What are the best in-person experiences for aspiring writers to develop their skills?

September 7, 2012 2:58 PM

Where are the good writers' retreats and workshops? How can I identify them?

Asking for a friend: can you recommend writers' workshops? I searched through the old questions and the only notable item was the Gotham Writers' Workshop. I'll point him to the online side of their site. I think, though, an in-person retreat or ongoing workshops would be better, for multiple reasons. For a several day retreat, he'd be willing to fly pretty much anywhere, so those don't need to be location-specific.

Can you offer any advice for finding a good group?

Bonus points for: retreats/courses based on The Artist's Way
Courses/groups in the Chicagoland area.

Thanks!

posted by emkelley to Education (2 answers total)

The Writer's Workshop at the University of Iowa is probably your best bet for something "near" Chicago. I attended in the late 80s, and ended up meeting Kurt Vonneghut at a party my first week there. I was introduced by my adviser, who rolled up to the party with his special friends in what I described as a "Scooby Doo" van. Groovy.
posted by thanotopsis at 3:15 PM on September 7, 2012 [1 favorite]

Here is a sortable database of conferences, residencies, and workshops.
posted by munyeca at 3:50 PM on September 7, 2012