We had such a great time at our July Writer Camp that we’re doing it again.
Join us for four days and three nights in bucolic Central Pennsylvania, Sept. 22-25. Write by the creek! Curl up in a hammock with a book! Get feedback on your work from one of our editors! Make new friends (and delicious s’mores) by the nightly campfire!
If that sounds like a dream, head on over to our Submittable page to apply. We’ll be reviewing applications on a rolling basis, until camp fills up, so don’t waste too much time.
If you want more information, check out the Writer Camp website, which has photos and descriptions of the facilities, "action shots" of writers sitting by a creek and writing, and a schedule.
The spirit of Writer Camp is low-key: a working vacation in which you can use your time however you’d like. We’ll offer at least one session with a Barrelhouse editor, plus at least one daily group activity (a hike, a trip to the famed Penn State Creamery for ice cream), but you’re always free to opt out and write, or read, or stroll by the creek and contemplate life’s big questions.
But don’t just take our word for it. Here’s what some of our July campers had to say about their experience:
“Writer Camp is so much fun! I made new friends, worked on some new stories, drank beer around a campfire. The location is beautiful and inspiring. The people are awesome. I’ve been telling all my friends they should go next time!”
“Writing camp was a chance to retreat, reboot, recharge. I really enjoyed the freedom to write and read during the day and then gather together with awesome people in the evenings and chat. A beautiful location, friendly staff and edits, and none of the snootiness of structured conference-workshoppiness you might find at other places.”
“I’ve been to a number of writing conferences, and Barrelhouse Writer Camp was the best of the bunch. I wrote dozens of new pages, and the friends I made in these few short days will be in my life for years to come.”
Here are all the nitty-gritty details:
- Arrival on Thursday, Sept. 22, with a welcome-to-camp happy hour kicking things off in the evening. Departure on Sunday, Sept. 25.
- Prices are $425 for a private room or $300 for the bunkhouse. All meals are included in that fee.
- Plenty of unstructured time to write, read, and think.
- Accommodation options include private cabins, shared cabins (if you’re applying along with someone you know and want to room with), or a bed in a communal bunkhouse (where the Barrelhouse editorial team will be staying).
- At least one individual session with an editor who will provide detailed feedback on your work (Note: This is optional; if you’re at a place in your work where you’d rather just have time to write, we won’t be offended).
- Optional group activities each day, including local hikes and other outdoorsy stuff, if you’re so inclined (also: at least one ice cream run!)
- All meals provided with registration. Vegetarian/vegan offerings, plus gluten-free options, will be available.
- The camp itself is a lovely, rustic, newly constructed facility that includes cabins, a bunkhouse, and a large shared space for meals and daytime gathering. Plus plenty of “shoreline” by the creek where you can set up a chair and write, undisturbed, for as long as you want.
- Though the camp feels remote, it’s only a 20-minute drive to State College, where there are grocery stores, restaurants, and all the other markings of civilization.
- Keywords we’d use: low-key, laid-back, informal, smart, fun.