Retreat 2025 Breakout Workshops
I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 3:14
Philippians 3:14
Breakout Workshops meet after each morning and afternoon instructional session. Participate in one or more groups each time they meet OR choose to enjoy some of the retreat features of Restoration Family Farm such as a visit with the animals, a few moments alone to pray and process your thoughts, or a stroll of the grounds in reflection.
BE AWARE: THERE IS NO OFFENSE IN MOVING FROM WORKSHOP TO WORKSHOP AS YOU DESIRE. For instance—spend 20 minutes taking in one workshop and 20 minutes taking in another and 20 minutes walking the grounds or praying alone outside. This is common practice at large writer conferences. Breakout Workshop time is YOUR time!
Each workshop is overseen by a Workshop Mentor who will teach or guide discussion according to the workshop topic and the specific needs of those participating.
Breakout Workshop 1: Manuscript Critique and Discussion
Mentor: Kathryn Ross—Main Room Head Table
Author, editor, and independent publisher Kathryn Ross will be available for manuscript critiques in a single or small group setting. You’ll gain clearer direction for how to polish your work or redraft with confidence and inspiration as well as advice on how to pursue publishing options. Bring a minimum of 5 short manuscript copies to share (as needed) and experience the sharpening power of manuscript critique and discussion.
Breakout Workshop 2: Vision Board Crafting Center
Mentor: Lillian Baker—Main Room/back of room Workstation
Lillian Baker’s many years of experience teaching vision board creation makes her a prime mentor to help you pull together your vision board ideas using a variety of materials: magazines, canvases, decorative craft paper, glue sticks, scissors, art pens, and more. If you have any special Scriptures or pictures from home that you want to add, bring them with you or add them to your board after the retreat. Vision Boards do not have to be completed by the end of the retreat, but you can get a good start. Consider being a volunteer in the closing session to share what you have started on your Vision Board with everyone.
Breakout Workshop 3: Say it Clear--Show, Don’t Tell
Mentor: Trish Weldon—Mid-Room Side A
Author Trish Weldon has a plethora of workshop material for interactive participation to illustrate the craft of SHOWING your story in a "you are there" fashion—instead of just TELLING it. This is a critical skill to master to produce compelling, readable, relatable, and sticky stories. Learn how to craft a scene and use strong verbs to make your writing pop! You’ll have an opportunity to brainstorm an on-the-spot edit of a paragraph and transform it from one that just tells a story into a memorable show of a story.
Breakout Workshop 4: The Place of Prayer in the Process and on the Page
Mentor: Linda Slomin--Playroom
God has called each of us to serve Him in this Kingdom era. There are great opportunities before us to use the gifts He has given us in pursuit of our writing assignments. So many ideas. So many “arrows” to shoot. But how do we know which to use? Only Holy Spirit can advise there—and that is the place of prayer. Intercessor and ordained minister Linda Slomin meets with you individually or in small groups to agree with you in prayer and help you aim your intercession on target so you can hear God’s voice for direction, enjoy His abundance for provision, and be inspired by His Words in your call to write and publish.
Breakout Workshop 5: What Do I Do with What I Have PLUS Writing for Children
Mentor: Pam Halter—Conference Room
Pam is a veteran writer, editor, and published author with over 20 years of experience in writing for children and the publishing biz as a whole. How to pin her down to just one topic on writing? Impossible! So, how about an open discussion on children’s books/stories, marketing, editing, publishing, et al! Are you writing for kids? Teens? Do you want to? Who will buy and how? Bring all your ideas and questions and works in progress for some expert feedback.
BE AWARE: THERE IS NO OFFENSE IN MOVING FROM WORKSHOP TO WORKSHOP AS YOU DESIRE. For instance—spend 20 minutes taking in one workshop and 20 minutes taking in another and 20 minutes walking the grounds or praying alone outside. This is common practice at large writer conferences. Breakout Workshop time is YOUR time!
Each workshop is overseen by a Workshop Mentor who will teach or guide discussion according to the workshop topic and the specific needs of those participating.
Breakout Workshop 1: Manuscript Critique and Discussion
Mentor: Kathryn Ross—Main Room Head Table
Author, editor, and independent publisher Kathryn Ross will be available for manuscript critiques in a single or small group setting. You’ll gain clearer direction for how to polish your work or redraft with confidence and inspiration as well as advice on how to pursue publishing options. Bring a minimum of 5 short manuscript copies to share (as needed) and experience the sharpening power of manuscript critique and discussion.
Breakout Workshop 2: Vision Board Crafting Center
Mentor: Lillian Baker—Main Room/back of room Workstation
Lillian Baker’s many years of experience teaching vision board creation makes her a prime mentor to help you pull together your vision board ideas using a variety of materials: magazines, canvases, decorative craft paper, glue sticks, scissors, art pens, and more. If you have any special Scriptures or pictures from home that you want to add, bring them with you or add them to your board after the retreat. Vision Boards do not have to be completed by the end of the retreat, but you can get a good start. Consider being a volunteer in the closing session to share what you have started on your Vision Board with everyone.
Breakout Workshop 3: Say it Clear--Show, Don’t Tell
Mentor: Trish Weldon—Mid-Room Side A
Author Trish Weldon has a plethora of workshop material for interactive participation to illustrate the craft of SHOWING your story in a "you are there" fashion—instead of just TELLING it. This is a critical skill to master to produce compelling, readable, relatable, and sticky stories. Learn how to craft a scene and use strong verbs to make your writing pop! You’ll have an opportunity to brainstorm an on-the-spot edit of a paragraph and transform it from one that just tells a story into a memorable show of a story.
Breakout Workshop 4: The Place of Prayer in the Process and on the Page
Mentor: Linda Slomin--Playroom
God has called each of us to serve Him in this Kingdom era. There are great opportunities before us to use the gifts He has given us in pursuit of our writing assignments. So many ideas. So many “arrows” to shoot. But how do we know which to use? Only Holy Spirit can advise there—and that is the place of prayer. Intercessor and ordained minister Linda Slomin meets with you individually or in small groups to agree with you in prayer and help you aim your intercession on target so you can hear God’s voice for direction, enjoy His abundance for provision, and be inspired by His Words in your call to write and publish.
Breakout Workshop 5: What Do I Do with What I Have PLUS Writing for Children
Mentor: Pam Halter—Conference Room
Pam is a veteran writer, editor, and published author with over 20 years of experience in writing for children and the publishing biz as a whole. How to pin her down to just one topic on writing? Impossible! So, how about an open discussion on children’s books/stories, marketing, editing, publishing, et al! Are you writing for kids? Teens? Do you want to? Who will buy and how? Bring all your ideas and questions and works in progress for some expert feedback.
Breakout Workshop 6: Narrative Non-Fiction Story Mountain
Mentor: Stacy Lee Flury Mid-Room Side B
Every day we LIVE stories that have the mark of God’s Story in them. Drawing out God’s Story in our story requires us to retell it. And there’s the struggle—where to start? What details do I need to include? How do I address controversial or difficult elements in my story? What is the most important thing I need to say—or not say? How do I engage my reader? Stacy wrestled with all these questions when she authored her award-winning book using personal experience stories from her life. Using the Story Mountain tool, you’ll discover techniques to build your story and scale that mountain to its climax and resolution one plot element at a time.
Mentor: Stacy Lee Flury Mid-Room Side B
Every day we LIVE stories that have the mark of God’s Story in them. Drawing out God’s Story in our story requires us to retell it. And there’s the struggle—where to start? What details do I need to include? How do I address controversial or difficult elements in my story? What is the most important thing I need to say—or not say? How do I engage my reader? Stacy wrestled with all these questions when she authored her award-winning book using personal experience stories from her life. Using the Story Mountain tool, you’ll discover techniques to build your story and scale that mountain to its climax and resolution one plot element at a time.
Breakout Workshop 7: Archery Tutorial—FRIDAY AFTERNOON/SATURDAY ONLY
Mentor: Ariel Allonardo—Outside
We bet you haven’t had the opportunity to shoot a bow and arrow since summer camp when you were a kid! Well, here’s your chance! Ariel, our Archery Mentor, will be available on Friday after the Session 2 demonstration and both Saturday morning and afternoon to give you a chance to draw a bow and see how well you can hit the mark on the straw bale target outside!
Mentor: Ariel Allonardo—Outside
We bet you haven’t had the opportunity to shoot a bow and arrow since summer camp when you were a kid! Well, here’s your chance! Ariel, our Archery Mentor, will be available on Friday after the Session 2 demonstration and both Saturday morning and afternoon to give you a chance to draw a bow and see how well you can hit the mark on the straw bale target outside!
PIONEERS WITH PENS RETREAT WORKSHOPS MISSION STATEMENT:
Under the umbrella of Pageant Wagon Publishing, Christian writers in Southern New Jersey gather at the annual
Pioneers with Pens Retreat and Workshop swhere they can quiet their souls and enrich their spirits
in a restful and creative atmosphere, to secure God’s vision for their work,
hone writing and communication skills, and critique multi-genre manuscripts for publication.
Learn how to tell His Story through your story, and bring the Light of God’s salty Good News
to the mountains of social and cultural influence.
Kathryn Ross, Retreat Director
Under the umbrella of Pageant Wagon Publishing, Christian writers in Southern New Jersey gather at the annual
Pioneers with Pens Retreat and Workshop swhere they can quiet their souls and enrich their spirits
in a restful and creative atmosphere, to secure God’s vision for their work,
hone writing and communication skills, and critique multi-genre manuscripts for publication.
Learn how to tell His Story through your story, and bring the Light of God’s salty Good News
to the mountains of social and cultural influence.
Kathryn Ross, Retreat Director