We are delighted you will join us for the 2025 Summer Writers Workshops! Please review the information on this page, and return to it as needed. You may want to bookmark it in your web-browser. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions!
-Brett Hall Jones, Executive Director
What We Need From You ASAP
- Please review this page, and bookmark it for future reference.
- Complete the Staff Information Form ASAP.
- Please prepare a brief biographical sketch and a photo of you. For examples of bios, please visit our 2024 Staff List. You may submit your bio when completing the online form (link above).
- Look for an email from Adobe Sign requesting you to sign your Engagement Agreement.
- Adobe sign will also ask you to review, complete and sign several other important documents:
- Liability Waiver
- Sexual Harassment Policy
- Photo-Audio-Video Recording Release
- A new W-9 form to complete and sign.
The form will allow you to upload your photo and bio, and to provide us with other important details. Thank you for taking the time to provide us with all of this!
Important Dates
- Submit Staff Form and sign agreement and other documents: ASAP
- Website Launch for 2025 Programs: December 1, 2024 (Application period opens).
- Deadline to Apply: March 10, 2025 (Please help us get the word out!)
- Opening Day: Monday, July 7, 2025
- Closing Day: Monday, July 14, 2025
Schedule of Events
Each day begins with formal workshops at 8:30am. Afternoon events take place from 1pm until 4pm. Staff readings are followed by dinner at 6:30 which will be served outside on the KT deck. Come back later for the full Schedule of Events.
A Typical Day:
8:30 – 11:30 Morning Workshop
11:30 – 1:00 Break
1:00 Craft Talk
2:00 – 4:00 Panels
4:00 Special Workshops
5:30 Short-Takes Staff Readings
6:30 Dinner
7:30 Evening event: Readings, Panels and more
Workshop Leaders
Most workshops meet each day from 8:30 – 11:30. A few weeks before the conference, you will be given a workshop schedule with your workshop assignments. It indicates which workshops you will be leading, and whose work will be discussed each day. In devoting three hours to the discussion of two pieces, the participants should be able to develop a round, nuanced view of the work under consideration, in a way that will be helpful to the author. In this regard, please read “A Note to Workshop Leaders.”
Individual Conferences
Most staff will be asked to read 2 to 6 individual-conference manuscripts (limited to 20 pages). In these one-on-one meetings, please plan to spend at least 20 minutes with each participant. In most cases you will receive the manuscripts a few weeks before the conference; however, a few manuscripts may trickle in during the week.
Please remember that these conferences are very important to the participant; your thoughtful and constructive comments will be greatly anticipated and appreciated. Your written comments on the manuscripts, will be important and inspiring to participants.
At the same time you should resist the overtures of enthusiastic participants bearing manuscripts which are not included in the individual conference program.
Afternoon Craft Talks and Panels
Afternoon events take place from 1pm until 4pm, TBD. If there is an issue of craft you think would be useful for our panels to address, please suggest it in space provided on the staff information form.
Evening Events
Staff Readings begin at 5:30. Beverages, beer, and wine are available for purchase in the late afternoons. Weather permitting, all dinners will be served outside on the KT Deck, followed by evening events. We use the stage of our bookshop on wheels for these events.
Bookshop and Your Books
Every summer, the Community of Writers creates a bookstore from scratch during the week of the Writers Workshops, for the convenience of participants and staff. Because we run our own bookshop, we will be somewhat limited in the number of titles we can carry. However, please make sure to give us up to three titles we can order, and an amount of each, using the staff form. If books are no longer in print, you can always bring (or ship) books to consign.
Taxes
We are required to send you (and the IRS) a 1099 for any honorarium above $600.
Even if you’ve taught here recently, we will need you provide a new W-9 Form.
The state of California requires that any out-of-state contractors who earn more than $1500 in a year must have taxes withheld. We must file a Form 592 Resident and Nonresident Withholding Statement. If we pay nonresident independent contractors, the payee receives 93% of the total and we must keep 7% to remit to the State. If you believe you are exempt from withholding, you can complete Form 590. The form explains who is exempt, etc. https://www.ftb.ca.gov.
Olympic Valley
Olympic Valley is a ski area located in the California Sierra Nevada, close to the north shore of Lake Tahoe. It was the site of the 1960 Winter Olympics. The resort has a new name: Palisades Tahoe. They provide the venues for our workshops each summer. Many of our events take place in the Olympic House, the lodge at the foot of the ski area.
Summers are warm and sunny; participants and teaching staff will have opportunities to hike to the local waterfalls, take nature walks up the mountain, swim in Lake Tahoe, or bike along the Truckee River.
In summer, the weather is changeable; days are usually warm/hot and dry (72°- 87°) and nights are cool (40°- 50°). The elevation of the valley floor is 6200 feet. The altitude and the dry climate mean that hydration is crucial. See ‘What to Bring’ below for tips on how to prepare for a week at high altitude.
Our Name
Some time ago, we changed our name by dropping the long-used place name for where we hold our summer writing workshops. We recognize this name has a painful and derogatory legacy which has been disrespectful to the Native American community. We are now known as the Community of Writers. The ski area is now called Palisades Tahoe. We will call the place Olympic Valley or just the Valley. For years writers have used the old name as short-hand to refer to our Writing Workshops in the summer. We hope you will join us and choose not to use the name in that context.
Lodging
During the week of the conference, you and the other staff members will be staying at shared houses or condos in the valley. Once you arrive you will receive your housing assignment for the week.
We will be in touch in May about housing details. At that time, you may let us know anything that would help us provide the best accommodation for you. Let us know if you will be bringing a spouse or other companion.
Food
Dinner will be served most days on the deck of the Olympic House Lodge immediately following the staff readings. We accommodate most special diets, including vegan and gluten-free. View a recent Menu. We will update this in the spring for 2025.
We set up a very simple snack bar in the conference center each morning: Coffee, juice, yogurt, hardboiled eggs and muffins are available daily.
There are a variety of restaurants in the valley, in Tahoe City (five miles away), and in Truckee (ten miles away).
Travel
Olympic Valley is located near the North Shore of Lake Tahoe, a four-hour drive from the Bay Area and a one-hour drive from the Reno-Tahoe International Airport. Please do not book your airline tickets without confirming with Brett first. If you decide to fly, we will arrange a ride for you between Reno and Olympic Valley.
Driving Directions
We recommend you use our directions, below.
- Take I-80 to Truckee. Exit Highway 89 South (Tahoe City).
- Follow Highway 89 ten miles to Olympic Valley, turn right at the stoplight.
- Follow the Olympic Valley Road all the way into the valley to where the road takes a sharp left (2.3 miles).
- Follow the road to the left, and park adjacent to the Village at Palisades Tahoe.
- Our headquarters, the Olympic House, is located nearby, but you must walk. You will see signs for the Community of Writers
- Leave your luggage in the car.
- You will walk in front of and past the large concrete TRAM building, and pass the PARALLEL sports shop, and turn right into a walkway..
- THE OLYMPIC HOUSE is the large building straight ahead of you at the end of the walkway. There is a giant “O House” sign on the building.
You will see signs for the Community of Writers.
If you need to plug an address into your phone, please use this:
1990 Olympic Valley Road, Olympic Valley, CA 96146. Keep in mind it is a campus, and you can’t drive directly up to the Olympic House. Refer to directions above.
What To Bring
You may want to refer to this List of what to bring.
Alumni
You may be interested in our alumni. Please visit our Omnium Gatherum & Alumni News page.
And please visit the impressive Notable Alumni page. If you know of any published alums that should be on that list, but aren’t, I hope you will let us know.
Contact
Until June 10 you can reach us in our office in Nevada City at the following number: 530-470-8440.
Address: PO Box 1416
Nevada City, CA 95959
During the summer, our phone number is 530-583-5200. You can also text Brett at 530-205-8779.
Refer students and colleagues
I hope that you will encourage talented writers you know to apply. And please let me know if there is someone in particular we should look out for, or someone you would like to recommend for a scholarship. Our application deadline is March 10, 2025.
We believe the workshop is greatly improved by having teaching staff, participants, and guests who represent a multitude of backgrounds and experiences. We have an extensive scholarship and outreach program, but we need your help. Please help us by recommending the workshop to your students, and by recommending your students to us.
Images from the Week
If you are new to the Community, you can explore our website devoted to images from the near and distant past.