Alexandria Writing Retreat 2024 
October 16-19
The Alexandrian Hotel, Alexandria, Virginia
Welcome to the WFWA writing retreat in beautiful Alexandria, Virginia!

Join fellow women’s fiction writers for three edifying and entertaining days of workshops, writing, networking, and the Rising Star Awards Banquet  in Alexandria, Virginia, October 16-19, 2024.

REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN

Workshop Presenter

Schedule

Registration Fee

Hotel/Travel

Cancellations and Policies 

The Director of Literary Development at Nelson Literary Agency, Angie Hodapp is a story geek with an eye for what works and the ability to articulate various ways authors can take their writing and storytelling to the next level. She believes in the power of story to elevate, transform, and heal, and she loves to be anywhere writers are gathered. If she’s not reading, writing, or editing, she’s probably teaching Pilates, traveling with her novelist husband, knitting, or feeding her ever-hungry cat.

During our October 2024 in Virginia, Angie Hodapp of Nelson Literary Agency will help demystify the current publishing landscape. Not only will she dive deep into contracts (including the small print) and royalty statements (how do you read those things anyway?), but she’ll also answer all your burning questions about your rights as an author and how to protect them. In addition, she’ll cover how to write sell copy for your work, from loglines and pitches to query letters and synopses. And let’s not forget the fun, crafty part! Angie will help you look at your writing from the point of view of an agent or editor and give you solid strategies for devising concept-driven ideas in the women’s fiction space and revising your manuscripts to get tension on every page—two features industry folks are always hoping will pop up in their slush piles. Finally, don’t miss You Be the Agent, during which attendees become industry insiders as they read WF submissions in a mock slush pile and discuss which projects they would sign on to represent. Come with questions, leave with a career plan and path forward!

Schedule

Wednesday October 16

11:00am – 2:00pm Registration Open
1:00 – 2:00pm Orientation
2:00 – 4:00pm Speaker Workshop- Craft

• Idea to Concept to Premise to Plot

5:00 – 7:00pm Welcome Reception

Thursday October 17

7:00am – 9:00am Breakfast
9:00am – 12:00pm Speaker Workshop-Craft

• Beyond Goal and Conflict: A Better Way to Get Tension on Every Page

12:00 – 2:00pm Lunch on Your Own
2:00 – 4:00pm Speaker Workshop - Craft

• Heroes, Henchmen, and Sidekicks: A Characters-First Approach to Story

5:30 – 8:00pm Dinner on Your Own
8:00 – 9:30pm Night Owl Writing Sprint

Friday, October 18

7:00am – 9:00am Breakfast
9:00 – 11:30am Speaker Workshop – Business

• Agents, Rights, Contracts, and Royalties: Traditional Publishing Overview

11:30am – 1:00pm Lunch on Your Own
1:00 – 3:00pm  Speaker Workshop - Business

• Loglines, Pitches, Queries, and Synopses: How to Write about What You Wrote

3:00 – 7:00pm Free Time
7:00 – 9:00pm Banquet and Rising Star Awards

Saturday, October 19

7:00am – 9:00am Breakfast
9:00am – 12:00pm Speaker Workshop - Bonus Session

• You Be the Agent!:  Attendees will put on their agent hats as they consider the opening pages of ten mock submissions provided. The trick is, they can only request three manuscripts. Which three will each “agent” request and why?

12:00 – 2:00pm Farewell Lunch
2:00 – 5:00pm Free time and/or check out

We will sell extra awards banquet dinner tickets for $80 each.

Registration Fee

Hotel, airfare, transportation to the hotel, lunches, or other expenses not expressly stated above are not included in the registration fee.

Hotel

The retreat is being held at The Alexandrian Hotel, Alexandria, Virginia. 

Hotel rooms are $239.00 per night. The last day to book your hotel room at the group rate is Wednesday, September 18, 2024.

Reservations will be made directly through the hotel. After you have registered for the retreat, you will be sent a link to our block of rooms to get the group rate. 

All attendees will be required to comply with hotel and state COVID-19 restrictions. WFWA encourages each attendee to review guidelines posted by the hotel and the state.

RETREAT CANCELLATION AND POLICIES

 All participants agree to adhere to these policies upon registration.