
- The time of your life
-
Note: accepted writers will have the option to pay their tuition in full or opt for a payment plan divided into equal monthly payments by selecting Affirm or Shop Pay (for U.S. & Canadian residents) or Lay-Buy (for applicants outside of North America) at checkout.
What is tuition payment schedule?
If your application is accepted, full tuition is due no later than May 1st, 2022. You can pay your tuition in full or opt for a payment plan by selecting Affirm at checkout.
Where is the hotel and workshop venue?
Immerse yourself in both comfort and inspiration for 5 days, 4 nights atThe Essex, Vermont's Culinary Resort & Spa. This 4-star resort and wellness spa is a place of intentional peacefulness on 18 acres between the vistas of the Green Mountains and the splendor of Lake Champlain.
How late can I apply?
We will accept applications through April 3rd, 2022.
I have a question not answered here.
Please contact us and we’ll reply promptly. You can also Chat with us (lower left of your screen).
