Since joining the Redbud Writers Guild, in early 2013, I’ve been intentionally rubbing shoulders deeply and frequently with the amazing women in our guild. Because our network of women writers has been ever-expanding (we now number around 125, with the goal of 500 in 5 years), so has my personal network. As a result, I’ve been blessed with relationships and opportunities of which I’d not been aware otherwise.

One of those opportunities was attending the recent Festival of Faith & Writing at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, MI, where the Redbuds also gathered frequently and tried to be fairly ubiquitous, so we can become more of a presence in the field of Christian writing. Of course it was fantastic gathering at the festival with like-minded people: book lovers, writers, aspiring writers, editors, bloggers, publishers, etc. There were something like 2.5K in attendance and the number of sessions and other opportunities were, at best, amazingly-prolific and, at worst, overwhelming and paralyzing. Sometimes both. 🙂 Yet while it was awesome, there wasn’t time dedicate to actually writing if you became particularly inspired, because, ironically or not, that wasn’t the point of those 3 days.

There are opportunities, however, for people who want or need to actually work on their craft in community with others, and I’ve come to know about a small bevy of them as a result of that expanding network.
So, for those readers of my blog who are interested in writing, either avocationally or vocationally, I thought I’d pass along some of the notifications I’ve received about the lesser-known opportunities to gather in more intimate settings than big writer’s conferences. Below I’ve started a list of links to lesser-known opportunities for intensive craft development in smaller, groups of writers, editors, and publishers, often in someone’s home, converted barn, or even private island (oh yes). I’m limiting this list to opportunities offered by Christian writers, editors, and publishers, because it could get unwieldy otherwise.
I’ll keep adding to this list as I’m aware of more opportunities. If you know of others not listed here, please feel free to place it in the comments (subject to approval, as always) and/or write me at info@natalieeastman.com to make me aware of it. Please provide me with a link and anything else that is particularly noteworthy about it.

In order by month…

Faith and Culture Writer’s Conference (April. Portland, OR). (Thank you for this info, Leslie Leyland Fields)

The Glen Workshop (July-August. New Mexico. Karen Swallow Prior; emphasis on becoming good readers to become good writers)

God’s Whisper Farm Writers Retreat (July. Virginia. Andi Cumbo-Floyd)

Harvester Island Wilderness Writers Workshop (September. Alaska (and I mean it doesn’t get much more Alaska than a private island off an island off the coast of Alaska). Leslie Leyland Fields. Guest Writers  – Jeanne Murray Walker and Luci Shaw)

Breathe (October. Cornerstone Univ. in Grand Rapids).  (Thank you for this info, Leslie Leyland Fields)