In May 2021, the HerStry Writing Community became the fourth Supportive Friend of the Novel-In-Progress Bookcamp & Writing Retreat, HerStry Founder and Executive Editor Julia Nusbaum and Dave Rank, NIP executive director announced.
Based in Milwaukee, Wis., HerStry joins the Chicago Writers Association, the Off Campus Writersʼ Workshop, Winnetka, Ill., and the Wisconsin Writers Association as a Supportive Friend, Rank said. “As a NIP Supportive Friend, HerStry agrees to promote our NIP educational programs to its members. In exchange, HerStry members will receive a $90 discount when they enroll in our Bookcamp workshop or a $100 discount to enroll in our Writing Retreat.ˮ
The NIP offers four, six-day residential writing programs annually in southeast Wisconsin. This year, the Speculative Fiction Bookcamp will be held August 1-7 while the All-Genre Bookcamp is scheduled for August 8-14, Rank said. A companion Writing Retreat will be held each week for writers interested in personal writing time without instructional classes to attend.“
As far as NIP goes, I would be happy to get the word out to my members. We have about 100 paying monthly members who are always looking for things like NIP. I think itʼs right up their alley,ˮ Nusbaum said.
Nusbaum created HerStry after graduating from Vanderbilt University Divinity School in 2014 with her Master of Theological Studies. You might think a background in theology would make her an odd candidate for creating a feminist storytelling community, but we beg to differ.
While finishing her masterʼs thesis at Thistle Farms, a recovery community in Nashville, Tennessee for women who have survived trafficking, addiction, and life on the streets, Nusbaum started a writing class. It was there, she said, writing with the women of Thistle Farms, that Nusbaum discovered the deep need women have to tell their stories. From that beginning, she developed HerStry, a blog, https://herstryblg.com/, publishing women’s stories and offering a conference, editorial services, and writing critique groups.
The NIP is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization registered in Wisconsin. Since 2014 it provides well-received, quality educational programs for writers wanting to advance their craft and a book-length work-in-progress.
“We’re excited that HerStry joined our list of Supportive Friends,ˮ Rank said. “We find cooperating with writing associations is our best way to market our services.ˮ The NIP website is www.novelbookcamp.org.
