2025 Writers Workshops in Fiction, Narrative Nonfiction, and Memoir
July 7-14, 2025
The Writers Workshops is a seven-day program which assists serious writers by exploring the art and craft as well as the business of writing. The week offers daily morning workshops, craft lectures and panel conversations, sessions on editing and publishing, literary agent sessions, staff readings, as well as brief individual conferences. The morning workshops are led by staff writer-teachers or editors.
Admission is based on the strength and merit of the submitted manuscript and our judgment that the applicant will benefit from the workshop. We admit eighty-six writers to our fiction program and twenty-four to nonfiction/memoir. Refer to our Health Guidelines before applying.
Morning workshops are devoted to Fiction, as well as to Narrative Nonfiction and Memoir. We welcome all forms of fiction, including YA, but not children’s books. Those applying to the nonfiction program may submit memoir, narrative nonfiction, essays, and hybrid fiction/nonfiction forms. Literary criticism, self-help, and scholarly work will not be considered.
In addition to the manuscript participants have treated in morning workshop, they may have a second manuscript read by a staff member who meets with them in an individual conference. Other opportunities include a Special Adaptation Class, Open Workshop, and a naturalist-led nature walk. Those attending in nonfiction may choose to participate in a seminar on Nonfiction Book Proposal, led by Samuel Freedman. (See below.)
Not all writing workshops are for every writer. Before applying, familiarize yourself with our current teaching staff to see if you can identify people who can best serve the needs of your work.
Tuition is $1685 * which includes six evening meals. Please Note: Tuition does not include housing costs. (See below.) Financial aid is available. See Fees & Deadlines, below.
Our Location
These workshops are held in-person in Olympic Valley, California. Olympic Valley, site of the 1960 Winter Olympics, is a ski resort located in the California Sierra Nevada close to the north shore of Lake Tahoe. Our workshops and events take place in the Olympic House, a ski lodge at the foot of the slopes. Summers are warm and sunny; participants 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. The elevation is 6200 feet.
What to Expect
- A manuscripts treated in morning workshop.
- An individual conference with a member of staff
- Afternoon talks and panels on craft, editing, and publishing.
- Evening readings and panel discussions.
- Readings by prominent staff writers and special guests.
- Open Workshop led by Sands Hall.
- Special Adaptation class led by Patricia K. Meyer.
- Special Seminar on the Nonfiction Book Proposal led by Samuel Freedman.
- Nature Walk led by naturalist Will Richardson
BIOS OF WRITERS WORKSHOPS STAFF & SPECIAL GUESTS
Special Guests
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Writers Workshops Teaching Staff
Fiction & Nonfiction Authors
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The Community of Writers is pleased to announce these
Borchard Foundation Center on Literary Arts Fellows who are joining our Teaching Staff in 2025.
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Literary Agents & Editors
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Daily Schedule
Morning Workshops
Morning workshops meet daily from 8:30-11:30. Each workshop consists of roughly 12 participants and has a different workshop leader each day. In each session, the group discusses two, sometimes three, participant manuscripts. During the course of the week, one manuscript by each participant is critiqued. Participants are asked to arrive with copies of the manuscript they would like treated in workshop.
Individual Conferences
Each participant is assigned a brief one-on-one conference with a staff member appropriate to the submitted manuscript. These conferences are scheduled at the mutual convenience of the participant and the assigned staff member and usually run no longer than twenty minutes. In most cases, the manuscript to be discussed will be the one submitted with the application.
Afternoons and Evening Events
We offer an abundance of optional lectures, panel discussions, staff readings, and other events.
Participants may need to set aside time for the reading and evaluation of workshop manuscripts.
Other Opportunities:
The Alchemy of Adaptation: From Book to Screen: A special afternoon class led by Patricia K. Meyer
In this class, writer/producer Patricia K. Meyer will offer a practical approach to adaptation, applying the fundamentals of screenwriting, including dramatic structure, developing fully dimensional characters, and scene construction. You will learn how a screenwriter builds a scaffold for character transformation and theme. We will explore how character drives story and creates the plot, not the other way around. By examining the art and craft of screenwriting, writers of all story forms can gain tools for developing their protagonist’s (and also antagonist’s) arc. This class is open only to those enrolled in the Writers Workshops. Indicate your interest in the application form. $250 fee. View Full Class Description
The Book Proposal: A special afternoon seminar led by Samuel Freedman
Author Samuel Freedman will lead a special afternoon seminar on the crafting of a nonfiction book proposal, including his precepts for researching and writing long-form narrative and his insights on the current state of the publishing industry. Over its 35-year span, Freedman’s seminar at Columbia Journalism School has led to 112 students receiving contracts for books they began under his tutelage. Our class will meet for roughly an hour, five afternoons during the week and is open only to those enrolled in the Writers Workshops who write memoir or nonfiction. Indicate your interest in the application form. $200 fee.
Open Workshop: A special afternoon workshop led by Sands Hall
Several afternoons during the week, Sands Hall leads the Open Workshop, which provides another opportunity for participants to share their writing with their conference peers. Work is read aloud and discussed in a spontaneous and productive format. No additional fee.
Published Alumni Reading Series
Each summer, recently published alumni are invited to return to Olympic Valley to read from their books and talk about their journey from unpublished writers to published authors. The Community of Writers is delighted to celebrate the success of these writers and to present them to the participants, staff, and the public. Past Authors In This Series
Nature Walk led by resident naturalist Will Richardson
Naturalist Will Richardson will lead an informative hike up Shirley Canyon on Friday afternoon. This is an opportunity to learn from a professional naturalist about the biology of this valley. This hike is suitable for almost all fitness levels and is free of charge.
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Fees & Deadlines
Our organization has always held dear our commitment to keeping the conference affordable for every serious writer. This year, due to inflation in fixed costs, we have raised our tuition by a greater increment than we would like. Applicants should know that we intend to raise funds and provide whatever level of financial aid is necessary to compensate for the rise in tuition and make sure we bring in everybody we can admit. The same goes for housing costs. We hope to provide relief for the increase there, too.
| WRITERS WORKSHOPS | |
|---|---|
| Program Dates | July 7-14. 2025 |
| Deadline to Apply | March 10, 2025 (before midnight PST) |
| Application Fee | $40 |
| Acceptance Notification | On or before April 22, 2025 |
| Deposit - Nonrefundable | A deposit of $950 is due upon acceptance. (Awards of financial aid may reduce this amount.) |
| Deposit Deadline | May 2, 2025 |
| Tuition | $1,685* |
| Housing | Not included in tuition See Housing & Meals.CW-arranged lodging payment due May 20. |
| Tuition Balance | Due on or before June 30, 2025 |
| Registration/First Day of Conference | Monday, July 7, 2025 |
| Returnees | -Fiction Participants may attend 2 out of 3 years. -Nonfiction Participants must take two sessions off before reapplying. |
| Financial Aid & Scholarships | View Financial Aid Information |
| Application Form | Writers Workshops Application Form (See Application Guidelines, below.) |
*Tuition may change slightly without notice.
Housing Options
The Community of Writers rents condominiums at the Village in Palisades Tahoe and a few private houses in the valley for participants to live in during the week of the conference. If, when you are invited, you would like us to arrange your accommodations, you may choose to stay in shared houses or in The Village at Palisades Tahoe. There may be different genders in the same unit. Every unit has a kitchen and is supplied with linens.
Room types and availability are limited and are reserved on a first-request basis.
* Fees may change slightly without notice.
Meals
Dinners are provided at the Olympic House, our headquarters for the week. We can accommodate most vegetarian diets, but if you have a particular food allergy, we may not be able to prepare special meals for you. Weather permitting, participants and teaching staff eat together outdoors.
We provide a basic snackbar where you can purchase low-cost coffee, tea, hard-boiled eggs, fruit, yogurt, homemade muffins, and PB&J sandwiches. There are several cafes and restaurants in Olympic Valley. Preparing your own breakfasts and lunches is the cost-effective and recommended option.
Our Name
Some time ago, we changed the 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 call the place Olympic Valley or just the valley. For years writers have used the old name as shorthand to refer to our Writing Workshops. We hope you will join us and choose not to use the name in that context.
Admissions
Admissions are based on submitted manuscript. Please see application guidelines, below. We make no admissions decisions before all the submissions have been read and evaluated. The Application Form link is at the bottom of the page. Please make sure to read all the information here before applying.
Application Guidelines
- Past Writers Workshop participants:
—Fiction Alums: Attendance is allowed 2 out of every 3 years.
—Nonfiction Alums: Attendance is allowed after you have taken 2 years off. - Deadline for receipt of application/submission: before midnight, March 10, 2025.
- Applicants, including past participants, should submit a sample of their best, unpublished prose.
- Writing sample submission manuscript (MS) may consist of a story (or stories), essay(s) or chapter(s). Book chapters must include a one-page synopsis of the plot of the whole book. (Add to the end of MS.)
- If you have previously applied to our workshop, please do not submit or bring for consideration the exact same material. You may use previously submitted material that has been revised.
- Please do not submit previously published material (print or online). However, it is acceptable to send work currently under submission.
- Submission MS must be typed, double-spaced and 12 pt. On the first page of the MS, applicants must provide the following:
- Top left side of page: Indicate application program (Fiction, Nonfiction, Memoir), and indicate what you are submitting (novel chapter(s), story or stories, essay or essays, memoir chapter(s), nonfiction book chapter(s), etc.)
- Top center of page: Word count for submitted MS. (Excluding synopsis, MS must be less than 5,000 words.)
- Top right side of page: Your name in the upper right-hand corner of each page. (Please use your actual name, not the name you write under.)
- Attach a digital file (PDF or Word.doc) of your submission MS to the online application form. Digital files will be deleted after workshops.
- If applying in more than one category, please send separate applications and submissions, including application fees.
- Those who require financial aid to attend should request it in the application form. Please see our Financial Aid page for more information.
- A $40 reading fee will be due with submission.
- Pay online with a credit card or PayPal. (A 3.25% service fee applies.)
- Or mail a check payable to Community of Writers to
Community of Writers – Writers Workshops
PO Box 1416
Nevada City, CA 95959