Conference Schedule Site

This year IWWG’s  2024 Summer Conference, will take place August 1-5 on the beautiful, seaside campus of Roger Williams University in Bristol, Rhode Island. Join us for this once-a-year immersive weekend; experience Community, Connection, and Creativity in the company of women Writing Together. You’ll thank yourself.

Every day, choose from among 20 different workshops, in all genres, taught by teachers both familiar and those bringing exciting new voices and perspectives. Experience the joy of being “heard” during in-class readings, nightly open mics, and intensive workshops and critiques focused on your own writing. Unwind, rejuvenate, and build lasting connections with like-minded women writers joined by our words and our stories. The beauty of this location will inspire both you and  your creativity. We hope you'll join us for this transformative journey into Writing Together by the sea.  

This year will feature the option of a single room or choosing to room with another, cutting your cost significantly. Most rooms are in 'quad' suites, set up for four (2 bedrooms, 2 in each room). Single rooms (single occupancy per bedroom) share bath, common area and kitchen with another single room in the suite. Double rooms (double occupancy in twin beds) share bath, kitchen, and common area with another 2-person double in the suite. Please note first floor rooms are sold out. We have second floor rooms with the same layout but it requires walking up one flight of stairs (no elevators). Please email or call with any issues on this and we will see what we can do. 

Slides of our Open House/Information Session from 2/4/2024

Conference Schedule Site

IWWG is happy to present several virtual options for the August Summer Conference from author conversations to free writes to workshops and a closing session on self-publishing.  See descriptions below and join us! You can also participate in a virtual book fair. When you register, you will receive on the virtual book fair. HERE IS THE LINK TO SEND YOUR INFORMATION FOR THE VIRTUAL BOOK FAIR (INCLUDED WITH VIRTUAL REGISTRATION FEE)

Friday, August 2

6:00 - 6:45 pm
Conversation with Sigrid Nunez

Join IWWG Instructor and Past Board Chair Judith Huge in Conversation with Author, Sigrid Nunez: Sigrid Nunez has published nine novels, including A Feather on the Breath of God, The Last of Her Kind, The Friend, What Are You Going Through, and, most recently, The Vulnerables. Nunez is also the author of Sempre Susan: A Memoir of Susan Sontag. The Friend, a New York Times bestseller, won the 2018 National Book Award and was a finalist for the 2019 Simpson/Joyce Carol Oates Prize. In France, it was longlisted for the 2019 Prix Femina and named a finalist for the 2019 Prix du Meilleure Livre. She is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters. Her story “The Plan” was selected for The Best American Short Stories 2019. Her essay “Life and Story,” originally published in The Sewanee Review, was selected for The Best American Essays 2023. Her work has been published in more than thirty countries. This session has a separate Zoom link.

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Saturday, August 3

9:00 - 10:00am
"Our Blinding, Bright Lives": A Meditation and Freewriting Circle #1
(Lisa Freedman)

We will gather, and Lisa will guide us in five minutes of silent, breath-awareness meditation. Then we will freewrite off quotes and poems by Tracy K. Smith and share what comes through. The sharing is optional. The focus here is listening – listening to your inner self, listening to Tracy K. Smith’s lines, and listening to your own and each other’s words. 

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11:00am - 12:15pm
Flashes of Fiction
(Melissa Michal)

In this workshop, we will look at and write flash fiction, and pay careful attention to what makes this form unique. We will discuss the palpable and rich textures these tiny stories can evoke and how other authors weave such elements with so few words. Through examples and flash-story developing exercises, we will define how character, point of view, description, and setting play key roles in this form. This workshop is for any level and we will work on several exercises to help you work with the form.

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1:00 - 2:30pm
Writing Peace
(Amy Shimson-Santo)

Writing Peace - how women are imagining culture and place beyond conflict and war. 

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Sunday, August 4

9:00 - 10:00am
"Our Blinding, Bright Lives": A Meditation and Freewriting Circle #1
(Lisa Freedman)

We will gather, and Lisa will guide us in five minutes of silent, breath-awareness meditation. Then we will freewrite off quotes and poems by Tracy K. Smith and share what comes through. The sharing is optional. The focus here is listening – listening to your inner self, listening to Tracy K. Smith’s lines, and listening to your own and each other’s words. Note: The format for both circles on Friday and Saturday mornings will be the same, but the prompts by Tracy K. Smith will be different in each circle.

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11:00am - 12:00pm
Pet Whispers
(Kate Copeland)

Dog circles moons of language.
Dog barks for homecomings.
Dog is a name away.
From: Dog - by Katherine Gallagher (Circus Apprentice, 2006)

During this workshop, we are going to read, write and whisper about pets! Whether they are swimmers or singers, curled up on your bed or crawled away in a crate, pets are our sweet, loyal (and yes, sometimes annoying) companions. Expect fun and facts re animal language and training thoughts, expect lots of ‘pet prompts’ as well. Even if you do not own a dog or never had a cat, you will find inspiration in the animal pieces that will spring up. Do bring photos or memorabilia along, and let’s nose at how pets’ moves affect us in all manner of ways!

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3:00 - 4:30pm
The Modern Publishing Landscape

The publishing industry today looks much different than it did a decade ago. In that time, self-publishing has outgrown its longstanding 'vanity' stigma and become a viable publishing option for many writers. The traditional publishing industry has also experienced great changes and as a result it just isn’t what it used to be, even for those who’ve found success within the system. This workshop provides an overview of the modern book publishing landscape and gives advice to authors on how to successfully navigate it. We’ll discuss the general publishing options of Traditional Publishing, DIY, and Assisted Self-Publishing — how it all works and the logistics of
moving your book from the computer screen to the bookshelf. This session has a separate Zoom link.

August 1-5: Virtual Book Fair - email for details

Don’t Miss the IWWG’s Exclusive Interview with

National Book Award-winner Sigrid Nunez

This special event will launch the virtual track to our annual conference

and is open to all to attend!

Inspiring to writers at any stage, Sigrid Nunez is not only a mentor for young writers at universities like Boston University and Columbia but achieved widespread recognition late in her career, becoming an "overnight literary sensation" at age 67 with her National Book Award-winning novel "The Friend."

Her writing style appeals uniquely to women writers, particularly in the way she blends genres, seamlessly incorporating elements of autobiography, fiction, and essay-like reflections in her work. This hybrid approach allows for greater flexibility in storytelling and exploring ideas and opens opportunities for women of any age who have focused on using their own experiences as the basis for their storytelling.

The intimate, confessional tone of her narrators often has an urgent, personal quality, like speaking in a hushed voice or conversing beside a colleague on a long walk. This creates a sense of closeness with the reader that makes her work hard to put down. 

Her work also emphasizes the importance of incorporating thoughtful reflections and meditations of other writers. By delving into the experiences, challenges, and thought processes of other voices she brings her readers into conversation with these figures as well.

Working from her mixed cultural heritage, Nunez often creates protagonists who feel like outsiders or struggle to fit in, mirroring her own experiences growing up in a household where neither parent was fully comfortable with English. 

In short, Nunez tackles universal subjects like grief, friendship, and the writing life from the perspective of many varied narrators, making her work relatable and thought-provoking to writers from every background and generation. Don’t miss being part of this private conversation.

Conversation facilitated by IWWG Instructor, Former Board Chair, and long time Guild member, Judith Huge

Hosted by Conference Chair, Leslie Neustadt and Executive Director, Michelle Miller

IWWG BOOK FAIR

• Each author will share a 6 foot table
  
• Authors responsible for shipping books to/from venue
  
• Authors responsible for set up and breakdown of their area
  
• Please bring enough books for half a 6 foot table
  

If shipping, send to: (please do not have boxes arrive before July 25, 2024)

Roger Williams Mail Center

1 Old Ferry Rd.
Bristol RI 02809-2971
Tel. 401-254-3147

att: IWWG (your name)

Intermediate Playwriting ($199)

Every script, every new play is a theory. I don’t know if it’s going to work, which means a 

writer has to go in like a tailor, and listen to the actors and say, trim this more, or give her more. If it is perfectly tailored for the first cast it will be universal.” In this six-week course, you will get to sharpen your craft, learn revision techniques, and hear your work read aloud by professional actors. Each week, the instructor will share a short craft lesson, lead group discussions, facilitate breakout rooms, and guide you through writing exercises with skill focused prompts. There will be some outside assignments, including reading plays and short craft essays. The reading list will focus on work that push outside of traditional play structure, with notable works by Sharifa Yasmin, Hansol Jung, and Dave Harris. By week three, we will transition in

to workshop where you will have the opportunity to hear your work read aloud by professional actors and receive on-the-spot feedback. Using the Liz Lerman Critical Response Process, workshops will aim to nurture the growth of a play in early development. Your instructor will organize one-on-one meetings for extensive feedback, as well as individual time to dig into you as an artist. The course will culminate with a session focused on the business of playwriting. The instructor will share professional knowledge about the development of a new play, the submission process, artistic statements, and equip you with resources to take your theatre work to the next level. This class is intended for intermediate and advanced level playwrights who are familiar with the theatrical form

KIRA ROCKWELL is a neurodivergent playwright and educator. She is an Artist Fellow in Dramatic Writing with the Mass Cultural Council, a Recipient of Judith Royer Excellence in Playwriting Award, Second place recipient of the Paula Vogel Playwriting Award, and more. Selected plays include OH TO BE PURE AGAIN (world premiere Actor's Express); THE TRAGIC ECSTASY OF GIRLHOOD (workshop premiere Boston Playwrights’ Theatre); and WITH MY EYES SHUT (published with Original Works). Her work has been developed with The Kennedy Center, National New Play Network, Great Plains Theatre Commons, among others. Commissions with Ensemble Studio Theatre, Actor's Express, and Moonbox Productions. She holds a BFA in Theatre Performance, and an MFA in Playwriting from Boston University. As an educator, Rockwell has taught at Brandeis University, Wheaton College, and centers across New England. Before graduate school, Rockwell worked at the intersection of mental health and arts education. Through a trauma-informed, healing-centered lens, she aims to nurture communal spaces that disrupt passivity and empower agency. www.kirarockwell.com