Date/Time
Date(s) - 04/22/16-04/24/16
3:00 PM
Category(ies)
Find Your Voice Weekend Writing Workshop for Applicants 18 to 22 Years Old
April 22-24, 2016
Classroom study can help develop writing talent; real-world experience helps more. Writing well is all about stripping away the parts that don’t matter and letting your inner passion, eye for your surroundings, and sense of adventure burst through. In short it’s all about being yourself – which is why writing is a tool not only for self-expression, but also for self-discovery. Good news: Thanks to the generosity of beloved San Francisco Giants manager Bruce Bochy, who is donating the proceeds of his bestselling book A Book of Walks to sponsor the workshop, bestselling author Steve Kettmann’s acclaimed “Find Your Voice” weekend writing workshop is now available on a full scholarship for applicants who apply early and impress us with their writing and other qualifications. This is a workshop for young people who love writing and feel great potential to express themselves, but are looking for a breakthrough to take themselves to the next level, to release their talent and feel a whole new sense of possibility. To be eligible, you need to have a passion for writing; to be 18 to 22 years old; and need to submit a 500-word essay on the topic “What I learned to ignore” by our deadline of April 12. We’ll read through your submissions and choose the winners by April 15.
This is much more than a writing tutorial. Steve, co-director of the Wellstone Center in the Redwoods, has more than thirty years of experience writing and editing and working with young writers. He has reported from more than 40 countries on four continents for publications including the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, the New Republic, Salon.com and Wired.com. He is the author or co-author of nine books, including four New York Times best-sellers, and is the Publisher of Wellstone Books, which is always on the lookout for talented young writers to publish.
Workshop weekend will offer an inspiring mix of activities. You can look forward to:
- Writing exercises to help you break out of habit and past limitation and discover exciting new possibilities in your writing.
- Extensive group feedback from Steve and other workshop participants to help you see your own writing in a fresh light.
- Half an hour of one-on-one time with Steve for each participant to give them a gentle push in the right direction on a project they are working on.
- Practical advice and suggestions on how to orient your life to make a commitment to writing well, a pursuit that starts with deepening your connection to nature, to your own body and to healthy, passionate living.
- Deep discussion of the world of book publishing, as it exists in 2014, from someone with a deep well of knowledge of the world of New York-based publishers and agents, with tips for how to conceive book projects and how to go from idea to finished book and then how to market and promote the book.
- Hikes on our private trails through the redwoods.
- Three delicious meals a day, with eggs from our hens, milk from our goals and greens and vegetables from our organic gardens.
- Lasting connections to your fellow workshop participants, who can provide a sounding board for your writing moving forward
Testimonials
There is no better place for young writers to learn more about writing, and themselves, than the “Find Your Voice” workshop. Even though as a journalist I hadn’t written personally in years, Steve had the expertise in both journalism and publishing to guide me back into discovering my creative writing style. The weekend helped me bring creative flair to my work and gave me the confidence to possibly publish a book in the future.
Danielle Lerner, Journalism Major, University of Missouri-Columbia, Volleyball reporter, The Maneater
I would highly recommend the writer’s workshop at the Wellstone Center in the Redwoods.For a long weekend, I got to escape my hectic lifestyle as a professor and social media manager and immerse myself in the natural world to focus on what matters most. That time helped to re-energize my commitment to seek a publisher for my memoir, which I now have. So don’t hold back: Dive into the retreat and all the relationships you’ll gain from it.
Yumi Wilson, Board president at Exceptional Women in Publishing, Associate Professor at San Francisco State University, Author, Black Nisei
Apply now! Preference will be given to strong applicants who apply early, so get started on your essays now. Any questions? Call us at 831-471-8459.