If you’ve just discovered Intensive Genre Workshops, feel free to have a look around at some of our past events and be sure to look at our free content for writers, too. IGW has hosted writing craft workshops in our beautiful town of Huntington, West Virginia. Sheila and Tobi, sometimes joined by Michael Knost, Rebecca Barray, and other guests, offer writing and critique retreats. Sheila and Tobi also give online and in-person workshops. You may often catch them at the West Virginia Writers Conferences sharing their love of writing and writing craft knowledge. If you’re interested in having them give a workshop for your writing group, please email them at AskIGW@gmail.com.

Did you know…

Our Invitation Only retreats in Spring and Summer have Special Guests. Interested? Contact us.

Our Special Guests have included:

Tara Lush, Lee Goldberg, Blake Crouch, Jaque Ben-Zekry, and Josh Malerman

January 20-22 – Alchemy Theatre Troupe New Works – Join us Friday and Saturday Night at the Cellar Door for stage play readings of new works, including One Night In Venice on Saturday Night by Sheila Redling and Lulu Smith. Saturday at Heritage Station will have free workshops on writing state plays. Sunday will have a critique and coffee. Stay tuned for more information.

January 21 – RWA Traditional Author Weekend Online Event – Submission Package Workshop

February 25 – RWA Pen to Paper AMA for Romantic Suspense

March 30th-April 2 – Cedar Lakes Writing Retreat

April 20-23 Chief Logan – Private Retreat for Writers

May 19-21 Penn Writers Conference: In-person workshops to include What am I Writing and Character-Driven Revisions.

June 19, 7pm Heritage Station in Huntington, WV – Join Tobi at Writers Can Read for her reading the first chapter of Too Sweet to Die. (free)

June 20, 6:30 pm. CREATING STORY, FREE 1 hour workshop at Heritage Station, 210 11th St, Huntington, WV or via Zoom https://shorturl.at/kru37. Join Sheila and Tobi as they discuss Story elements, creating compelling characters, and page-turning plots!

July 8, 10-5ish, Cabell County Library – Creative Writing Workshop – Join us for a day of writers summer camp! Free! We’ll have craft exercises, workshops, one-on-ones and more!

July 15 COFW in Dayton, Ohio. Tobi is presenting Book Mapping – Be Your Own Developmental Editor Workshop – details here: https://www.cofwevents.org/

July 22, Tobi’s presenting at Romance Writers of America National Conference in Anaheim, CA! Not only is there an awesome Kiss of Death workshop with the Anaheim Human Trafficking Task Force on Wednesday, but she’s also presenting Character Driven Revisions (it’s a really useful workshop folks!).

August 5-6: Lewisburg Literary Festival

August 21: Writers Can Read @ Heritage Station: 210 11th St, Huntington, WV 25701. Join Sheila Redling and Lulu Smith for a LIVE reading of their current works-in-progress!

2023 Past Events

September 9 – Cabell County Library – Saturday Critique Intensive! Click link for more info!

September 21-24: Private Critique Retreat at Cedar Lakes. Interested in having one with your group? Contact us at AskIGW@gmail.com.

October 7 – 11-2 pm Clarksburg Library, Sheila will be talking about writing mysteries! More info here: https://clarksburglibrary.org/events/life-mystery-writers-workshop

October 19th, 6 pm, Prompt-a-Palooza! FREE! (Donations to our public libraries are encouraged.) Heritage Station, Huntington WV. More info here!

Gearing up for NaNoWriMo? Looking to jumpstart your writing and creativity? Feel like helping out our Cabell County Libraries? Then grab a pen (or laptop) and come out for Prompt-a-Palooza!

Authors S.G. Redling and Tobi Doyle will be sharing their unique writing prompt style and micro-workshops that will help you dive into sensory writing, bust open clichés, animate dialogue and maybe, just maybe, give you a new story idea!

More info here: https://www.facebook.com/events/293808073406385/?ref=newsfeed

November 11th (Part 1) & Nov. 25th (Part 2) – Bookmapping LIVE! Join IGW as we book map the first chapter or three of your completed first draft of your novel. This class will teach you HOW to book map. We’ll do the first chapters together, and then meet in person on November 25th in Huntington, WV to brainstorm revision ideas.
More information here: https://www.facebook.com/events/328957799617785

November 12th – Prompt-A-Palooza at Heritage Station, 210 11th Street, Huntington, WV – 1 pm! Free of charge, but we are encouraging donations to the Cabell County Public Library.

Sheila Redling’s Four Week Workshop on the Fundamentals of Writing a Novel.

Topics include:
Identifying, clarifying, and elevating your story idea
Understanding the basics of structure and pacing
Creating compelling characters
Knowing your genre
Maintaining your creative life

April Writing Retreat

at Cedar Lakes, in Ripley, WV – A three day weekend with plenty of writing time, workshops, and one-on-ones, all centered at the Mountaineer Lodge at Cedar Lakes. Get unstuck in this idyllic place. Unplug, relax, write. We’ve got you covered!

Ask a Writer Anything.

Join Sheila Redling, Tobi Doyle, Rebecca Barray, Michael Knost, Mary Barbara Moore, and Carter Seaton for an evening where you can ask a writer anything.