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Writing Retreats 

I don't know about you, but I'm tired of living most of my writerly life over Zoom.

That's why I'm thrilled to add in-person retreats to my offerings. And I'm even more excited to have the Batman to my Robin, the Jayna to my Zan, my partner in story geekery, Emily Colin, as a co-teacher for these events.

Our first Revise & Rise retreat, held in June 2024 at The Highlights Foundation, was a huge success. Here's what folks have to say about the retreat and about working with Emily and me as a dynamic duo:

Image of Suzette Mullen's testimonial

I don't know about you, but I'm tired of living most of my writerly life over Zoom.

That's why I'm thrilled to add in-person retreats to my offerings. And I'm even more excited to have the Batman to my Robin, the Jayna to my Zan, my partner in story geekery, Emily Colin, as a co-teacher for these events.

Our first Revise & Rise retreat, held in June 2024 at The Highlights Foundation, was a huge success. Here's what folks have to say about the retreat and about working with Emily and me as a dynamic duo:

"I came to Julie and Emily’s Revise & Rise retreat with a partial draft of a memoir manuscript and very little momentum. I was stuck and not convinced that I could find my way to wrapping my arms around my story. Between their illuminating craft talks, one-on-one coaching sessions, and supportive community building, I left feeling focused, motivated, and confident, with a clear plan to restructure my draft and to write forward. Julie and Emily are a dynamic duo, and their passion and energy are infectious! I can’t wait to work with them again!"

 Suzette Mullen

Author of The Only Way Through is Out

2026 Offerings:  

Revise & Rise: Retreat for Novelists

with Julie Artz and Emily Colin

May 27 - 31, 2026

The Hightlights Foundation

Milanville, PA

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Foreword Writing Retreat

with Julie Artz and Emily Colin

October 4 - 10, 2026

Share an alpine chalet with eight other writers for a week of creativity and inspiration.

Chamonix, France

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đź’¬ What authors are saying...

 

 

 "Julie helped me take the first draft of my manuscript to a polished, well executed novel that got me an agent and my first book deal.”

Author María José Fitzgerald (Turtles of the Midnight Moon, Knopf, 2023)

 

 

“Julie has an unusual ability to see story from a big-picture perspective that connects the external aspects of setting and plot with the internal ones of character and emotional arc.  That connection strengthens authenticity and helps to make the work more compelling. Her guidance on the intricacies of building a world (and the characters and emotions inhabiting it) is sure to be useful for writers of all genres.”

Author Joni Sensel (A Curse on the Wind and Feeling Fate)

 

 

“I found both teachers [Emily Colin & Julie Artz] so generous with their time, information and feedback. Having carefully completed the assignments, I feel much more grounded in the plot and the characters of this novel I have my heart set on writing. Thank you for making this class available to us. Rated 5 out of 5”

Student Gail S, AuthorsPublish

”Emily’s editorial guidance is remarkable and any writer's work is sure to benefit from her insights.”

Author Margarita Montimore (Oona Out of Order, a Good Morning America Book Club Pick, Flatiron Books, 2023) 

 

 

"Emily picked me out of the slush pile of an author mentorship program that she was a mentor in, and immediately had incredible enthusiasm and vision for my book. Not only could she see the changes that would make my characters shine, but she pitched the idea of altering the setting of my story from post-apocalyptic to a fantasy dystopian world.

Ultimately, this insight was the change I needed to get noticed in traditional publishing, and now The Enemy’s Daughter is being published by multiple imprints of Harper Collins (Quill Tree and Harper Fire).”

 

Author Melissa Poett (The Enemy’s Daughter, Harper Collins, summer 2025