NEWS & EVENTS
May 2018- July 2020
Breakout Novel Two-Year Story Lab
Melissa is a student in this program, mentored by Lorin Oberwerger and Donald Maass.
June 26-28, 2020
#SquamWrites2020
Squam Writes is back again, and better than ever! This exclusive writing retreat, mainly for writers of children's literature, is located at Rockywold Deephaven Camps in New Hampshire, on the beautiful forested shores of Squam Lake. Downsized this year to allow more hands-on workshop time with mentors, the retreat will focus on elevating craft, getting words on the page, and forming professional connections. Attendees and mentors will leave feeling refreshed and inspired to do their best work. Every writer and illustrator who registers is guaranteed a one-on-one professional critique with one of this year's mentors:
Rebecca Podos, Writer and Agent at Reese Literary
Ashley Hearn, Writer and Editor at Page Street Publishing
Registration is NOW OPEN.
For more information about the retreat and to register, go to tiny.cc/squamwrites
June 14-16, 2019
#SquamWrites2019
Exciting news: SquamWrites is moving to June! Melissa is thrilled to once again co-direct an exclusive retreat at Rockywold Deephaven Camps in New Hampshire, on the beautiful forested shores of Squam Lake. This relaxing weekend is designed to help writers focus on elevating craft, make professional connections, and recharge their creative batteries. Attendees and mentors come away refreshed and inspired to do their best work. Every writer and illustrator who registers is guaranteed a professional critique with one of this year's mentors:
Brooks Sherman, Agent at Janklow & Nesbit
Sarah LaPolla, Agent at Bradford Literary
Mekisha Telfer, Associate Editor at Roaring Brook Press
Registration opens December 1, 2018. Register early, because this retreat fills FAST.
If you don't snag a spot, ask to be placed on the waitlist. It's usually pretty long, but you may get lucky.
For more information, go to tiny.cc/squamwrites
Sept 7-9, 2018
#SquamWrites2018
Melissa is Co-Director of this small retreat focussed on elevating craft, making professional connections, and providing a relaxed atmosphere of time and space to recharge creative batteries in a beautiful forested lakeside setting. Every writer and illustrator who registers is guaranteed a professional critique. September 2018 mentors:
Monica Odom, Agent at Liza Dawson Associates
Liz Kossnar, Editor at Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Victoria Marini, Agent at Irene Goodman
For more information, go to tiny.cc/squamwrites
Registration COMPLETELY FULL.
STAY TUNED FOR NEWS OF 2019's RETREAT!!
Aug-Nov 2017
#PitchWars
Chosen as a PitchWars 2017 mentee, Melissa worked with Kelly DeVos, author of FAT GIRL ON A PLANE, to revise her young adult novel THE OTHER SIDE OF NORMAL, about a girl on the edge of death who tries like hell to become more mensch than mean girl in her bid to become her school's first plus-sized homecoming queen. You can read their PitchWars interviews here.