Sometimes you need a change of scenery to spark your creativity, and events like writing retreats, conferences, workshops often provide a change of pace, a chance to relax and unwind, and space to focus on your craft. These events can also offer opportunities to connect with other writers and build community and a network of support. Some even double as opportunities to travel to faraway destinations. If you’re thinking about attending one this year, here are some destination writing retreats and conferences to help fuel your inspiration. San Francisco Writer’s Conference When: February 6-9, 2025 About: The 21st annual San Francisco Writers Conference will take place at the Hyatt Regency San Francisco. Attendees will join 100+ presenters and fellow writers from across the country and around the world at this year’s event. The SFWC events are consistently rated among the top writers’ conferences anywhere. Our goal is to help writers become published authors as we help them become better at the craft of writing and the business of publishing. The event spans four days and offers optional Pre- and Post-Event 3-hour Master Classes. There is copious networking with the very people who can advance your writing career, a glorious gala, keynotes, and continental breakfasts, lots of social interaction with other writers, our Pub Quiz, and an invaluable ‘practice your pitch’ session. Want feedback? Attendees can have a free one-on-one session with an independent editor, book coach, and marketing expert. There will be exhibitors with services and tools for writers,…
Anyone who enjoys the painstakingly difficult process of writing probably has a love for words, which inspires their masochistic writer’s journey. Those who understand the slight intricacies of words and the importance of sentence structure choose their statements wisely, editing, re-editing, and editing again. This process is multiplied twofold for a writer who speaks more than one language, carrying with them the difficulty of creating… [Read More]
When you write a book length manuscript you need to keep the story moving forward. Every scene, every sentence, every word should serve to advance the storyline. When editors talk about “pacing,” they refer to the narrator’s ability to keep the reader turning the page. Have you ever heard someone tell a joke that went on for so long by the time the punch line… [Read More]
I recently read about a writer who gets up at 4 am to write. She says she is flooded with ideas at that time of day and glad to have a computer because she is not able to write fast enough by hand to get all her thoughts down on paper. It is also the only time of day when she has free time to… [Read More]
Do you tell yourself you need a couple of days when your calendar is free from distractions before you can sit down and start to write? Then when the weekend arrives you sleep late, catch up on correspondence, watch a movie, and maybe make time to stare at a blank screen. In a block of eight hours without any other commitments, you’re lucky if you… [Read More]
Each summer, the University of Iowa offers dozens of writing workshops open to writers at any level through its Iowa Summer Writing Festival — this year in its 30th year. The university, of course, is known for housing the nation’s premier MFA program in creative writing. The summer festival brings some of the same top-notch literary talent to the table, offering a taste of that… [Read More]



