The 2025 YWW Retreat

August 6-10, 2025 | Encounter Cove, MO

Meet your friends. Meet your instructors. Get motivated to write more.

Sign Up Today

You’re Not the Only Serious Young Writer Out There

But when you feel like you are, it’s hard to find the motivation to keep writing.

At the Young Writers Workshop, we’ve connected you with hundreds of similar-minded writers.

But online relationships can only go so far.

How much further could you get if you spent a week with your instructors & writing friends?

Learn from Professional Writers

Brett Harris

Co-Founder of YWW

Author of Do Hard Things & Start Here

Kara Swanson

YWW Instructor

Author of Dust and co-founder of the Author Conservatory

Josiah DeGraaf

YWW Program Director

Author of Visions of Grandeur (and Other Stories)

Millie Florence

Guest Instructor

Author of The Balter of Ashton Harper & Beyond Mulberry Glen

Carolyn Leiloglou

Guest Instructor

Award-winning author of The Restorationists

Connect with Other YDubbers

In addition to learning from professional writers, what if, for a full week, you could…

Practice your writing through fun competitions with fellow writers?
Do writing sprints with each other?
Give each other in-person feedback on your writing?
Forge stronger relationships with each other?

We want to get you charged up and motivated to take your writing to the next level.

What’s Different about our 2025 Retreat?

We want to take advantage of the in-person environment and focus on helping you grow in ways we can’t easily do online, including:

More opportunities to meet one-on-one with experienced authors to get their help
More types of sessions you can choose from during breakout time
More opportunities to connect with fellow YDubbers

We’ll be revealing the schedule soon so you can see what this looks like.

How to Register

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1. Register for the Conference

Register by January 10th to claim the Early Bird Pricing

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2. Choose a Room

Shared Rooms as Low as $115/person

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3. Mark Your Calendar!

We can’t wait to see you there.

Get Started

Every Writer Needs a Mountaintop Experience

The writing journey can sometimes feel monotonous.

That’s why having “peak experiences” where you can refuel your writing well are so important.

Next summer, we want to pour into you as writers, rekindle your inspiration, and leave you itching to take your writing craft to the next level.

Whether you’re a hobby or career writer, your words matter.

What could this experience do for your writing life?

FAQ

Will Meals Be Provided?

Yes! There’s an option to add meals as a part of the registration process. All students will get a continental breakfast bar in the main meeting space. You can add lunches & dinners at the dining hall if you’d like to be on the meal plan. Please indicate in the registration form if you have any food allergies or dietary restrictions.

The dining hall can accommodate the following modifications: dairy/lactose-free meals, gluten-free meals, alpha-gal meals, and peanut + tree nut-free meals.

What's the Address of the Retreat Venue?

The venue address is 1650 Koehler Dr, Roach, MO 65787.

The closest airport is Columbia Regional Airport (COU), which is about 80 minutes away. Its address is 11300 S Airport Dr, Columbia, MO 65201.

The second-closest airport is Springfield-Branson Airport (SGF), which is about 85 minutes away. Its address is 2300 N Airport Blvd, Springfield, MO 65802.

Do My Parents Need to Come?

Any student younger than thirteen must be accompanied by an adult. For students thirteen and older, parents are not required to attend, but we’d welcome them to still come–and we have special sessions for attending parents. We do recommend that all minors have a legal adult staying in the on-site housing options with them. If a student is staying in the dorms, we will arrange for a vetted adult to be supervising the room.

What Can Parents Do at the Retreat?

We’d love to help you better support your young writer through our general sessions and through special parent sessions. Click here to learn more about our options for parents at the retreat.

Can My Parent or Sibling Attend Without Registering?

Anyone spending time at the retreat center must register and have a ticket.

Can Non-YDubbers Come?

All current students in the Young Writers Workshop are welcome to the retreat. If you’re a former YDubber or the sibling of a YDubber and are younger than 26, you’re also welcome to attend. If you’ve never been in the Workshop, but are the friend of a current student and would like to attend, please fill out this form to get approval prior to signing up.

What Are the Rooms Like?

Click this link to learn more about our lodging options.

How Do I Find Roommates?

Gathering roommates is not only an amazing way to trim down the cost of on-site lodging, but it also adds to the experience.

For students staying in the dorms, we will sort them into rooms. Roommates will be determined based on a students’ age.

For students staying in the cabins or lodges, they’re responsible for finding their own roommates. To find roommates, we recommend posting in the YWW Retreat Roommate Matchup space on the YWWC. You can also reach out individually to your friends to see if they’d like to share a room.

Is There a Dress Code?

Encounter Cove has the following policies:

Shorts, skirts and dresses should measure to the palm of the hand.
Tank tops need to have a 1 inch strap.
Sides cannot be cut out of shirts.
Ladies swimwear must cover midsection or a cover-up must be worn.
No bikinis or thong swimsuits allowed.
Men must wear a shirt when not in the water.

What are the Registration Deadlines?

Early Bird Registration ends on January 10th. After the 10th, student registration will increase to $347 and parent registration to $247.

Normal Registration ends on May 31st. After the 31st, student registration will increase to $397 and parent registration to $277.

Late Registration ends on June 30th.

Do You Give Refunds?

If something comes up and you’re not able to attend, you’re eligible for a 50% refund until April 30th. After April 30th, we will no longer be able to issue refunds for conference charges. Please email [email protected] to request a refund.

Do You Have an Accessibility Policy?

Yes! We want to do what we can to accommodate attendees with disabilities so you can have a great experience at the YWW Retreat. You can click here for more information.