Session 2: August 9-14, 2026
DAY ONE • 8/9 • Sunday
4:00 PM Check in
5:15 PM Orientation
6:00 PM Dinner
6:45 PM Seminar 1:
The 8 Lacks that Torpedo Good Manuscripts
8:00 PM Social Event
DAY TWO • 8/10 • Monday
8:00 AM Breakfast
9:00 AM Seminar 2:
The Temporal Aspects of Story & Their Advantages and Drawbacks
10:15 AM Seminar 3:
Writing the Moments Only You Can Write
11:30 AM Seminar 4:
Peer Critiquing: Mastering the CROWN Technique
12:30 PM Lunch​
1:30 PM Personal Time
Writing, Peer Critiques, One-on-one meetings, Excursions
4:00 PM Seminar 5:
Delve, Pivot, Propel: How to Create Memorable and Stunning Plot Twists
5:15 PM On-the-spot critique 1
5:45 PM Dinner
6:30 PM On-the-spot critique 2
7:15 PM Q&A with Donald Maass
8:15 PM Social Time
DAY THREE • 8/11 • Tuesday
8:30 AM Breakfast
9:00 AM Seminar 6:
The First Ten Pages: What You Need to Know, Include, and Avoid
10:30 AM Seminar 7:
Webbing: the CHAIR Technique, and What it Means for Character Development
11:30 AM Seminar 8:
Scenes and Interludes: How They Differ and How to Weave Them Together
12:30 PM Lunch
1:30 PM Personal Time:
Writing, Peer Critiques, One-on-one meetings, Excursions
4:00 PM Seminar 9:
How to Write Yourself Out of a Corner (and Why You Would Write Yourself into One First)
5:15 PM On-the-spot critique 3
5:45 PM Dinner
6:30 PM On-the-spot critique 4
7:15 PM Private Storytelling Show
DAY FOUR • 8/12 • Wednesday
8:30 AM Breakfast
9:00 AM Seminar 10:
Suspense Essentials: How to Ratchet up the Tension No Matter What Genre You Write
10:30 AM Seminar 11:
Moral Dilemmas: How to Shape Moments that Challenge, Reveal, and Shape Your Characters
11:30 AM Seminar 12:
Debunking the Traditional Advice on Writing Great Dialogue
12:30 PM Lunch
1:30 PM Personal Time:
Writing, Peer Critiques, One-on-one meetings, Excursions
4:00 PM Seminar 13:
Story Trumps Structure: How to Write Unforgettable Fiction by Breaking the Rules
5:15 PM On-the-spot critique 5
5:45 PM Dinner
6:30 PM On-the-spot critique 6
7:15 PM Scene Study in Film
DAY FIVE • 8/13 • Thursday
8:00 AM Breakfast
9:00 AM Seminar 14:
Troubleshooting Your Novel: What You Need to Know
10:30 AM Seminar 15:
Secrets to Maintaining Believability (Even in High Stakes Stories)
11:30 AM Seminar 16:
Emotional Resonance: The Interplay of Authenticity, Honesty, and Voice
12:30 PM Lunch
1:30 PM Personal Time:
Writing, Peer Critiques, One-on-one meetings, Excursions
4:00 PM Seminar 17:
Heroes and Villains: How to Bring out the Best (and Worst) of Your Characters
5:15 PM On-the-spot critique 7
5:45 PM Dinner
6:30 PM On-the-spot critique 8
7:00 PM Social Event
DAY SIX • 8/14 • Friday
8:00 AM Breakfast
9:00 AM Seminar 18:
Creativity and Idea Wrangling
10:15 AM Seminar 19:
Salmagundi and Closing Thoughts
11:30 AM - 12:00 PM Checkout