In-person 5-Day/4-Night Workshop and Retreat

Step away for five days of creativity, encouragement, and community in a summer camp designed for fiction and nonfiction storytellers who want inspiration, mentorship, guidance, and space to dream.

At Boyds Mills, summer camp is more than time around a fire or a walk in the woods—though there is room for that, too. It is a chance to connect with generous mentors who can help strengthen your stories, while also giving you the support of a community that understands the long path of creating books for children.

Throughout the retreat, you’ll have opportunities for hands-on learning, small-group and one-to-one feedback, informal conversation with fellow creatives, and plenty of time for independent writing, drawing, revising, and rest.

Lodging and meals are included.

Why This Workshop?

This five-day in-person retreat centers on mentorship, inspiration, and community. You’ll have time to make progress on a project, explore your creativity, and receive thoughtful feedback that includes 1:1 mentorship with your faculty reader at the beginning and end of the program, facilitated peer discussions, and informal feedback throughout.

Mornings feature lectures and meetings with fellow creatives, including your faculty reader and small groups. Afternoons are set aside for independent work, as well as fiction, nonfiction, illustration, and publishing sessions with hands-on exercises.

You will:

Hear educational and inspiring keynotes from faculty designed to renew your passion for the craft.
Join breakout sessions in fiction, nonfiction, illustration, and getting started as a professional writer.
Explore storytelling through topics including fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and more.
Learn how to submit manuscripts and proposals to publishers and/or agents.
Work one-to-one with faculty on a project of your choice, with pairings made thoughtfully based on your work and goals.
Take part in small group discussions led by a facilitator, where you can share a current project or a new one.
Enjoy generous free writing time for dreaming, creating, and making progress on your own work.

Important Dates

Begins with dinner at 5:30pm Eastern on Sunday, July 12

Ends with lunch on Thursday, July 16

Pre-retreat Zoom: Monday, June 1 at 12 noon Eastern, with a recording available for those unable to attend live.

Submission deadline: preferably by June 8, 2026

Submission Options

Picture book writers may submit one full manuscript of up to 1,200 words, along with a cover letter.

Writers of longer fiction or nonfiction may submit up to 2,500 words from a current work in progress, plus a cover letter.

Illustrators may submit one full picture book manuscript, a digital portfolio link, or up to 5 pages of a longer illustrated work, including graphic novels, with a cover letter.

If you are just starting out or between projects, you may submit a book proposal with a short writing sample or a one-page list of ideas, also with a cover letter.

In addition to the submission for your faculty reader, you will also send pages for your peer group, following the same length guidelines.

Sample Schedule

Sunday, July 12: Arrival and check-in from 3pm–5pm Eastern, appetizers and dinner at 5:30pm, followed by an opening welcome activity with Alex Villasante and informal introductions with your faculty mentor.

Monday, July 13: Keynote with S.K. Ali, 1:1 meetings with faculty reader, breakout sessions with Don Tate and Steve Light, and an informal fireside chat after dinner.

Tuesday, July 14: Keynote with Alison Green Myers, small group meeting with Alex Villasante and NoNieqa Ramos, breakout sessions with Rob Costello and Don Tate, and a hands-on session with Steve Light after dinner.

Wednesday, July 15: Keynote with Don Tate, small group meeting with Alex Villasante and NoNieqa Ramos, breakout sessions with S.K. Ali and Alison Green Myers, final mentor meetings, and an open mic on the patio, weather permitting.

Thursday, July 16: Final mentor meetings, an optional closing writing prompt, closing keynote with Rob Costello, and lunch before farewells.

Who This Workshop Is For

This retreat is a strong fit if you are new to writing and/or illustrating for children or teens, have an in-progress or finished manuscript and want feedback, are an experienced storyteller curious about children’s publishing, need a creative reset, or simply want dedicated retreat time to write, doodle, or dream.

Boyds Mills is committed to a safe and inclusive environment, with Community Standards shared before the workshop. All in-person workshops and retreats are held at the Boyds Mills Retreat Center in Milanville, Pennsylvania, on the traditional lands of the Lenape Nation.

Details

July 12 - July 16

$1649

Boyds Mills Campus

All-inclusive registration includes workshop tuition, lodging, meals, beverages, and snacks.

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