Recharge Your Writing Retreat

Recharge Your Writing Retreat at Conception Abbey

WHEN? Thursday March 27 -Saturday, March 29, 2025

Who’s ready to take a step back from everyday life and focus on their writing for 2 solid days! Who wants to fill their creative soul with nature and children’s book talk?

If I’m describing you, take time for yourself to dive into a manuscript or two in the bucolic setting of Conception Abbey (37174 State Hwy VV, Conception, MO 64433). 

This year we are excited to announce that Wendy McClure of Sourcebooks will be our guest editor. Come get feedback from both a seasoned editor and fellow writers. 

Join us Thursday March 27-Saturday March 29, 2025 for 2 full days of digging deeper into your works in progress!

KSMO-SCBWI offers this retreat, for all writing levels.

About our faculty:

Wendy McClure’s kidlit career spans over twenty-five years. As Senior Editor at Sourcebooks, she acquires for a broad range of children’s book categories, from board book to YA. Picture books she’s worked on include Dear Mr. Dickens by Nancy Churnin, Jacob’s New Dress by Sarah and Ian Hoffman, and The Boo Crew Needs You by Vicky Fang. In middle grade she’s edited (and ghostwritten!) Boxcar Children series books and is now working with Jen Calonita on a new series called Isle of Ever. Among her recent YA projects are thrillers by Natalie Richards and Chelsea Ichaso, and the historical fantasy This Ravenous Fate by Hayley Dennings. Wendy is also the author of several books for kids and adults. She lives in Chicago with her husband.

WHAT IS INCLUDED?

Wendy McClure will be leading two one-hour presentations:

Positioning is Everything: In publishing, “positioning” isn’t just something that the sales and marketing departments do: it’s part of so many decisions made by editors, designers, and production editors. Positioning can also guide agents, writers, and illustrators during the submissions process—and even the creative process. In my talk, I’ll shed light on comps, specs, strategy shifts, and other techniques that help book creators find their audiences.

The Great Inbox Adventure: Inspired by Choose Your Own Adventure stories and the interactive game Lemonade Stand, this presentation simulates an editor's day spent fielding query emails from agents and creators. We’ll start with a manuscript wishlist and a hypothetical block of reading time and make decisions together. Which projects should we request to read? Which ones get a quick pass? This isn’t about the perfect query letter—it’s about trying to make the best guesses about what's in those file attachments, and understanding the big-picture considerations that help an editor decide something's a good bet. 

(**Note: Topics of presentation are subject to change.)

She will also be participating in a Q&A on Saturday.

From Wendy you will receive a one-on-one 15-minute personalized critique covering 10 manuscript pages and a synopsis (synopsis will not be critiqued but used as a reference to the story), OR one complete PB manuscript (under 1500 words) using the SCBWI gold critique form.

PEER CRITIQUE GROUPS

Additionally, all who register are required to participate in two peer critique sessions. This is mandatory and entails reading and giving comments on other’s works prior to attending the retreat. It is also what most find to be the best part of the retreat. 

We ask that you fill out and print a copy of the gold form for each manuscript in your critique group prior to attending. 

2 to 3 weeks prior to the retreat, you will be asked to send in 2 manuscripts for picture books or two chapters for novels for a peer critique group to read and provide feedback on prior to the actual retreat. Everyone brings these completed critiques (either with suggestions written on the manuscript themselves and/or on a gold form) to discuss on Thursday and Friday nights with a group of writers who work on similar manuscripts. 

Based on feedback, for novels we also suggest you send a synopsis, not to be critiqued, but rather to allow your fellow attendees to place your book in context to help with evaluating your chapters.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES FOR EDITOR CRITIQUE

Submit the first 10 pages and a synopsis (if you wish) or one complete picture book of no more than 1500 words in standard manuscript format, as an email attachment to ksmosubmissions@gmail.com

Send all materials & manuscript pages as ONE document.

SUBJECT LINE of your email and Doc title should read: LastName_Title_EditorsLastName (ie. Helsel_Fantastic_Manuscript_McClure)

 Please use .doc NOT PDF.

All Materials due by 5:00 PM CT on Friday, February 14, 2025. This is to give Wendy McClure maximum time to complete her critiques.

It’s a steal! Don’t miss your opportunity! Sign up now! 

Tentative Retreat Schedule: (*subject to change)

Thursday, March 27, 2025

12:30 p.m. Check-in

1:00 p.m. Individual critiques with Wendy McClure/ Individual mss. revision/writing time

5 pm Ice Breaker in main meeting area

5:45 p.m. Dinner

7-8 p.m. Presentation by Wendy McClure: Positioning is Everything: In publishing, “positioning” isn’t just something that the sales and marketing departments do: it’s part of so many decisions made by editors, designers, and production editors. Positioning can also guide agents, writers, and illustrators during the submissions process—and even the creative process. In my talk, I’ll shed light on comps, specs, strategy shifts, and other techniques that help book creators find their audiences.

8-10 p.m. Mandatory Peer group critique meeting #1

Friday, March 28, 2025

7:45 a.m. Breakfast

9 a.m.-12 p.m Remaining critique meetings with Wendy McClure/ Individual mss. revision/writing time

12:20 p.m. Lunch

1:00-2:00 p.m. Presentation by Wendy McClure: The Great Inbox Adventure: Inspired by Choose Your Own Adventure stories and the interactive game Lemonade Stand, this presentation simulates an editor's day spent fielding query emails from agents and creators. We’ll start with a manuscript wishlist and a hypothetical block of reading time and make decisions together. Which projects should we request to read? Which ones get a quick pass? This isn’t about the perfect query letter—it’s about trying to make the best guesses about what's in those file attachments, and understanding the big-picture considerations that help an editor decide something's a good bet. 

2:00-5:45 p.m. Individual mss revision/writing time

5:45 p.m. Pizza party Dinner with Wendy McClure and SCBWI group

7 p.m. – 9 p.m. Mandatory Peer critique group meeting #2

Saturday, March 29, 2025

7:45 a.m. Breakfast

9:00-10:00 a.m. Editor Q&A

10:00-11:15 am Open forum: Attendees discuss any writing topics they would like to discuss and reflect on Goals going forward 

12:20 p.m. Lunch

2:00 p.m. Check out

You can have all of this, in addition to a two-night stay in a private room with meals provided in this secluded location good enough for monks! All for the low, low price of $525 (see refund policy below). 

That’s food and lodging, two peer critique sessions, two writing presentations and a Q & A with an editor, quiet writing time, and an individualized, in-person critique by a professional editor!

Dietary Considerations: Please let us know if you have any dietary restrictions at the time you sign up for this event so we can let the abbey know in advance. On pizza night, if you have special dietary restrictions that preclude you from enjoying the pizza,  you will get take out from the abbey.

REFUND POLICY:

SCBWI is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization. SCBWI Regions are managed by unpaid volunteers. Region funds support programs that benefit SCBWI members.

 As part of the event planning process, Regional Advisors must sign contracts with venues, speakers, critiquers, vendors, and others who will be providing services during a regional activity. Registration fees collected for an event must cover the cost of these contracts; therefore, refunds are the exception rather than the rule. In the rare case a refund is granted, it will always be less any credit card processing fees and any other expenses that cannot be recouped by the region.

Requests to refund registration fees for in-person activities will be decided on a case-by-case basis.

Because fees paid to our editor for manuscript critiques, portfolio reviews, intensive programming, other exclusive offerings are contracted in advance, these fees cannot be refunded.