Retreats for serious prose writers working in any genre

Join us for our next retreat: April 25-30, 2025

Stepping Stones is hosting its third writing retreat this spring on the Oregon Coast from April 25 to 30th. We are welcoming twelve fiction and non-fiction writers with at least two years of an active writing practice—whether that's independent writing, workshop experience, critique groups, classes, or craft study—to join us for over five days of focus, practice, and community, led by Portland-based authors and educators Joanna Rose and Brian Benson. We've extended the deadline! Registration now closes on April 10, 2025.

The power of story relies on the stepping stones of felt experience to build a world, live there for a while, and then invite readers in. Sensory detail, voice, memory, world-building, language, and tension are a few ways into that world. We’ll explore these tools and more through published examples, in-class writing, assignments, and sharing.

- Joanna Rose