Writing Conferences and Retreats
Click here for an extensive list of writing conferences and retreats around the state and the country.
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Sonoma Storytellers — Women’s Writing Retreat
May 5-8, 2026
The retreat will be held in Kenwood.
Three Days & Three Nights Include:
* Welcome reception with live music
* Guest speakers
* Guided generative writing sessions
* Dedicated time for writing & exploration
* Evening readings & sharing circles
* Morning yoga
* Pool, hot tub & sauna
* Continental breakfasts, self-serve lunches
* Chef prepared family-style dinners
* Farewell Dinner Celebration at a local restaurant
* On-site communal lodging available (rooms & rates vary)
What You’ll Gain:
* Dedicated time & space to focus on your writing
* Helpful feedback in a supportive environment
* Confidence & momentum for your writing life
* Connection with like-minded women writers
* A deeper understanding of your own voice
* A renewed sense of purpose in your writing
* Emotional & creative replenishment
* Clarity & direction for your current project
* Fresh inspiration through guided writing sessions
* Emotional, physical & mental restoration
For More Information, email:
sonomastorytellers@gmail.com
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Mendocino Coast Writers Conference
July 30-August 1, 2026
The Mendocino Coast Writers’ Conference is a vibrant gathering that offers Morning Workshops in a wide range of genres. Afternoons are packed with craft seminars, panels, one-on-one consultations, and open mics; and every evening offers an opportunity to enjoy the camaraderie and connection that make this conference, in the words of one participant, “life changing.”
The conference will be held in Mendocino, California from July 30 – August 1, 2026. Questions can be directed to MCWC Operations Manager Charity Yoro at info@mcwc.org and Executive Director Lisa Locascio Nighthawk at director@mcwc.org.
General registration will open in early April of 2026. For more information please visit mcwc.org.
Spring Seminar Series:
The Mendocino Coast Writers’ Conference will be hosting a virtual Spring Seminar Series to support fundraising for the 2026 conference, featuring Jeanne Thornton, MJ Jones, Susanna Kwan, Emily Lloyd-Jones, Roberto Lovato and more. Look for these writing seminars on our Workshops page and here: mcwc.org/spring-generative-series
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Life in Small Bites: Memoir for Busy People
A Short Form Memoir Workshop with Susan Bono at ArtStays
Session II: September 16-20
For over 100 years, Emandal Farming Resort has offered summer getaways in a pristine setting on the Eel River near Willitts. At its annual ArtStays creativity camps for adults, skilled instructors offer classes in basketmaking, glass mosaic, quilting, writing, birding, and more. ArtStays campers enjoy outstanding, farm-grown, organic meals, private cabins or farmhouse rooms, comfortable beds, hiking trails, perfect swimming holes, warm days and starry nights, and best of all, time and encouragement to create.
The theme for Susan Bono’s Short Form Memoir workshop September 16-20 is “Day and Night.” In this workshop we’ll explore how time of day—and the particular light it casts—shapes memory and meaning. Learn how attending to the way light falls can enrich your scenes and reveal what has been previously hiding in broad daylight, deepest night, and every hour between.
Long-time editor, writing teacher, and workshop leader Susan Bono is the author of What Have We Here: Essays about Keeping House and Finding Home. She edited and published Tiny Lights: A Journal of Personal Narrative from 1995-2015. She’s taught at ArtStays since its inception in 2014.
For ArtStays info and registration: Emandal ArtStays. For questions about the class, contact Susan: sbono@tiny-lights.com
Want to be fed while you work on your own? A limited number of writers and artists with independent projects can attend this session at a reduced rate. Contact director Tam Adams through the Emandal website.
Sonoma County Literary Update 