Programs
Day Visits
2024 Personal Retreats at The Barn at Boyds Mills
Personal Retreats at The Barn at Boyds Mills Please see more information about personal retreats here: https://thebarnatboydsmills.com/personal-retreats/
Apply to the Whole Novel Workshop: An In-Person Retreat for Novelists (August)
[et_pb_section fb_built="1" admin_label="Workshop Overview Section" _builder_version="4.18.0" global_colors_info="{}"][et_pb_row admin_label="Overview Row" _builder_version="4.18.0" background_size="initial" background_position="top_left" background_repeat="repeat" global_colors_info="{}"][et_pb_column type="4_4" _builder_version="4.16" custom_padding="|||" global_colors_info="{}" custom_padding__hover="|||"][et_pb_text admin_label="Overview Paragraph" _builder_version="4.18.0" _module_preset="default" global_colors_info="{}"] Overview In-person 6-Day/5-Night Workshop and Retreat with a Full Novel Critique Included This intensive, transformative Whole Novel Workshop offers writers the rare opportunity to have the entire draft (up to 80,000 […]
Apply to the Whole Novel Workshop: An In-Person Retreat for Novelists (October)
[et_pb_section fb_built="1" admin_label="Workshop Overview Section" _builder_version="4.18.0" global_colors_info="{}"][et_pb_row admin_label="Overview Row" _builder_version="4.18.0" background_size="initial" background_position="top_left" background_repeat="repeat" global_colors_info="{}"][et_pb_column type="4_4" _builder_version="4.16" custom_padding="|||" global_colors_info="{}" custom_padding__hover="|||"][et_pb_text admin_label="Overview Paragraph" _builder_version="4.18.0" _module_preset="default" global_colors_info="{}"] Overview In-person 6-Day/5-Night Workshop and Retreat with a Full Novel Critique Included This intensive, transformative Whole Novel Workshop offers writers the rare opportunity to have the entire draft (up to 80,000 […]
Writing About Mental Health for MG and YA Readers: A Two-Night Mini
[et_pb_section fb_built="1" admin_label="Workshop Overview Section" _builder_version="4.18.0" global_colors_info="{}"][et_pb_row admin_label="Overview Row" _builder_version="4.18.0" background_size="initial" background_position="top_left" background_repeat="repeat" global_colors_info="{}"][et_pb_column type="4_4" _builder_version="4.16" custom_padding="|||" global_colors_info="{}" custom_padding__hover="|||"][et_pb_text admin_label="Overview Paragraph" _builder_version="4.18.0" _module_preset="default" global_colors_info="{}"] Overview A Two-Night Mini Online Course Writing about mental health is about both the impact for our readers, and the experience of our writers. How do we translate our lived experiences […]
Writing Through Trauma to Empower Readers: A Working In-Community Retreat for Storytellers*
Join this 3-night/4-day writing retreat designed for authors who are crafting books for kids and teens that center their lived experiences in areas of trauma, mental health, grief, and beyond. Explore therapeutic writing techniques that enable you to create narratives that empower and uplift, offering young audiences valuable insights and resilience in the face of […]
Breaks, Blank Space, and Gaps: Poetic Gutters in Novels in Verse and Poetry
[et_pb_section fb_built="1" admin_label="Workshop Overview Section" _builder_version="4.18.0" global_colors_info="{}"][et_pb_row admin_label="Overview Row" _builder_version="4.18.0" background_size="initial" background_position="top_left" background_repeat="repeat" global_colors_info="{}"][et_pb_column type="4_4" _builder_version="4.16" custom_padding="|||" global_colors_info="{}" custom_padding__hover="|||"][et_pb_text admin_label="Overview Paragraph" _builder_version="4.18.0" _module_preset="default" global_colors_info="{}"] Overview A Two-Night Mini Online Course Gutters in poetry bring meaning all their own. Whether you’re writing a narrative poem, a picture book in verse, or a full-length verse novel, words […]
Non-Traditional Picture Book Structure: A Two-Night Mini
[et_pb_section fb_built="1" admin_label="Workshop Overview Section" _builder_version="4.18.0" global_colors_info="{}"][et_pb_row admin_label="Overview Row" _builder_version="4.18.0" background_size="initial" background_position="top_left" background_repeat="repeat" global_colors_info="{}"][et_pb_column type="4_4" _builder_version="4.16" custom_padding="|||" global_colors_info="{}" custom_padding__hover="|||"][et_pb_text admin_label="Overview Paragraph" _builder_version="4.18.0" _module_preset="default" global_colors_info="{}"] Overview A Two-Night Mini Online Course Picture book journeys aren’t one size fits all, and that’s a good thing! Join children’s book author Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen and literary agent Rachel Orr to […]
The Crash Course in Children's Book Publishing (Spring)
[et_pb_section fb_built="1" admin_label="Workshop Overview Section" _builder_version="4.18.0" global_colors_info="{}"][et_pb_row admin_label="Overview Row" _builder_version="4.18.0" background_size="initial" background_position="top_left" background_repeat="repeat" global_colors_info="{}"][et_pb_column type="4_4" _builder_version="4.16" custom_padding="|||" global_colors_info="{}" custom_padding__hover="|||"][et_pb_text admin_label="Overview Paragraph" _builder_version="4.18.0" _module_preset="default" global_colors_info="{}"] <h2>Overview</h2> <strong>Multi-Week Online Course </strong> Join lead faculty <strong>Harold Underdown</strong> and special guests for a <strong>Crash Course in Children's Publishing</strong>. At the end of the course, you will understand how the children’s […]
Emotions in Nonfiction Picture Books: A Two-Night Mini
[et_pb_section fb_built="1" admin_label="Workshop Overview Section" _builder_version="4.18.0" global_colors_info="{}"][et_pb_row admin_label="Overview Row" _builder_version="4.18.0" background_size="initial" background_position="top_left" background_repeat="repeat" global_colors_info="{}"][et_pb_column type="4_4" _builder_version="4.16" custom_padding="|||" global_colors_info="{}" custom_padding__hover="|||"][et_pb_text admin_label="Overview Paragraph" _builder_version="4.18.0" _module_preset="default" global_colors_info="{}"] <h2>Overview</h2> <strong>A Two-Night Mini Online Course </strong> Picture books open the world of information to readers. Join children’s book author <strong>Heidi E.Y. Stemple</strong> and editor <strong>Eileen Robinson </strong>to explore the many ways to infuse […]
Before the Book: A Two-Night Mini to Get Organized and Get to the Heart of Your Story
[et_pb_section fb_built="1" admin_label="Workshop Overview Section" _builder_version="4.18.0" global_colors_info="{}"][et_pb_row admin_label="Overview Row" _builder_version="4.18.0" background_size="initial" background_position="top_left" background_repeat="repeat" global_colors_info="{}"][et_pb_column type="4_4" _builder_version="4.16" custom_padding="|||" global_colors_info="{}" custom_padding__hover="|||"][et_pb_text admin_label="Overview Paragraph" _builder_version="4.18.0" _module_preset="default" global_colors_info="{}"] <h2>Overview</h2> <strong>A Two-Night Mini Online Course </strong> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Getting <strong>ready to write a novel</strong> doesn’t just mean finding a computer or the right pen—you also need to spend time considering […]
Just Do It! Your Collaborative Support Group for Finishing Your Draft (Spring/Summer)
[et_pb_section fb_built="1" admin_label="Workshop Overview Section" _builder_version="4.18.0" global_colors_info="{}"][et_pb_row admin_label="Overview Row" _builder_version="4.18.0" background_size="initial" background_position="top_left" background_repeat="repeat" global_colors_info="{}"][et_pb_column type="4_4" _builder_version="4.16" custom_padding="|||" global_colors_info="{}" custom_padding__hover="|||"][et_pb_text admin_label="Overview Paragraph" _builder_version="4.18.0" _module_preset="default" global_colors_info="{}"] Overview A 3-Part Online Cooperative This supportive program takes all creatives (nonfiction or fiction, picture books, novels, essays, and more) from goal-stating to finished drafts. Together, we’ll move through live sessions, […]
Welcome to Whole Novel: An Online Course Middle Grade and Young Adult Writers
OVERVIEW: Welcome to this Multi-Month Online Course with a Full Novel Critique! The Highlights Foundation Whole Novel Workshop offers you the rare opportunity to have the entire draft (up to 80,000 words) of a novel read by faculty, with detailed written feedback and a private consultation provided. This online program is for any writer of […]
Disability Representation in Picture Book Illustration: A Two-Night Mini
https://www.highlightsfoundation.org/?p=40773&post_type=tribe_events&preview=1&_ppp=5d69d3f962https://www.highlightsfoundation.org/?p=40773&post_type=tribe_events&preview=1&_ppp=5d69d3f962
Shape Your Story: A 6-Week Novel Intensive with Author & Agent Linda Epstein
https://www.highlightsfoundation.org/workshop/shape-your-story-a-6-week-novel-intensive-with-author-agent-linda-epstein/
Writing with Pride: A Two-Night Mini for Picture Book Writers
[et_pb_section fb_built="1" admin_label="Workshop Overview Section" _builder_version="4.18.0" global_colors_info="{}"][et_pb_row admin_label="Overview Row" _builder_version="4.18.0" background_size="initial" background_position="top_left" background_repeat="repeat" global_colors_info="{}"][et_pb_column type="4_4" _builder_version="4.16" custom_padding="|||" global_colors_info="{}" custom_padding__hover="|||"][et_pb_text admin_label="Overview Paragraph" _builder_version="4.18.0" _module_preset="default" global_colors_info="{}"] <h2>Overview</h2> <strong>A Two-Night Mini Online Course </strong> Picture books can be filled with Pride! Join celebrated authors Lesléa Newman and Rob Sanders for this short course designed to bring LGBTQIA+ creators […]
Working Retreat: Nonfiction and Informational Fiction*
[et_pb_section fb_built="1" admin_label="Workshop Overview Section" _builder_version="4.18.0" global_colors_info="{}"][et_pb_row admin_label="Overview Row" _builder_version="4.18.0" background_size="initial" background_position="top_left" background_repeat="repeat" global_colors_info="{}"][et_pb_column type="4_4" _builder_version="4.16" custom_padding="|||" global_colors_info="{}" custom_padding__hover="|||"][et_pb_text admin_label="Overview Paragraph" _builder_version="4.18.0" _module_preset="default" global_colors_info="{}"] Overview In-person 4-Day/3-Night Working Retreat Join Heidi Stemple, Andrea Page, and their guests for time to create and connect during this "Working Retreat" for those who infuse facts into their writing (including […]
Working Retreat: Novelists and Graphic Novelists*
[et_pb_section fb_built="1" admin_label="Workshop Overview Section" _builder_version="4.18.0" global_colors_info="{}"][et_pb_row admin_label="Overview Row" _builder_version="4.18.0" background_size="initial" background_position="top_left" background_repeat="repeat" global_colors_info="{}"][et_pb_column type="4_4" _builder_version="4.16" custom_padding="|||" global_colors_info="{}" custom_padding__hover="|||"][et_pb_text admin_label="Overview Paragraph" _builder_version="4.18.0" _module_preset="default" hover_enabled="0" global_colors_info="{}" sticky_enabled="0"] Overview In-person 4-Day/3-Night Working Retreat Novelists and Graphic Novelists, join Julie C. Dao and Wendy Xu for time to create and connect during a retreat built just for you. […]
The Untapped Influence of Secondary Characters: A Two-Night Mini for Writers
https://www.highlightsfoundation.org/?p=40926&post_type=tribe_events&preview=1&_ppp=341eb81e51
From Pencil or Paint to Pixel: A Two-Night Mini for Beginning Illustrators
[et_pb_section fb_built="1" admin_label="Workshop Overview Section" _builder_version="4.18.0" global_colors_info="{}"][et_pb_row admin_label="Overview Row" _builder_version="4.18.0" background_size="initial" background_position="top_left" background_repeat="repeat" global_colors_info="{}"][et_pb_column type="4_4" _builder_version="4.16" custom_padding="|||" global_colors_info="{}" custom_padding__hover="|||"][et_pb_text admin_label="Overview Paragraph" _builder_version="4.18.0" _module_preset="default" global_colors_info="{}"] Overview A Two-Night Mini Online Course Beginning illustrators can join children’s book author/illustrator Courtney Pippin-Mathur to talk about approaches to using different media (traditional and/or digital) in your illustrations, and special guest Aram Kim for […]
Writing with Pride: A Two-Night Mini for Young Adult Horror Writers
https://www.highlightsfoundation.org/?p=40335&post_type=tribe_events&preview=1&_ppp=9429f59751
Take Your Idea from Story to Chapter Book: A Two-Night Mini
https://www.highlightsfoundation.org/?p=41167&post_type=tribe_events&preview=1&_ppp=a2a532372e
Working Retreat: Poetry and Poetry Anthologies*
[et_pb_section fb_built="1" admin_label="Workshop Overview Section" _builder_version="4.18.0" global_colors_info="{}"][et_pb_row admin_label="Overview Row" _builder_version="4.18.0" background_size="initial" background_position="top_left" background_repeat="repeat" global_colors_info="{}"][et_pb_column type="4_4" _builder_version="4.16" custom_padding="|||" global_colors_info="{}" custom_padding__hover="|||"][et_pb_text admin_label="Overview Paragraph" _builder_version="4.18.0" _module_preset="default" global_colors_info="{}"] Overview In-person 4-Day/3-Night Working Retreat Join celebrated poets Charles Waters, Irene Latham, and their guests for time to create and connect during this "Working Retreat." We invite writers with a passion for […]
The Crash Course in Children's Book Publishing: Illustrator's Edition
https://www.highlightsfoundation.org/?p=40046&post_type=tribe_events&preview=1&_ppp=f4d3e82c38
Black Voices: An In-Community Retreat for Storytellers*
[et_pb_section fb_built="1" _builder_version="4.16" global_colors_info="{}"][et_pb_row _builder_version="4.16" background_size="initial" background_position="top_left" background_repeat="repeat" global_colors_info="{}"][et_pb_column type="4_4" _builder_version="4.16" custom_padding="|||" global_colors_info="{}" custom_padding__hover="|||"][et_pb_text _builder_version="4.18.0" background_size="initial" background_position="top_left" background_repeat="repeat" global_colors_info="{}"] Join Valerie Bolling and fellow storytellers for this in-community retreat for Black writers and illustrators. About the Program This 3-night/4-day retreat thrives within a welcoming community, designed to spark your creativity and foster connections with fellow […]
Summer Camp in Illustration: Intensive Artistic Inspiration*
[et_pb_section fb_built="1" admin_label="Workshop Overview Section" _builder_version="4.18.0" global_colors_info="{}"][et_pb_row admin_label="Overview Row" _builder_version="4.18.0" background_size="initial" background_position="top_left" background_repeat="repeat" global_colors_info="{}"][et_pb_column type="4_4" _builder_version="4.16" custom_padding="|||" global_colors_info="{}" custom_padding__hover="|||"][et_pb_text admin_label="Overview Paragraph" _builder_version="4.18.0" _module_preset="default" global_colors_info="{}"] Overview In-person 4-Day/3-Night Workshop and Retreat Get away for four days at our Summer Camp in Illustration for inspiration, guidance, support, community, fun, creativity, and growth. At the Highlights Foundation, […]
Summer Camp in Writing: Create and Dream!*
[et_pb_section fb_built="1" admin_label="Workshop Overview Section" _builder_version="4.18.0" global_colors_info="{}"][et_pb_row admin_label="Overview Row" _builder_version="4.18.0" background_size="initial" background_position="top_left" background_repeat="repeat" global_colors_info="{}"][et_pb_column type="4_4" _builder_version="4.16" custom_padding="|||" global_colors_info="{}" custom_padding__hover="|||"][et_pb_text admin_label="Overview Paragraph" _builder_version="4.18.0" _module_preset="default" global_colors_info="{}"] Overview In-person 5-Day/4-Night Workshop and Retreat Get away for five days at our Summer Camp in Writing for fiction and nonfiction storytellers who are looking for inspiration, guidance, mentorship, community, fun, […]
Welcome to the Whole Novel Workshop: A Summer Retreat for Novelists*
With Nicole Valentine
OVERVIEW: Congratulations on your acceptance into the Whole Novel Workshop: A Summer Retreat for Novelists! The Whole Novel Workshop offers writers the rare opportunity to have the entire draft of a novel (up to 80,000 words) read with written feedback and a private consultation, along with rich presentations specifically designed for novelists at this stage […]
Successful School Visits: A Three Part Online Course
https://www.highlightsfoundation.org/?p=40917&post_type=tribe_events&preview=1&_ppp=a20f0d2305
Income Streams for Illustrators: A Two-Night Mini
https://www.highlightsfoundation.org/?p=40902&post_type=tribe_events&preview=1&_ppp=917bbe2709
Line Editing Your MG or YA Novel: An Online Course
https://www.highlightsfoundation.org/?p=40778&post_type=tribe_events&preview=1&_ppp=7216f4b267
Just Do It! Your Collaborative Support Group for Finishing Your Draft (Fall)
[et_pb_section fb_built="1" admin_label="Workshop Overview Section" _builder_version="4.18.0" global_colors_info="{}"][et_pb_row admin_label="Overview Row" _builder_version="4.18.0" background_size="initial" background_position="top_left" background_repeat="repeat" global_colors_info="{}"][et_pb_column type="4_4" _builder_version="4.16" custom_padding="|||" global_colors_info="{}" custom_padding__hover="|||"][et_pb_text admin_label="Overview Paragraph" _builder_version="4.18.0" _module_preset="default" global_colors_info="{}"] Overview A 3-Part Online Cooperative This supportive program takes all creatives (nonfiction or fiction, picture books, novels, essays, and more) from goal-stating to finished drafts. Together, we’ll move through live sessions, […]
The Crash Course in Children's Book Publishing (Fall)
[et_pb_section fb_built="1" admin_label="Workshop Overview Section" _builder_version="4.18.0" global_colors_info="{}"][et_pb_row admin_label="Overview Row" _builder_version="4.18.0" background_size="initial" background_position="top_left" background_repeat="repeat" global_colors_info="{}"][et_pb_column type="4_4" _builder_version="4.16" custom_padding="|||" global_colors_info="{}" custom_padding__hover="|||"][et_pb_text admin_label="Overview Paragraph" _builder_version="4.18.0" _module_preset="default" global_colors_info="{}"] Overview Multi-Week Online Course Join lead faculty Harold Underdown and special guests for a Crash Course in Children's Publishing. At the end of the course, you will understand how the children’s book […]
From Idea & Sketch to Dummy & Submission: An Author/Illustrator Online Course
https://www.highlightsfoundation.org/?p=40907&post_type=tribe_events&preview=1&_ppp=1c683160c4
Working Retreat: Lyrical Picture Books and Poetry*
[et_pb_section fb_built="1" admin_label="Workshop Overview Section" _builder_version="4.18.0" global_colors_info="{}"][et_pb_row admin_label="Overview Row" _builder_version="4.18.0" background_size="initial" background_position="top_left" background_repeat="repeat" global_colors_info="{}"][et_pb_column type="4_4" _builder_version="4.16" custom_padding="|||" global_colors_info="{}" custom_padding__hover="|||"][et_pb_text admin_label="Overview Paragraph" _builder_version="4.18.0" _module_preset="default" global_colors_info="{}"] Overview In-person 4-Day/3-Night Working Retreat This program is a celebration of words: lyrical, poetic, pun-tastic words! Join an exceptional group of picture book creatives, including Sudipta Bardhan-Quallan, Georgia Heard, Rebecca Kai […]
Revising Your Novel in Verse: An Online Course
https://www.highlightsfoundation.org/?p=40791&post_type=tribe_events&preview=1&_ppp=b18324fcd3
Working Retreat: Chapter Books and Early Readers*
[et_pb_section fb_built="1" admin_label="Workshop Overview Section" _builder_version="4.18.0" global_colors_info="{}"][et_pb_row admin_label="Overview Row" _builder_version="4.18.0" background_size="initial" background_position="top_left" background_repeat="repeat" global_colors_info="{}"][et_pb_column type="4_4" _builder_version="4.16" custom_padding="|||" global_colors_info="{}" custom_padding__hover="|||"][et_pb_text admin_label="Overview Paragraph" _builder_version="4.18.0" _module_preset="default" global_colors_info="{}"] Overview In-person 4-Day/3-Night Working Retreat Join Debbi Michiko Florence, Kashmira Sheth, and guests for time to create and connect during this "Working Retreat." A “Working Retreat” is lightly structured with one lecture […]
Welcome to the Whole Novel Workshop: A Fall Retreat for Novelists*
With Nicole Valentine
*Additional faculty coming soon* OVERVIEW: Congratulations on your acceptance into the Whole Novel Workshop: A Summer Retreat for Novelists! The Whole Novel Workshop offers writers the rare opportunity to have the entire draft of a novel (up to 80,000 words) read with written feedback and a private consultation, along with rich presentations specifically designed for […]
Revising with Pride: A Two-Night Mini for Picture Book Writers
[et_pb_section fb_built="1" admin_label="Workshop Overview Section" _builder_version="4.18.0" global_colors_info="{}"][et_pb_row admin_label="Overview Row" _builder_version="4.18.0" background_size="initial" background_position="top_left" background_repeat="repeat" global_colors_info="{}"][et_pb_column type="4_4" _builder_version="4.16" custom_padding="|||" global_colors_info="{}" custom_padding__hover="|||"][et_pb_text admin_label="Overview Paragraph" _builder_version="4.18.0" _module_preset="default" global_colors_info="{}"] Overview A Two-Night Mini Online Course Picture books are filled with pride! Join celebrated authors Rob Sanders and Lesléa Newman for this short course designed to bring LGBTQIA+ creators and allies together to learn […]
Latinx Voices: An In-Community Retreat for Storytellers*
[et_pb_section fb_built="1" _builder_version="4.16" global_colors_info="{}"][et_pb_row _builder_version="4.16" background_size="initial" background_position="top_left" background_repeat="repeat" global_colors_info="{}"][et_pb_column type="4_4" _builder_version="4.16" custom_padding="|||" global_colors_info="{}" custom_padding__hover="|||"][et_pb_text _builder_version="4.18.0" background_size="initial" background_position="top_left" background_repeat="repeat" hover_enabled="0" global_colors_info="{}" sticky_enabled="0"] Join M. García Peña, NoNieqa Ramos, and Alex Villasante for their fifth annual, in-community retreat designed exclusively for Latinx/e writers and illustrators. About the Program This 3-night/4-day, in-community retreat is the space where you […]
Working Retreat: Picture Book Authors and Illustrators*
[et_pb_section fb_built="1" admin_label="Workshop Overview Section" _builder_version="4.18.0" global_colors_info="{}"][et_pb_row admin_label="Overview Row" _builder_version="4.18.0" background_size="initial" background_position="top_left" background_repeat="repeat" global_colors_info="{}"][et_pb_column type="4_4" _builder_version="4.16" custom_padding="|||" global_colors_info="{}" custom_padding__hover="|||"][et_pb_text admin_label="Overview Paragraph" _builder_version="4.18.0" _module_preset="default" global_colors_info="{}"] Overview In-person 4-Day/3-Night Working Retreat Picture book writers and illustrators: set aside time to focus on your picture book project! Here is a special retreat just for you. Join fiction and […]
Working Retreat: Revision*
DATES ARE SETTLED... IGNORE DATES MENTIONED BELOW, USE WEBSITE DETAILS. [et_pb_section fb_built="1" admin_label="Workshop Overview Section" _builder_version="4.18.0" global_colors_info="{}"][et_pb_row admin_label="Overview Row" _builder_version="4.18.0" background_size="initial" background_position="top_left" background_repeat="repeat" global_colors_info="{}"][et_pb_column type="4_4" _builder_version="4.16" custom_padding="|||" global_colors_info="{}" custom_padding__hover="|||"][et_pb_text admin_label="Overview Paragraph" _builder_version="4.18.0" _module_preset="default" global_colors_info="{}"] Overview In-person 4-Day/3-Night Working Retreat Join celebrated editors Harold Underdown, Eileen Robinson, and Emma Dryden for time to revise and connect […]