Novel-In-Progress Bookcamp & Writing Retreat

12/09/2024

"What if this darkness is not the darkness of the tomb, but the darkness of the womb?"
- Valarie Kaur

12/02/2024

Meet another new Novel Bookcamp Board member: Mary Chase!

Discover what's happening at Novel Bookcamp!

12/01/2024

Congratulations to the place winners of the Chicago Writers Association's 9th Annual First Chapter Contest!

First Place goes to Lana Orndorff, a writing specialist at National Louis University, for her gripping first chapter of "Those Who Favor Fire." Lorna has been awarded a full scholarship to attend the All-Genre Novel Bookcamp Workshop, June 22-28, 2025, at the Siena Retreat Center in Racine, Wisconsin, a $1,740 value.

Told from multiple points of view, Lana's opening chapter sets the stage for a timely, poignant, and chilling portrayal of an all-too-common national tragedy—a school shooting. But this one is different: it takes place during a 50th high school reunion, and one of the attendees is a U.S. senator. Lana categorizes her book as Literary Fiction.

Earning second place was Dorothy Nesbit; third place went to Jill Robinson, and the honorable mention recipient was Mary Reed.

Lana has taught writing classes and English as a Second Language in Chile, South Korea, and the United States. After earning her M.A. in English from Northwestern State University of Louisiana, she self-published two novels.

As a reader and writer, Lana says she prefers beautifully tragic stories that fracture her heart. Because of this, her husband rarely takes her book recommendations.

We welcome Lana to the 2025 Novel Bookcamp. Registration is open for all three program options, the intensive Workshop, a Writing Retreat, and one-on-one with a Book Coach. The three programs are offered in two concurrent tracks, the All-Genre and Speculative Fiction.

Check out the website for more information, www.novelbookcamp.org, or contact Dave Rank directly at [email protected].

Novel Bookcamp June 16 – 22, 2024 | Siena Retreat Center in Racine, Wisconsin. Get ready for the most productive six days of your writing life!

11/23/2024

judged by Deb Olin Unferth October 01 to December 01, 2024   Add to Calendar submit Fractured Lit has always been a place that celebrates the use of writing craft to tell small stories with big impacts. In the return of our Micro Prize, we want to honor stories of 400 words or fewer that tell a com...

11/22/2024

Special recognition goes out to Novel Bookcamp alumni, Maggie Smith and Frank S. Joseph, whose current novels Blindspot and To Do Justice are two of four finalists in the Indie Fiction Category of the Chicago Writers Association's 14th annual Book of the Year Awards.

“Blindspot is a twisty, unnerving thriller that will keep you guessing! I had no idea what to expect next. With memorable characters, a tense story, and plenty of surprises, Maggie Smith kept me glued to the page.” —Samantha Downing, internationally bestselling author.

To Do Justice is “A fast-moving tale of race, corruption and self-discovery set against the unrest – and the hope – of Chicago during Martin Luther King’s fateful 1965-66 fair housing campaign.” – Pulitzer Prize columnist Leonard Pitts Jr., author, Grant Park.

The Award winners will be announced in December.

The 2025 Novel Bookcamp will be held June 22-28 at the Siena Retreat Center in Racine, Wisconsin, located between Milwaukee and Chicago. Registration is open.

Novel Bookcamp June 16 – 22, 2024 | Siena Retreat Center in Racine, Wisconsin. Get ready for the most productive six days of your writing life!

11/22/2024

In English for the first time, ChloroPhilia, an Ignotus Award-nominated, Spanish-language novella by Cristina Jurado, was translated by Sue Burke, our 2025 Novel Bookcamp Speculative Fiction Writing Retreat Mentor and Working Writer Clinic Instructor. It will soon be released by Apex Book Company.

ChloroPhilia is a strange coming-of-age story that addresses life after an environmental disaster, collective madness, and sacrifices made for the greater good.

Congrats to Sue, a renowned Science Fiction novelist and award-winning translator.

Registration is now open for the 2025 Novel Bookcamp, which will be held June 22-28 at the Siena Retreat Center in Racine, Wisconsin, between Milwaukee and Chicago. Three program choices are offered in each of our two tracks, All-Genre and Speculative Fiction. The programs are Bookcamp Workshop, the Writing Retreat, and our new Book Coach. Go to our website, www.novelbookcamp.org, for more information. Or contact Dave Rank directly at [email protected].

11/11/2024

Gift yourself time to focus on your writing at the 2025 Novel Bookcamp, which will be held June 22-28 at the lovely Siena Retreat Center in Racine, Wisconsin, located on the shore of Lake Michigan, between Milwaukee and Chicago.

Registration is open, although space is limited. Three programs to choose from, an intensive instructional writing Workshop, a week-long Writing Retreat to work on your writing, and a Book Coach providing face-to-face analysis and advice to polish your manuscript.

All enrollment feels include program, six nights private accommodations, and all meals at Siena.

Details at the website, www.novelbookcamp.org, or contact Director Dave Rank at [email protected] for more information. It just may be the best investment in your writing you ever make. Good writing to you!

11/04/2024

Lisa Lickel is leading the Novel Writing Group!!!!Registration for the winter series of virtual critique groups is open! Check out the WWA Website and secure your slot today.

The Wisconsin Writers Association is a nonprofit organization that encourages, educates, supports, and promotes its member writers. Wisconsin Writers Association began serving the creative needs of Wisconsin writers in 1948.

10/30/2024

Dick gave me this succulent and told me to only give it a few drops of water a day or I might kill it (I'm not good with plants), so I put it on my desk and have been diligently caring for the little thing until I realized it was plastic.

10/28/2024

Writers often ask me why, with all of Writer Beware’s warnings about bad actors in the publishing world, we don’t also provide recommendations or endorsements of the good guys. “You’ve got this gig…

10/14/2024

Escape the Plot Forest Summit begins this weekend. Don't miss out. It's free and there is so much good stuff to choose from! Here's the site where you can register.

10/14/2024

Sometimes writers lean in a little too far and a little too hard when it comes to "Show Don't Tell." This piece posted on one of my favorite writing blogs addresses the issue in a way that tempers the hot topic of "telling." Because, common. Fiction writers TELL stories.

It’s important to examine the different levels of telling so you know what to look for. Here are three places to look for told prose. Guest Writers In The Storm

10/12/2024

Birthday gift. It's scary how well my friends know me.

10/08/2024

I highly recommend this. You can give it a try for free. If you you like it and want to access the recordings and receive all the bonus material, you can purchase for an incredibly reasonable amount. I do this every year because Daniel Wallace is a great mentor and he has fabulous people at his summit to speak on a wide range of writerly issues.
You can sign up at https://forest.plotsummit.com/

10/03/2024

It's come to my attention that I'm having trouble receiving emails sent to [email protected]. Likely this occurred because I changed Internet providers last month. I need to get my 5-year-old granddaughter over to help me correct this computer problem. Until then, use this email, [email protected], to contact me. If you have been waiting for my respond to a question or application. Please resent it to me at [email protected]. I'll let you know when we've make the correction to the website email.

Dave Rank, director

10/01/2024

Writers, take advantage of your Wisconsin Writers Association membership and sign up for this fantastic session with Tim Storm. If you don't have a WWA membership, then now's the time to join!