The CBB Writers' Retreat

"Seamlessly Weaving in Backstory"

Tiffany Yates Martin

90-minute virtual presentation, plus about 20 minutes of Q&A.

Your characters don’t just spring to life fully formed at the beginning of your story. Ideally, if you’ve developed them fully, they are “real,” three-dimensional people with complex backstories and experiences that have shaped who they are at your story’s “point A,” and inform the journey they take in your manuscript. Yet how can you fluidly weave all that depth and complexity into your story without stalling pace and story momentum by getting bogged down in info dumps, flashbacks, or just too much exposition? In this workshop, learn practical techniques for developing and revealing who your characters were and are without slowing down the story of where they’re going.

Tiffany Yates Martin has spent nearly thirty years as an editor in the publishing industry, working with major publishers and New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling and award-winning authors as well as indie and newer writers. She is the founder of FoxPrint Editorial and author of Intuitive Editing: A Creative and Practical Guide to Revising Your Writing. She is a regular contributor to writers’ outlets like Writer’s Digest, Jane Friedman, and Writer Unboxed, and a frequent presenter and keynote speaker for writers’ organizations around the country. Under her pen name, Phoebe Fox, she is the author of six novels. Visit her at www.foxprinteditorial.com.

"The Writer in the Arena: How to Stop Playing Small in Your Writing Life"

Jennie Nash

45-minute virtual presentation, plus about 15 minutes of Q&A

In order to write a good book, you need to study structure and scene, character and craft, but none of that will matter if you don't also make a critical mindset shift. You have to move from idea into action, and from action into authority, and the vast majority of writers never do it. They hold back. They hedge their bets. They play small in their writing life. In this presentation, I'll share five ways to step into the bright spotlight and take the stage in your own arena.

Jennie Nash is the founder and CEO of Author Accelerator, a company on a mission to lead the emerging book coaching industry with rigorous training, high standards for certification, and ongoing support for coaches while they build their businesses. Author Accelerator has certified more than 200 book coaches in fiction and nonfiction, and in March 2024, they launched a certification program in memoir. Jennie's own book coaching clients have landed top New York agents and six-figure book deals with traditional publishing houses such as Penguin, Scribner, Simon & Schuster, and Hachette, and won dozens of national indie book awards. Client KJ Dell’Antonia’s novel, The Chicken Sisters, was an instant The New York Times bestseller and Reese Witherspoon Book Club pick. Client Jenn Lim’s business book, Beyond Happiness, was a The Wall Street Journal bestseller. Jennie is the author of 12 books in 3 genres, including Blueprint for a Book: Build Your Novel from the Inside Out. Visit her at authoraccelerator.com and jennienash.com.

Live Edit Session with Katie

This session is intentionally scheduled directly after Tiffany Yates Martin's presentation, "Seamlessly Weaving in Backstory." Katie will guide us as a group in applying Tiffany's backstory techniques to at least one retreat writer's pages.

Workshop with Andrew

A workshop led by Andrew, topic TBD. Once we are closer to the retreat date, Andrew will send out a survey with several topic options for everyone to vote on. Example topics: magic systems; creating fantasy religions; tips and tricks for planning a series.

Writing Craft Book Club Discussion

A complimentary physical copy of Your First Fifteen Pages by literary agent Sandra O'Donnell, sent to you in advance of the retreat. During the retreat, Katie will lead a discussion of the book, answer any questions about the concepts, and also share some examples of first pages for the group to analyze together.

Group Coaching

Each writer will have the opportunity to take part in three 2-hour group coaching sessions led by Katie or Andrew. In these sessions we'll discuss anything about the writing life, brainstorm how to get past particular blocks or places you're stuck, and field any other questions you have!