A short, laid-back writing retreat in central Pennsylvania.
Barrelhouse Writer Camp
It’s the offseason
We plan to be back in 2025! For more information, sign up for our newsletter and watch for announcements in early 2025.
Writer Camp is a laid-back mini-vacation with plenty of time for writing. No readings, no mandatory sessions, no schedules: you decide when it’s time to write, read, or nap in a hammock. Each participant also has the option of receiving detailed feedback from a Barrelhouse editor or visiting writer on their work.
JUNE CAMP: usually the last weekend in June, Thursday-Sunday
Four days, three nights
AUGUST CAMP: usually the first weekend in August, Wednesday-Sunday
Five days, four nights
About Writer Camp
Your registration fee includes lodging, meals, group activities, plenty of time to write, and campfires every night.
Writing time
There will be plenty of time for writing. Most of the time, really, will be open writing time. We keep things simple and won’t pack your days full of readings or ice breakers or workshops on how to negotiate the movie rights to your memoir. Meals and outings are the only things on the schedule, and even those are optional.
Meals
Meals are served buffet-style. Brunch and dinner will be provided. Our hosts at Godspeed Events and Lodging are accustomed to working with dietary restrictions. Just let us know in your application if you need accommodation.
Editor meetings
Like most of camp, we try to make these optional sessions fit your needs. If you have a specific piece that you’d like to work on, that’s great! If you’d rather sit by the creek and talk craft, or learn what an editor looks for in a submission, that’s great too!
New writer pals
Make some new friends in an environment where you can say “I’m writing a YA sci-fi novel about a teenage alien spy and…” and not feel like a complete weirdo.
There’s a campfires. There are movies. There have been dance parties. There has been fishing. And there are usually fireflies.
Lodging
Writer Camp is hosted by Godspeed Events and Lodging in Port Matilda, PA. A family-run business hand-built to model Central American hostels, Godspeed offers single, shared, bunkhouse, and tent camping options.
Activities
There’s usually an optional group activity each afternoon, like hiking, kayaking, a visit from the goat bus, laser tag, cute local cafes, and ice cream. Join an activity if you’d like a mental break, or stay and write if you’re on a roll.
I hadn’t written in years and was just wanting to re-spark my love of and devotion to writing and Writer Camp Did That. It’s cheaper than any vacation I’ve ever been on and it did so much more for my spirit than a few days at the beach or whatever. Giving myself the gift of time and space to write was hands-down the best thing I’ve done for myself in years.
-Katie O, 2019