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October 2-4, 2026
VIRGINIA CITY WRITEAWAY
Registration is now open for the first ever Virginia City Writeaway Friday, October 2 through Sunday, October 4, 2026!
This is a retreat only, so there will be no classes, and no agent on staff for critiques. Bring your WIP and leave the real world behind for a weekend.
We will be at the beautiful St. Mary's Art Center, a National Historical Landmark built in 1875, for the three day, two night event.
Meals are not included, but there are many amazing restaurants to visit in Virginia City, as well as two full kitchens onsite if you prefer to bring your own.
You can register for the event here, and if you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to me here.
NOTE: St Mary's Arts Center is a very old building with a lot of stairs. There are no individual bathrooms in the rooms, but there are bathrooms on each floor (except the 4th) and on the main staircase landings. If you need special accommodations, please reach out!
Thanks, and I hope you see you soon!!
September 11, 2026
October 9, 2026
November 13, 2026
December 11, 2026
January 8, 2027
February 12, 2027
March 12, 2027
April 9, 2027
5pm to 10pm
FRIDAY NIGHT WRITE
Beginning September 11, 2026 join me at Thistle and Nightshade the second Friday of every month from 5pm to 10pm for a Friday Night Write!
Bring your current WIP and some snacks and join fellow writers as we take a few hours away from the hustle and bustle of work and home to concentrate on creating beautiful words.
(There is a small fee for the use of the room each time, which I will cover, but donations are welcome!)
Make sure you check back here for updates and/or cancelations!!
May 21 - May 23, 2027
7th ANNUAL WRITING
RETREAT!!
Registration is now open for our next Virginia City Retreat Friday, May 21 through Sunday, May 23, 2027! Once again we will be at the beautiful St. Mary's Art Center, a National Historical Landmark built in 1875, for the three day, two night event.
We will be joined by Lee O'Brien, Associate Agent at Looking Glass Literary Agency! Lee will be providing critiques for those who request that option, and will either teach a class on craft, sit on a Q&A panel, or take pitches at the event.
In addition to that session, Jade Griffin is teaching a class on Foreshadowing, Angela Canon (Laverghetta) is teaching on Self-Developmental Editing, and Kim Harnes will talk on The Dreaded Synopsis.
Meals are not included, but there are many amazing restaurants to visit in Virginia City, as well as a large refrigerator and two full kitchens onsite if you prefer to bring your own.
You can register for the event here, and if you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to me here.
NOTE: St Mary's Arts Center is a very old building with a lot of stairs. There are no individual bathrooms in the rooms, but there are bathrooms on each floor (except the 4th) and on the main staircase landings. If you need special accommodations, please reach out!
Thanks, and I hope you see you soon!!
Testimonials from Past Events
"What a weekend! 10,000+ words written on my WIP, nearly pee-my-pants laughter, inspirational classes, fabulous companions, and a fair and kind critique! Not to mention, a gorgeous setting!"
~Jackie Green
"I love these writing retreats. Having focused time allowed me to reread my 70,000 word manuscript. And the two speakers gave practical things for me to look at as I edited. I also enjoy hanging out with other writers during the free time."
~ Jacci Turner
"This motivational long weekend with talented people pushed me to finally complete my first novel and gave me the confidence to start reaching out to agents. Also, I'm pretty sure I made friends with a ghost."
~ Nick Josten
"I love this retreat, because no matter what's going on in my life, I end up writing 1,000 to 2,000 words. And those are good words, clean words on a project. I also write between 3,000 to 5,000 words in journaling and brainstorming ideas. Plus, I love to be around other writers for a fun weekend."
~ Linda Kay Hardie
"The Writers' Conference at St. Mary's Art Center was amazing. What a fantastic atmosphere to get the creative juices flowing! As a new author, I learned a lot and wrote a ton. Thanks for the fun!"
~ Barbara Arbogast
"It was really amazing! Relaxed, yet had that one-on-one feel. And I got a lot done!!"
~ Jade Griffin
Upcoming Retreats
May 19 - May 21, 2028
With Hannah Andrade
Literary Agent and Royalties Manager at Bradford Lit
More details coming soon!!
Refund Policy -
Single and Double Room: Due to the limited number of rooms, no refunds will be offered after December 31, 2026. After December 31, 2026 rooms can be transferred. Please reach out via the Contact form on this site or email kimharnes@gmail.com if you need to transfer your room to someone else. (For double rooms, transfers are only allowable if it is acceptable, in writing, to the other occupant.)
Conference only options: If you are unable to attend the conference only option, a full refund (minus the 3.1% fee the credit card companies charge to accept the payment, i.e. $150.00 = $145.35) can be processed*. Please reach out via the Contact form on this site or email kimharnes@gmail.com to request a refund. The cutoff date for the Conference Only option is 21 days before the event (or May 1, 2027).
Critique option: If you have added a Critique or have paid for a Critique Only option and cannot make the event, refunds (minus the 3.1% fee the credit card companies charge to accept the payment) will be given up to the cutoff date of April 15. If you request a refund after the April 15 cutoff or if you do not submit your pages in time, these funds will not be returned. Accommodations can usually be made with the agent to conduct your critique via Zoom or phone.
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