The R(ev)ise and Shine! Residency is our signature event of the year, and something we all look forward to with great joy and anticipation. For this month’s two-part Revision Reflections, we thought we would share our personal thoughts on working with other writers in community.
First up, Jennifer and Jo:
Jennifer:
The R(ev)ise and Shine! Residency is designed for writers who are writing for children—and those writing for adults. It is the only writing retreat I’ve attended that fully integrates all writers no matter their audience. I’ve attended retreats for “adult” writers while working on a children’s book—and retreats for children’s authors while drafting adult work. I always learned something, but I often felt like an exception—an outsider. Not so at the R(ev)ise and Shine! Residency.
So what sets us apart? I’ve been pondering that question. First of all, all four fearless leaders juggle audience and genre. Together we cover the gamut: adult novels, memoir, short stories, picture books, young readers, middle grade, poetry, comics, biographies, novels in verse, adult nonfiction, and YA. We are excited by form, read widely, and encourage exploration of new genres. We delight in pulling techniques from one form and applying them to another. And when our own wells need replenishing, or when the market desires one thing over another, we know how to pivot. You might say we’re experts in pivoting.
For several decades, I provided professional development on the teaching of writing for educators. School districts would invite me to present to their entire school—Pre-K to grade 8. The kindergarten teachers would arrive begrudgingly. They knew 5% of my talk would pertain to their teaching–if they were lucky. (Oh, how I tried to change that percentage!) But imagine how the PE teacher felt? Eventually, I got bold enough to suggest that this type of PD was not effective. In some cases the time was redesigned. In others, I turned the gig down. That’s all to say that we work hard during the R(ev)ise and Shine! Residency to ensure that our talks on craft or process apply to all the creatives in the room. We know your time and resources are limited and therefore treat them like precious commodities.
But, you say, if you make all your talks pertain to everyone, don’t they in fact pertain to no one? It’s a fair question—and the answer is no. From the start, we have aimed to design lectures that are MFA quality or above. What we believe is that with cross-pollination, the breaking down of silos, and hearing concepts presented in novel ways, we come to new insights. Our common denominator is creativity. Integration inspires all participants. Having experienced this now for two years, I wouldn’t want it any other way.
“I found my time at the R(ev)ise and Shine! residency to be like going back to the well of creativity, joy, and possibility. I loved getting to meet the other participants and soaking up the lectures that were so informative, inspiring, and made me remember why I love doing what I do as an author in the world.”
Jo:
On the day registration for the residency opened, I anxiously waited for updates from Rob: Who would be returning? What new friends would we meet? Which regular Zoomie attendees might be able to join us this year? Every time Rob sent an e-mail with a new name, I would give a little cheer. Yay! I get to see Charity and Lee again! Oh, I’m so glad Mary and Maggie can make it, too! Oh my gosh, Cindy is coming for the first time!!! The joy I feel just thinking about being together inspires me. I love our little community, and am thrilled to see it grow.
At the beginning of our last Zoomie with Jane and Jeannine, when familiar faces and names appeared on my screen, I was reminded of how special this community is, and how important it is to continue to cultivate, no matter what happens in “the industry.” We write first to satisfy a longing to share stories. Why do we keep writing? For connection. I feel it every time names begin to pop up on the screen. There’s Pamela! There’s Loree! Oh my gosh, Caroline!!! For me, this is what makes all the work organizing these things worth it: Seeing all of you. Whether you can join us for a residency or for a Zoomie, I hope you feel the connection, too. There’s so much in life that we can’t control, and that list seems to grow by the day. What makes it bearable, what makes me still have hope that things can change for the better, is seeing all of you. I love growing and learning together. The greatest gift of being a mentor for R(ev)ise and Shine! is seeing a writer’s face light up during a conversation, followed by a flurry of scribbling on a scrap of paper. To witness and be a part of someone’s “ah ha!” moment is priceless. These are the kinds of connections that fuel me these days.
Remember our little protest during residency last year? It was a reminder to me that we haven’t given up. That we won’t. That despite what’s happening in this rough world, there’s still a bit of joy to be had—in fact there’s heaps of it.
Hope to see you soon!
“R(ev)ise and Shine! gave me the crucial space and time I needed to focus on my middle grade novel. I appreciate that the faculty take you wherever you are in your process. I left residency with a clearer understanding of my creative goals, full of excitement and a better sense of myself as a writer.”
Registration for the 2026 R(ev)ise and Shine! Residency is now open!
Following on our tremendously successful residencies in 2024 and 2025, this year we are thrilled to return to the Green Mountains of Vermont and the lovely Campus at Marlboro Music (formerly Potash Hill). Expect the same delicious food, stimulating programming, stunning surroundings, and embracing community experience, with exciting new special guests and greater choice in accommodations!
This residency is open to everyone. We welcome all writers to join us, from picture book to adult fiction, brand new visitors to the R(ev)ise and Shine! community and old friends alike. Whether you have published before or are just starting out, we will tailor your experience to meet you where you are in your writing journey.
You will be assigned two mentors who will work closely with you to determine your unique strengths and needs as a writer, as well as what’s working and what isn’t (yet!) in your current draft. Together we will help you design a plan of action for your next revision or for getting out of a stuck place. Come prepared to leap over hurdles that have been getting in your way.
This year we are delighted to welcome Catherine Laudone (guest editor), Sera Rivers (guest agent), James E. Ransome (guest illustrator) and Alysa Wishingrad (guest author) to our residency!
All four will be joining us in person to interact with students and participate in the residency. In addition, for a modest fee, Catherine will be offering one-on-ones to writers of middle grade and picture book manuscripts, while Sera will be offering one-on-ones to writers of young adult and adult manuscripts. For those who write in more than one age category/genre, we invite you to sign up for one-on-ones with both!
Dates: Tuesday, October 27th thru Saturday, October 31st, 2026 at The Campus at Marlboro Music (formerly Potash Hill)
Highlights of this year’s residency include:
Three full and delicious daily meals prepared by the Brattleboro Food Co-op (including beer, wine, snacks, and appetizers).
A full schedule of programming, including multiple daily lectures, an evening art event, structured writing time, a group reading, and fun social activities.
Two 45-minute one-on-one meetings with your Critique and Revision Mentors to discuss your work-in-progress.
Written feedback from your Critique Mentor on your manuscript pages.
$500 scholarships available for BIPOC creatives.
Special guest editor, Catherine Laudone, will be offering one-on-ones to middle grade and picture book authors.
Special guest agent, Sera Rivers, will be offering one-on-ones to young adult and adult authors.
Newer accommodations in the state-of-the-art New Dorm.
A new “Accommodation Upgrade,” featuring a limited number of private apartments (with private bathrooms, entrances, and kitchenettes) available for an additional fee on a first come, first serve basis.
An optional additional day of retreat time available through Sunday, November 1st for a modest fee.
We’re delighted that for the third year in a row we’ve been able to hold base tuition at the same price of $1995.00!
To Register:
Register now through May 15, 2026 (or until full) with a $500 non-refundable deposit on our Eventbrite page.
Balance of tuition due by July 1, 2026.
The number of participants for this retreat is limited to 20, providing a low attendee-mentor ratio.
Our website offers loads more details, including a full FAQ and additional information about the Campus at Marlboro Music.
Have any questions not addressed yet? Let us know in the comments or drop us a line.
Click the image below to find out more and register now:
Stories ground us in a chaotic world. We are in the midst of a reading crisis and the world is turning more visual. Picture books introduce story and visual narrative before language and are essential tor development and literacy. How do you write books that are relevant, interesting and that matter to a picture book reader and what do editors look for in picture books?
When: Wednesday, May 27, 2026 from 7:00 to 8:00 pm ET
Where: Online
Cost: $20*
*For those who can’t attend live, a recording of this session will be made available for 30 days after the event for all ticket holders.
Click the image below to find out more and sign up:
Paula Wiseman is editor-at-large for Simon & Schuster. She has 45 years experience in publishing, most recently as V.P and Publisher of Paula Wiseman Books/Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers. She has worked with Lesa and James Ransome, Toni Morrison, Rosemary Wells, Raul Colon, Matthew Forsythe, Matt Van Fleet and many other amazing book creators.
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