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NEWS & EVENTS
May 30 - June 1, 2025
5th ANNUAL WRITING
RETREAT!!
Registration is now open for our next Virginia City Retreat Friday, May 30 through Sunday, June 1! Once again we will be at the beautiful St. Mary's Art Center, a National Historical Landmark built in 1875, for the three day, two night event.
Get your Elevator Pitches ready, because we've added something new this year! Joining us again is Hannah Andrade, Agent and Royalties Manager for Bradford Literary Agency, and on Saturday she will be providing a Pitch Session for all in attendance. Each writer will get 3 minutes with Hannah to pitch one project. She will also be providing 10-page critiques and one-on-one meetings for an extra fee for those who are interested.
On Friday, along with a Pitch Workshop to get those polished and ready, Linda Kay Hardie will be teaching a class titled "Killing Him Softly with My Short Story: Writing with White-Hot Passion." On Saturday, Nick Josten will teach "How to Succeed in Screenwriting Without Really Trying."
After a pot luck on Friday night, you will be responsible for your own meals. There are many amazing restaurants to visit in Virginia City, as well as a large refrigerator and two full kitchens onsite if you prefer to bring your own.
You can register for the event here, and if you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to me here.
NOTE: All onsite rooms are sold out. If you would like to attend the conference and stay in Virginia City, please register for one of the "Conference Only" options, and contact David or Linda Lindsey at the Virginia City Inn (775-847-0282) or the Remember When Motel (775-583-1003). Mention you are with the Virginia City Writing Retreat. They have agreed to offer a discounted rate for our group.
Thanks, and I hope you see you soon!!
Testimonials from Past Events
"What a weekend! 10,000+ words written on my WIP, nearly pee-my-pants laughter, inspirational classes, fabulous companions, and a fair and kind critique! Not to mention, a gorgeous setting!"
~Jackie Green
"I love these writing retreats. Having focused time allowed me to reread my 70,000 word manuscript. And the two speakers gave practical things for me to look at as I edited. I also enjoy hanging out with other writers during the free time."
~ Jacci Turner
"This motivational long weekend with talented people pushed me to finally complete my first novel and gave me the confidence to start reaching out to agents. Also, I'm pretty sure I made friends with a ghost."
~ Nick Josten
"I love this retreat, because no matter what's going on in my life, I end up writing 1,000 to 2,000 words. And those are good words, clean words on a project. I also write between 3,000 to 5,000 words in journaling and brainstorming ideas. Plus, I love to be around other writers for a fun weekend."
~ Linda Kay Hardie
"The Writers' Conference at St. Mary's Art Center was amazing. What a fantastic atmosphere to get the creative juices flowing! As a new author, I learned a lot and wrote a ton. Thanks for the fun!"
~ Barbara Arbogast
"It was really amazing! Relaxed, yet had that one-on-one feel. And I got a lot done!!"
~ Jade Griffin
Upcoming Retreats
May 29 - May 31, 2026
We will be joined by Victoria Selvaggio, Agent and Owner of Storm Literary Agency!
More details coming soon!!
Refund Policy -
Single and Double Room: Due to the limited number of rooms, no refunds will be offered. Rooms, however, can be transferred. Please reach out via the Contact form on this site or email kimharnes@gmail.com if you need to transfer your room to someone else. (For double rooms, transfers are only allowable if it is acceptable, in writing, to the other occupant.)
Conference only options: If you are unable to attend the conference only option, a full refund (minus the 3.1% fee the credit card companies charge to accept the payment, i.e. $150.00 = $145.35) can be processed. Please reach out via the Contact form on this site or email kimharnes@gmail.com to request a refund.
Critique option: If you have added a Critique or have paid for a Critique Only option and cannot make the event, refunds (minus the 3.1% fee the credit card companies charge to accept the payment) will be given up to the cutoff date of April 30. If you request a refund after the April 30 cutoff or if you do not submit your pages in time, these funds will not be returned.
NOTE: The cutoff date to request a refund (with the exception of the Critique option) is 21 days before the event (or May 9, 2025). No refunds will be honored after this date.
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