WEST BEND, Wis.— Epic Fantasy novelist Bradley P. Beaulieu has joined the instructional staff for the week-long 2021 Novel-In-Progress Bookcamp & Writing Retreat in August.
An award-winning fantasy and science fiction author, Beaulieu, from Racine, Wis., tag-teams with novelist and Editor Richard Thomas, Chicago, Ill., for scheduled morning Bookcamp writing workshop classes August 1-7. Joining them is Sue Burke, Chicago, who will lead the NIP’s afternoon Editing Workshop and mentor writers enrolled in the separate six-day, residential Writing Retreat program.
This is the first Speculative Fiction Bookcamp workshop and Writing Retreat programs offered by the NIP, a nonprofit writing educational organization in southeast Wisconsin, explained Director Dave Rank. “Our eighth annual All-Genre NIP will be held August 8-14 this year.”
The Speculative Fiction NIP was developed with the goal of providing the best instructional sessions possible tailored for writers of Science Fiction, Fantasy, Horror, and related genres, the NIP director said. “World Building, essential for quality Speculative Fiction, will be emphasized, and we’ll provide insight into today’s fast-changing publishing industry. In addition to classes and the Editing Clinic, we will have guest speakers, panel discussions, and other planned activities.”
The emphasis for the Writing Retreat program is to provide as much personal writing time as possible with access to presentations and social activities, Rank said.
“Literary agents Jennifer Goloboy and Laura Zats, with book editor James Lowder will share their expertise with Thursday and Friday during the NIP week. And we’re pleased to announce, that multiple Stoker award-winning horror author Sarah Read will join us on Wednesday to shed light on writing dark fiction,” Rank said.
Beaulieu steps in for fantasy novelist Anna Kashina, Philadelphia, Pa., who withdrew from the staff because of a scheduling conflict. An award-winning author of epic fantasy series and science fiction, Beaulieu has published more than ten novels and several dozen short stories. He is now working on a new fantasy trilogy to be published by DAW Books. Also a freelance editor, Beaulieu hosts the science fiction and fantasy podcast, Speculate, which can be found at speculatesf.com. His website, www.quillings.com.
Richard Thomas is the award-winning author of three novels, three short story collections, and one novella, all in dark fiction genres. He’s also edited four anthologies, Thomas has been nominated for the Bram Stoker, Shirley Jackson, and Thriller awards. In his spare time, he is an online columnist at Lit Reactor. The former editor-in-chief at Dark House Press and Gamut Magazine, he conducts writing classes online and in the Chicago area. His website, https://whatdoesnotkillme.com,
Sue Burke, Chicago, will lead the NIP’s afternoon Editing Clinic and mentor the Writing Retreat program. Her 2018 debut novel Semiosis was acclaimed for its skillful world-building. She followed up with the sequel Interference in 2019 with the third book of the trilogy scheduled for release in 2024. Two other SF novels are planned for release this year and in 2022. Several of her short story and novella collections also are in print. She has worked as a reporter, editor, award-winning Spanish translator. and teacher. Her website, www.sueburke.site.
Jennifer Goloboy is an agent with the Donald Maass Literary Agency, New York. She particularly looks for innovative, diverse, and progressive science fiction and fantasy for adults. Laura Zats is co-founder of Headwater Literary Management, St. Paul, Minn. She represents Science Fiction, Fantasy, Horror with speculative elements, all genres of Young Adult, Romance, and Literary Fiction with speculative elements.
James Lowder is executive editor for Chaosium, Inc., a board game and book publisher. He’s also an award-winning author of novels, short stories, an anthologist, and comic book scriptwriter. With Goloboy and Zats, he will lead presentations, taking part in panel discussions on the publishing industry, judge the annual Slush Pile Reads evening event, and hear book pitches from registered writers.
Wisconsin author Sarah Read’s debut novel The Bone Weaver’s Garden won a 2020 Bram Stoker award from the Horror Writers Association and a This Is Horror award in the United Kingdom, as well as accumulating several other nominations and honorable mentions. She is editor of Pantheon Magazine.
The Novel-In-Progress Bookcamp & Writing Retreat, www.novelbookcamp.org, offers two annual, residential writing events, the concurrent All-Genre NIP Bookcamp workshop and Writing Retreat, usually held in May, and the new Speculative Fiction NIP Bookcamp and Retreat in August.
NIP Bookcamp – This intensive workshop is designed to aid writers with a book-length work-in-progress (WIP). It offers classroom instruction, editing clinic, critique sessions, to provide advice from published novelists, agents, and editors. In addition, today’s changing publishing industry will be discussed within a week-long, writing-focused environment.
NIP Writing Retreat – This writers’ retreat offers six days of personal writing time with opportunities to discuss writing issues with the Retreat Mentor (an award-winning editor anthologist, and author), opportunities to attend certain writing- or publishing-related presentations, all NIP social activities, critiques, and chat with fellow writers and publishing professionals in a relaxed group environment.
Members of the Chicago Writers Association, Off Campus Writers’ Workshop, Winnetka, Ill., Wisconsin Writers Association, and the HerStry Writing Community, Milwaukee, Wis.. receive a discount when enrolled in either the Bookcamp workshop or Writing Retreat. Registration for both small-enrollment programs are limited.
NIP programs are held at Cedar Valley UCCI, a 100-acre rural retreat in southeast Wisconsin, 35 miles northwest of Milwaukee and 95 miles from Chicago. https://www.ucci.org/cedar-valley/.
For more information on NIP programs, contact NIP Director Dave Rank, director@novelbookcamp.org, or through the NIP’s Facebook page.
The Bookcamp workshop and the Writing Retreat are owned by the Novel-In-Progress Bookcamp & Writing Retreat, Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit educational group. Donations welcomed.
