Summer Writing Retreat 2025 “The Joy and Discovery of Revision: A Step-by-Step Approach” with Charlotte Gullick
July 8, 2025 - July 29, 2025
$269.00 – $409.00
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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
Revision – that much talked about and often nerve-racking aspect of the writing life. Some of us love it, others dread it, and many have only a theoretical idea of what revision actually means. What we do know – when we’re in it, it can be overwhelming. We can feel like giving up. How do we stay connected to our original vision while also improving what is on the page? How do we honor the work we’ve already done while also taking it to the next level?
In this class, we’ll break down the revision process into specific stages, empowering ourselves with strategic approaches to gain the required objectivity. We will connect with our original vision, name our strengths and barriers, and tease out techniques for improving the work overall. We will also build community and highlight methods for celebrating our creativity and dedication throughout the revision process and beyond.
Students will be asked to read a few articles and excerpts ahead of the first class, as well as do a minimum of four writing and revision exercises in-between the four class sessions. The class sessions will combine lectures, breakout groups, writing exercises, and opportunities for sharing.
Week 1 (July 8 from 6:30-9:30 PM CDT):
Honoring the Work: In this first session, we will examine our influences and aspirations, honing in on why we started the project in the first place. We will identify our best practices and we’ll consider what we have versus what we need in order to refine our work. We will also discuss common challenges within the revision process.
Week 2 (July 15 from 6:30-9:30 PM CDT):
Action, Tension, Character Change: This second session will focus on strategies to improve action, tension, and character development. We’ll dive into why a compelling plot is essential in both fiction and nonfiction, and we’ll do exercises to deepen the impact of our existing drafts.
Week 3 (July 22 from 6:30-9:30 PM CDT):
Setting & Sound, Analogy & Rhythm: In the third week, we’ll examine the potent role of setting, dialogue, analogy, and rhythm. We will do an inventory of our drafts with regards to existing settings and in-scene dialogue and explore how we might more effectively use both to increase the impact of our work. We’ll also play around with imagery and pacing.
Week 4 (July 29 from 6:30-9:30 PM CDT):
Creating a Game Plan: After three weeks of exploration, we’ll spend time in this final session mapping out next steps in our revision plan. We’ll decide on our priorities, clarify time commitments, and identify an accountability partner or partners who can help us both keep the faith and affirm our resolve.
TAKE THIS CLASS IF:
- You have completed a first draft of a project, whether short or long, fiction or nonfiction.
- You want to add more tools to your revision toolkit.
Preparation for the first day of class:
Students will be asked to read a few articles and excerpts ahead of the first class, as well as complete one short writing exercise.
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 Charlotte Gullick. 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 Tuesday, July 8 at 5:00 PM CDT.
Instructor
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Charlotte Gullick is a novelist, essayist, editor, educator. Charlotte’s first novel, By Way of Water, was published by Blue Hen Books/Penguin Putnam, and her nonfiction has appeared in The Rumpus, Brevity, The Best of Brevity, Pembroke, Dogwood, Barnstorm Journal, Pithead Chapel, and the LA Review. Her other awards include a Christopher Isherwood Fellowship for Fiction, a Colorado Council on the Arts Fellowship for Poetry, a MacDowell Colony Residency, a Ragdale Residency, the Evergreen State College 2012 Teacher Excellence Award as well as the Gold Star for Teaching and Mentorship from American Short Fiction (2020).
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