This workshop was offered in 2026. Sign up for our email list to receive updates for the 2027 conference.
Staying in the Now:
A Novel Writing Workshop
Writing Workshop in New Jersey
January 16-19, 2026
Led by Nathaniel Popkin
How do we activate the imagination of a reader to draw them into a story about characters they hardly know? How can “showing” effortlessly serve the function of “telling”? In this hands-on writing workshop, we’ll read gorgeous novel passages and use guided prompts to figure out how and when not to employ backstory and explanation. We’ll spend ample time writing and learning from each other in a mutually supportive, transformative experience. This workshop is open to writers of all levels. Bring previously drafted material to build on, or start something new.
*Limited to just 10 participants.*
“I had a better, more enriching experience at the retreat than in the book-writing group I attended for over a year. Our workshop leader was at the top of the scale, keeping the workshop intensive, genuine, supportive and inspiring.”
~ Juliet, Brooklyn, NY
Nathaniel Popkin
Nathaniel Popkin is a writer and editor of fiction, nonfiction, film, criticism and journalism. He is the author of three novels and four works of nonfiction, and is the co-editor of the anthology, Who Will Speak for America? His work has been published by The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Gulf Coast, Kenyon Review and Public Books. He is a writer and producer of history film documentaries. Read a piece about how Nathaniel approaches fiction, and learn more on his website.
