Women Writing’s third annual writers workshop is now open to submissions

If you have a manuscript – a short story, essay, memoir, or collection of poems – that you’d like to refine into the best version possible, this writers workshop might be for you. Women Writing is holding its 3rd Annual Writers Workshop on August 16–18, 2024 in Tagaytay City.

Writing workshop Tagaytay — The driveway to workshop venue in Tagaytay

The retreat offers the opportunity to receive feedback, guidance, and mentorship on your journey to becoming a better writer, whether your goal is for publication or creating a book for loved ones.

What to expect

Women Writing seeks to empower women through the joy of writing. The organization strives to create a safe, inclusive environment for writers by honoring their work with kindness, honesty, care, and rigor. In addition to the individual workshops,

The two-night weekend retreat in Tagaytay City aims to be a weekend of lively craft conversations, while building camaraderie and community with fellow writers. Participants will receive feedback on their work in a supportive and compassionate environment.

Each participant is entitled to one full hour of constructive oral critique, an optional 20-minute one-on-one consultation with her mentor, as well as written feedback from both mentors and cohort members.

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Meet the founders and facilitators

Marjorie Evasco and Susan Lara, two of the country’s best writing teachers and workshop facilitators, will help attendees shape their work into the best it can be.

Facilitator Marjorie Evasco is an acclaimed poet and writer with almost five decades of devotion to literary craft. She is a multi-awarded author, having won awards at the the SEAWRITE, NCCA Ani ng Dangal, and five National Book Awards among other honors. Evasco is a University Fellow and Professor Emeritus of Literature at De La Salle University-Manila.

Also facilitating is Susan Lara, a fiction and nonfiction writer who has received major awards like the Carlos Palanca Memorial Award, National Book Award for Fiction, and the Gawad Pambansang Alagad ni Balagtas. She has served as a workshop director, panelist, and judge for prestigious literary competitions in the Philippines.

Women's writing workshop Tagaytay — Women Writing founders Carla Pacis (2nd from left) and Reni Roxas (3rd from right) with 2023 Annual Writers Workshop facilitators Rica Bolipata Santos and Marjorie Evasco (3rd and 4th from left, respectively) and the Women Writing team

Originally, the founders of Women Writing include Reni Roxas, a writer, editor and publisher whose children’s stories have won national awards. She edited the anthology “Hanggang sa Muli” named a finalist by the Manila Critics Circle. Roxas is also known for her award-winning publishing company Tahanan Books.

Meanwhile, co-founder Carla M. Pacis is a retired literature professor from De La Salle University who continues writing and painting. She is a multi-awarded author of children’s and young adult books, as well as the recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Award from UMPIL. Pacis is currently working on a family history memoir.

You can find out more in-depth about the teachers and facilitators here.

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Guidelines for manuscripts

Women Writing is now accepting applications until 11:59 p.m. on June 30, 2024. The final selection is limited to ten (10) writers, who will be judged on the merit and promise of their work.

Some things to note for submission —

The workshop is open to women only.
Only manuscripts in English will be considered at this time.
Writers may apply by submitting work in prose or poetry.
Admission is limited to ten (10) writers, and is based on the merit and promise of the work.
Applicants must be at least 21 years of age by the time of the workshop.
Applicants may choose from one of the following categories: Fiction/Nonfiction/Creative Nonfiction/Memoir/Poetry

Submissions will be read blind. It’s important that the author’s identity is withheld during the preselection process. Please remove all references to the author’s name when you upload your file. The tagline of the manuscript file should only indicate the genre you are applying in, followed by the title. (ex. “MEMOIR The Last Thing My Lola Told Me”)

Entries that exceed the prescribed page count or include the author’s name anywhere on the manuscript will be automatically disqualified. (Note: If you are submitting a work of nonfiction or a memoir that includes you as one of the characters, please substitute your name with another name.)
The manuscript you submit is the work that will be critiqued at the workshop. Check your work for errors in grammar, spelling, and punctuation. You may submit your strongest work, or the work that you feel needs the most input and guidance.
The application deadline is on June 30, 2024, 11:59 p.m. Manila time. All applicants will be notified of decisions via email on the weekend of July 12.

For Submissions In Fiction, Nonfiction, Creative Nonfiction, And Memoir

Prose manuscripts must be typed double-spaced in 12 pt. Times New Roman font and with one-inch margins. The total word count should be noted at the top of the first page. Applicants may include one or more stories as long as the total number of pages is within the 20-page limit. Include a short note to let readers know if the piece stands on its own as a short story or essay, or if it is an excerpt from a longer project. Manuscripts excerpted from a longer project should include a one-page synopsis placed at the end of the piece. The synopsis can be single-spaced and does not count toward the 20-page limit.

For Submissions In Poetry

Poetry manuscripts must be typed single-spaced in 12 pt. Times New Roman. Please submit no more than five (5) poems. A poem may exceed one page, as long as the complete manuscript submission is within the 20-page limit. Please do not squeeze more than one poem to a page.

Fees and other fine print

The fee for the 3rd Annual Women Writing Getaway Retreat is PHP 15,000 inclusive of taxes. This covers tuition, handouts, accommodations for two nights, and all meals during the retreat. Participants need to cover their own travel expenses.

Successful applicants must confirm acceptance by July 17, 2024 and pay a non-refundable down payment of PHP 1,500 by July 19, 2024 to secure their spot.

Full payment of the PHP 15,000 fee is required on or before August 1, 2024. If a writer withdraws, the next person on the waitlist will take their place.

Refunds are allowed until August 1, 2024 only. After that date, refunds are not guaranteed.

Apply officially at the link for the writers workshop in Tagaytay: https://bit.ly/WWTagaytay. For any other inquiries, contact Melissa at [email protected].