ABOUT THE RETREAT

Northwoods Young Writers will host a retreat for teen girls that focuses on writing--yet reaches far beyond the page. Come ready to be inspired and amazed by your own creative growth! This year, we are narrowing it down to just 14 teen writers. Some will be new, and others returning for another opportunity to grow.

Each day, you'll be working directly with experienced authors through individual, small-group, and large-group sessions. Teachers will chaperone, feed, and support you along the way. 

Before the retreat, you'll receive a book from one of the authors. Be prepared for in-depth discussions and insight about the craft of writing and the publishing process.

Throughout the retreat, you'll be required to write on various themes, share your writing, and provide valuable feedback to your peers about their writing.  Between meetings and sessions, you'll also have time to read, explore the island, kayak, swim, enjoy the sauna, play games with friends, or gather around a campfire to share stories and build new or deeper friendships.

By the end of the retreat, you'll leave not only as a stronger writer--more confident in your ability to express your thoughts and tell stories--but also with skills for giving and receiving constructive feedback. We hope you'll find lasting friendships and a renewed energy and ambition to follow your creative passions into the future.

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ABOUT THE AUTHORS

MARY CASANOVA
Mary Casanova is the author of 39 books, from picture books (One-Dog Canoe) to novels for young adults and adults. Her awards and honors include two Minnesota Book Awards, ALA Notable, and a Booklist “Editor’s Choice.” For research, she travels as far as Norway (The Klipfish Code) and France (Curse of a Winter Moon), but she always loves returning home to the north woods of Minnesota, the inspiration for many of her novels (Wolf Shadows, When Eagles Falls) and her YA historical novels (Frozen and Ice-Out). The Mpls. Star Tribune called her newest novel, WATERFALL, “The Great Gatsby" of the Border Waters. It is inspired by Atsokan Island on Rainy Lake and its history. (Atsokan Island is where camps were held in previous years.)

MARGI PREUS
Margi started making up plays in kindergarten and has since written or co-written dozens of shows for kids, thirty-some comedy revues, a couple of re-envisioned Shakespeare plays, and the libretti for a handful of comic operas. Late in life she started writing “fascinating, page-turning stories” for young readers, including the Newbery Honor book Heart of a Samurai, the Minnesota Book Award winning West of the Moon, and other books which have landed on the NYT Bestseller list and many other “best of” lists, been honored as ALA/ALSC Notables, translated into several languages, and chosen as community reads. At home in Duluth, she likes to hike, ski, paddle a canoe or sit quietly with a book on her lap.
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CRISTINA PIPPA
Cristina Pippa is a playwright, screenwriter, and novelist. She’s written musicals for 92NY, adapted numerous books for Stages Theatre Company, and will have three productions in NYC and Minneapolis in 2024. One of her films premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival Kids Festival and won the Golden Gateway Award for Best Short Film at the Mumbai International Film Festival. She also received an Artist Initiative grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board for her prose. Cristina completed the Undergraduate Creative Writing Program at Columbia University and her MFA in the University of Iowa Playwrights Workshop. She is the Director of the MFA in Dramatic Writing and Screenwriting Programs at Missouri State University, and she can't wait to return to Northwoods Young Writers Camp this year.

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ABOUT THE LOCATION

This year, we're changing locations to a private island on Pelican Lake in Orr, MN. We'll take pontoons to the property, which features a main dock as well as a bay with a swimming beach. The lodge has eight bedrooms but also features four swinging beds on the porch. In addition, there's a log cabin that sleeps four, a recreation building, another small cabin for gathering or writing, and a sauna. We have the entire 45 acres to ourselves!