YWW Retreat Overview (+ I hit 100 subscribers! giveaway announcement)

Hey readers! I apologize for the late post—life has gotten kinda crazy lately. Speaking of which, I got to go to the 2025 Young Writers Workshop retreat, and it was such an amazing experience! I'll share about that below. In the meantime, I have some exciting news!

... I Hit 100 Subscribers!

If you remember, I made a post (https://riversofwords.wixsite.com/blog/post/help-me-hit-100-subscribers-a-giveaway) a while back, trying to reach 100 subscribers. Now that that has happened, it's time for the giveaway!

Giveaway Will Include:

• Signed bookmark

• Paperback copy of Where the Tunnel Ends

• Paperback copy of Country Girl

• Stickers

I'll have two google forms you can fill out to enter for each book. There will be two winners, and they will each be randomly picked on September 1st, 2025. The deadline to enter the giveaway is August 31st, 2025.

Giveaway Submission Form

~♡~

YWW Retreat Overview

This past week I road-tripped with a group of girls down to Roach, MO for the 2025 Young Writers Workshop retreat. It was amazing! The sessions were awesome, the food was awesome, and the Wi-Fi, well... that's another story 😂.

Some Highlights:

• Meeting the instructors in person

• Having one-on-one mentorship sessions with Kara Swanson and Victoria Lynn

• The book fair!

• Meeting my friends irl

• Hearing Brett Harris sing Veggie Tales XD

• The sprinting sessions

• Cosplay!

• The celi dancing

• Spending all my money on books (okay, we don't talk about that XD 🤭)

• The critique sessions

If you asked me what my favorite part was, I'd have to say all of it. I know that isn't the most creative answer, but seriously, how can I pick just one part? I have soooo many memories, and each and every person that I got to meet was incredibly awesome <33. *Much nodding*.

The books I came home with:

• Voices of the Future: Stories of Whimsy & Warriors

• Trouble Lurks by Elisabeth Joy (I'm currently reading this one, and wow, it is so good!)

• Explorers of Somnium by Adam Vineyard

• From Peasant to Princess by Anna Grace Durham (technically, I got this for my sister but I may have to read it sometime... just don't tell her XD)

• At All Times by Anna Grace Durham

• Lavender Eyes by Anna Grace Durham

• Shadow by Kara Swanson

• Emberling by Kaytlin Phillips

• Once I Knew by Victoria Lynn

• Healer by Ava Murbarger

• The Hidden Haven by Ella Quill

• A Study of Shattered Spells by Josiah DeGraaf

~♡~

A Surprise...

Okay, okay. I realize that this blog post is turning up more newsletter-type than post-type, but I'm planning on focusing on posting more writing tips/WIP stuff in the future. In the meantime... drum roll please... I got my email list set up!! I will be using it to send out a monthly newsletter, in which I feature writing updates, book recs, goodies, and maybe the occasional surprise. Ahhh I can't believe it's actually out!!

https://fables-featherpens.kit.com/1a55009bc6

~♡~

Conclusion

Well, that's the end of this post, XD. What have you all been reading? Any new fun life updates? Were you at the retreat? Let me know in the comments below!

Until next time,

~Maya