...and That's a Wrap!
NWW 2026 is officially over – and we're thrilled by everything we learned
What do you get when you stick twelve writers in the hottest city in France for a week? A lot of laughs, a lot of popsicles, and a lot of deep conversation about the art and power of writing.
We just wrapped up the fourth edition of the Nantes Writers’ Workshop, and we couldn't be more thrilled with the way our cohort came together. With a wide range of expertises and interests, from speculative fiction to flash, historical fiction to voicey thriller, this year’s writers were above all united in their generosity of spirit and keen desire to help one another craft sentences, pages, and pieces that showcased the best of what they were seeking to accomplish.
In our morning generative writing sessions, we took full advantage of Nantes’ policy of keeping all (air-conditioned!) museums open during the heat wave, capitalizing on these spaces to hone our powers of observation. We worked on writing with constraints like depriving ourselves of interiority – or the letter e – and we shared the often hilarious results in a space filled with good will.
In our evening craft sessions, we learned all about setting tone from our fellow, Janet Skeslien Charles, and we also shared our tips on cultivating the perfect ambiance for writing. Some confessed they cannot write on a full stomach; others said they need noise-cancelling headphones to do the job. Some shared that the best way to jump-start creativity is to attend a writing event like a salon, conference, or retreat… and we like to think that our workshop has joined that list.
Opportunities
Join Anna at the European Writers’ Salon’s annual event in Madrid in September!
The Robert Watson Literary Prize is currently open for submissions until the end of the month.
What We’re Reading
Eight writers share the time of day they write and why with LitHub
NWW alum Phil W. Bayles has definitely given us food for thought with his piece “Crunch”
Walter Mosley explores the reasons why it’s important to remember: Your novel is not a machine.