NOTE: This is indicative only for 2023
Wednesday, July 20 – Arrival Day
All students will be staying in Robertshaw Hall.
Staff members will be on hand at 9:00 am to greet arriving students. Meet in the Robertshaw Hall lobby for check-in and keys. Take your linens and suitcases to your rooms, then rest or come back and socialize. Make sure to call home and tell your folks you made it okay!
Snacks will be served in Robertshaw Hall around 1 pm. Dinner is in Chambers Hall from 5:30-6:30.
People being picked up at the airport who will miss meals will stop en route to eat.
No formal activities are scheduled, since people will be arriving all day, but we’ll do introductions and maybe a games night after dinner.
Thursday, July 21 – Day 2
8:30 A.M. – 9:30 A.M. Breakfast
10:00 A.M. – 10:50 A.M. Official welcome, explanation of writing assignment
11:00 A.M. – 12:20 P.M. [LECTURE SLOT]
12:30 P.M. – 1:30 P.M. Lunch
1:40 P.M. – 3:00 P.M. [LECTURE SLOT]
3:00 P.M. – 5:20 P.M. Initial brainstorming workshop
5:30 P.M. – 6:30 P.M. Dinner
6:40 P.M. – 7:30 P.M. [STAFF LECTURE]
7:30 P.M. – 9:00 P.M. Writing Studio
Friday, July 22 – Day 3 – with ALAYA
8:30 A.M. – 9:30 A.M. Breakfast
10:00 A.M. – 11:20 A.M. Alaya Dawn Johnson presentation
11:20 A.M. – 11:40 A.M. Alaya Dawn Johnson signing
11:40 P.M. – 12:20 P.M. Writing Studio
12:30 P.M. – 1:30 P.M. Lunch
1:40 P.M. – 2:40 P.M. Alaya Dawn Johnson presentation
2:50 P.M. – 3:50 P.M. [STAFF LECTURE]
4:00 P.M. – 5:20 P.M. Second workshop of initial story ideas
5:30 P.M. – 6:30 P.M. Dinner
6:40 P.M. – 7:40 P.M How (Not) to Critique – Second year students
7:40 P.M. – 9:00 P.M. Writing Studio
Saturday, July 23 – Day 4 ALAYA
10:00 A.M. – 11:20 A.M. Alaya Dawn Johnson presentation
11:30 A.M. – 12:30 P.M. Brunch
12:40 P.M. – 2:00 P.M. Alaya Dawn Johnson presentation
2:10 P.M. – 3:00 P.M. [STAFF LECTURE]
3:10 P.M. – 4:10 P.M. [STAFF LECTURE]
4:20 P.M. – 5:20 P.M. Second year demo story critiques
5:30 P.M. – 6:30 P.M. Dinner
6:40 P.M. – 7:40 P.M. First lines exercise
7:40 P.M. – 9:00 P.M. Writing Studio
Sunday, July 24 – Day 5 TAMMY
10:00 A.M. – 11:20 A.M. Tamora Pierce presentation
11:30 A.M. – 12:30 P.M. Brunch
12:40 P.M. – 1:40 P.M. Tamora Pierce presentation
1:40 P.M. – 2:00 P.M. Tamora Pierce signing
2:10 P.M. – 3:10 P.M. [STAFF LECTURE]
3:10 P.M. – 5:20 P.M. Writing Studio
5:30 P.M. – 6:30 P.M. Dinner
6:40 P.M. – 7:40 P.M. One-on-ones with staff
7:40 – 9:00 P.M. Writing Studio
Monday, July 25 – Day 6 TAMMY
8:30 A.M. – 9:30 A.M. Breakfast
10:00 A.M. – 11:20 A.M. Tamora Pierce presentation
11:30 A.M. – 12:20 P.M. [STAFF LECTURE]
12:30 P.M. – 1:30 P.M. Lunch
1:40 P.M. – 3:00 P.M. Tamora Pierce presentation
3:10 P.M. – 4:00 P.M. [STAFF LECTURE]
4:00 P.M. – 4:50 P.M. Writing studio
5:30 P.M. – 6:30 P.M. Dinner
6:30 – 8:30 P.M. Livestream author and student reading
8:30 P.M. – 9:00 P.M. Writing Studio
Tuesday, July 26 – Day 7 NISI
8:30 A.M. – 9:30 A.M. Breakfast
10:00 A.M. – 11:30 A.M. Nisi Shawl virtual presentation: Dialogue and Dialect
11:30 A.M. – 12:20 P.M. Writing Studio
12:30 P.M. – 1:30 P.M. Lunch
1:40 P.M. – 2:40 P.M. Nisi Shawl Virtual Q&A
2:50 P.M. – 3:50 P.M. – [STAFF LECTURE ] Lecture room
3:50 P.M. – 5:20 P.M. Writing Studio
5:30 P.M. – 6:30 P.M. Dinner
6:30 P.M. – 9:00 P.M. Writing Studio
Wednesday, July 27 – Day 8 NISI
Turn in first draft before 8:00 A.M.
8:30 A.M. – 9:30 A.M. Breakfast
9:30 A.M. – 11:00 A.M. Nisi Shawl virtual presentation: A Taste of Writing the Other
11:10 A.M. – 12:00 P.M. [STAFF LECTURE]
12:00 P.M. – 12:20 P.M. Group Photo
12:30 P.M. – 1:30 P.M. Lunch
1:40 P.M. – 2:40 P.M. [STAFF LECTURE]
2:40 P.M. – 5:20 P.M. Critique stories on your own
5:30 P.M. – 6:30 P.M. Dinner
6:40 P.M. – 9:00 P.M. Writing Studio
Thursday, July 28 – Day 9 MIKE
8:30 A.M. – 9:30 A.M. Breakfast
10:00 A.M. – 11:20 A.M. Mike Arnzen presentation
11:30 A.M. – 12:20 P.M. [STAFF LECTURE]
12:30 P.M. – 1:30 P.M. Lunch
1:40 P.M. – 3:00 P.M. Mike Arnzen presentation
3:10 P.M. – 5:20 P.M. Writing Studio
5:30 P.M. – 5:50 P.M. Dinner
9:00 P.M. – Arrive back at UPG
Friday, July 29 – Day 10 MIKE
8:30 A.M. – 9:30 A.M. Breakfast
10:00 A.M. – 11:20 A.M. Mike Arnzen presentation
11:30 A.M. – 12:20 P.M. [STAFF LECTURE] – Malina
12:30 P.M. – 1:30 P.M. Lunch
1:40 P.M. – 2:40 P.M. Mike Arnzen presentation
2:50 P.M. – 5:20 P.M. Critique of first draft
5:30 P.M. – 6:30 P.M. Dinner
6:40 P.M. – 9:00 P.M. Writing Studio – revise, start a new project, or relax!
Saturday, July 30 – Day 11
10:30 A.M. – 11:20 A.M. Mini-Lectures – Staff
11:30 A.M. – 12:30 P.M. Brunch
12:40 P.M. – 1:50 P.M. Staff reading
1:50 P.M. – 3:05 P.M. Writing Studio – revise, start a new project, or relax!
3:15 P.M. – 4:00 P.M. [STAFF LECTURE]
4:10 P.M – 4:40 P.M. Story submission party
4:50 P.M – 5:20 P.M. Student feedback session
5:30 P.M. – 6:30 P.M. Dinner
6:40 P.M. – Relax & start paking!
Sunday, July 31 – Day 12
*** Boxed breakfasts will be delivered to Robertshaw Hall the night before.
8:00 A.M. – 9:00 A.M. – Pack and clean
9:00 A.M. Depart for the airport
Writing Studio
Writing Studio is your time! You can…
- Go write
- Dissect story ideas
- Examine story problems
- Critique an in-progress story
- Find someone to talk with about your story
- Or whatever makes the most sense for you!
Social Breaks
Social breaks are usually optional, silly activities like “making tiny zines out of paper”
Prologues
Much smaller optional activities before the lecture starts. You might hear staff or a fellow student read their work aloud or get a tour of a staff member’s bookshelves.
Pre-Dawn and After Hours Activities
Optional activities like writing exercises, group discussions, or “word wars,” to help fill in the time zone gaps.
Lecture Topics
Lecture topics vary somewhat from year to year based on interest, guest lecturers, and onsite staff. You can expect lectures to cover a lot of general craft knowledge, specialized genre tips and tricks, and publishing know-how.