Summer Writing Retreat 2025 “Roadmap from Start to Finish: Fiction Techniques to Begin & Complete Your Draft (& Beyond)” with Natalia Sylvester
July 9, 2025 - July 30, 2025
$269.00 – $409.00
- This event has passed.
This Event is for Members only.
Click here to learn more about benefits of membership
Level 1: $269 for Members, $329 for Non-Members
Level 2 (includes Private Consultation): $349 for Members, $409 for Non-Members
Whether you’re starting a story from scratch or rewriting a draft of a novel, finding your way to the end can feel challenging. In this workshop, you’ll learn new and unexpected techniques to help you write your way through your story’s journey, from its energetic sparks to its daunting unknowns. We’ll begin by loading up on our essential tools–the inciting incident, question, or core of a story—then mapping things like character development and plot to lead us through the twists and turns of a page-turning narrative. We’ll even explore what to do when you get lost along the way.
During our weekly sessions, we’ll delve into lessons in craft through interactive talks, then you’ll apply those techniques through writing prompts and generative exercises. Note: you are not expected to finish a whole draft in our four weeks together. Rather, this class is designed to set you on a path towards completing your draft in a way that’s less intimidating, more creatively sustainable, and full of possibility and potential rather than fear.
Week 1 (July 9 from 6:30-9:30 PM CDT):
How to Begin (Again, or for the First Time): We’ll discuss the essentials of great beginnings and how to set up your story in a way that gives it fuel and momentum, whether you’re starting with a blank page or a revision.
Week 2 (July 16 from 6:30-9:30 PM CDT):
Who’s Driving Who? We’ll explore the ways character and plot intertwine to drive a story forward, not only in our protagonists’ lives, but in secondary characters’ to create subplot.
Week 3 (July 23 from 6:30-9:30 PM CDT):
Take It All In: In this session we’ll dig into the makings of a scene by exploring things like dialogue, setting, and narrative distance. We’ll use these same tools to reimagine what a scene can do.
Week 4 (July 30 from 6:30-9:30 PM CDT):
Are We There Yet? In this final session, we’ll embrace going “off-road” in your story to find twists and turns that feel organic to it. We’ll also discuss revision techniques and how to get unstuck in a way that helps you sustain the rest of your book’s journey towards the end.
TAKE THIS CLASS IF:
- You want to write a novel or short story, but aren’t sure where to start.
- You’ve started a novel or story, but are feeling stuck and unsure how you’ll finish it.
- You’ve finished a draft (or several) of a work of fiction, but you want to bring new energy to it as you revise or restart.
- You’re writing for any age or genre. We’ll cover fundamentals of fiction that span different categories.
Preparation for the first day of class:
No written preparation required. Some short excerpts may be assigned to read ahead of time.
Registration Details
Level 1: $269 for Members, $329 for Non-Members
Level 1 registration includes the 4-week course and access to all other 2025 Summer Writing Retreat events and activities.
Level 2: $349 for Members, $409 for Non-Members
Level 2 registration includes the 4-week course, access to all other 2025 Summer Writing Retreat events and activities, PLUS a 20-minute one-on-one Zoom consultation with instructor Natalia Sylvester. You may share up to and no more than 10 pages of your work ahead of the meeting for feedback, but that is optional and not required for the meeting. For those planning to submit work for instructor feedback, please note that AI-generated material will not be accepted. You must be the sole author of your work. For more information on AI and author guidelines and best practices, please refer to the Author’s Guild.
You may register online, or download the mail-in registration form here.
The deadline to register for this course is Wednesday, July 9 at 5:00 PM CDT.
Instructor
-
Natalia Sylvester is an award-winning author of fiction books for adults, teens, and children. Her young adult novel, BREATHE AND COUNT BACK FROM TEN, was named a Pura Belpré and Schneider Family Award honor book, and her adult novel, EVERYONE KNOWS YOU GO HOME, received the Jesse H. Jones award for Best Book of Fiction from the Texas Institute of Letters. Her first picture book, A MALETA FULL OF TREASURES, illustrated by Juana Medina, was released in 2024 from Penguin Random House, and her debut middle grade novel, NO WAY NEVER SISTERS, co-authored with Chantel Acevedo, will be published in 2026 by Simon & Schuster.
Born in Lima, Peru, Natalia came to the US at age four and grew up in Florida and the Rio Grande Valley in Texas. She received a BA in Creative Writing from the University of Miami, was a 2021 Visiting Associate Professor at the University of Texas at Austin, and has taught fiction as a faculty member of the Mile-High MFA program at Regis University, VONA, and Tin House.
Before purchasing, please read all policies as noted below and on our Accessibility and Policies page.
If your browser has difficulty with our website store, or if you prefer to mail in a check, click here for a class registration form. The document provides instructions on where to mail it. If you prefer this option, please email wlt@writersleague.org with a copy of the form as well to ensure we add you to the class roster as soon as possible.
Expecting to see the member price, but it’s not appearing?
Confirm you are logged into your account first and foremost. The member price will only appear when you are logged into your account and have an active membership on file. If you are having trouble accessing your account, please email wlt@writersleague.org and explain the situation.
Class & Event Registration Policy
Once a purchase has been made, registrations are not refundable and cannot be transferred to a different class or event. No exceptions will be made. If you purchase a registration and then find you cannot attend the class or event, someone else can attend in your stead. Simply contact us at wlt@writersleague.org and let us know the name and contact information for the person who will be using the registration so that we can update the class or event roster.
Newsletter Opt In
By registering for this event, you opt in to receiving marketing communications from WLT. Your email will not be shared with any unrelated organizations or marketing groups. If you wish to unsubscribe from these communications, you may do so by hitting the unsubscribe button at the bottom of the emails.
Anti-Harassment Policy
The Writers’ League of Texas is dedicated to providing harassment-free spaces for everyone, regardless of gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, race, age, or religion. We do not tolerate harassment in any form. Violating these rules may result in expulsion from WLT programs without a refund at the discretion of the WLT staff.
Harassment includes, but is not limited to:
- Comments that reinforce social structures of domination (related to gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, race, age, or religion);
- Sexual images not appropriate for the specific subject of the public discussion;
- Deliberate intimidation or stalking;
- Harassing photography or recording;
- Sustained disruption of discussions or other events;
- Unwelcome sexual attention;
- Advocating for, or encouraging, any of the above behavior.
Enforcement
Participants asked to stop any harassing behavior are expected to comply immediately. If a participant engages in harassing behavior, event organizers retain the right to take any actions to keep the event a welcoming environment for all participants. This includes warning the offender or expulsion from the event with no refund. Event organizers may take action to redress anything designed to, or with the clear impact of, disrupting the event or making the environment hostile for any participants. We expect participants to follow these rules during all events and event-related social activities.
Reporting
If someone makes you or anyone else feel unsafe or unwelcome, please report it as soon as possible. Reports can also be made via email at wlt@writersleague.org. We’ll handle any and all reports as respectfully as possible. You won’t be asked to confront anyone, and we won’t tell anyone who you are.
Accessibility Policy
Closed captioning is available for all online classes and special events.
The WLT is committed to making its programs & services accessible to all writers. Please contact us at wlt@writersleague.org or at 512-499-8914 for more information or to discuss accommodations you may need.
Credit Card Transaction Handling Fee Policy
All credit card transactions will incur a 4% handling fee. If you’d prefer to pay by check for membership, a class, or an event, you can use the provided forms on the membership or event pages and mail to: WLT, P.O. Box 14355, Austin, TX, 78704.
Writers’ League of Texas classes and workshops are also funded in part by the Texas Commission on the Arts – Investing in a Creative Texas. For more information, go to www.arts.texas.gov.