BEYOND THE BREAKOUT
Workshop and Retreat
A personalized, small group intensive for career-focused writers.
Imagine…
Lively, intimate classes for a dozen writers.
Custom topics based on participants’ work.
Cozy, communal meals.
One-on-ones with industry pros who challenge you to be your best on the page.
Movie nights in a private 20-person theater.
Laughs, connection, and astonishing growth in your craft.
KISSIMMEE, FL
Session 1: October 3 - 6, 2026
Session 2: October 8 - 11, 2026
COMBINED SESSION AVAILABLE!
Join literary agent, Donald Maass, author/editor Lorin Oberweger, writer/director Roman White, and author/editor Brenda Windberg for an immersive, individualized mentorship over the course of eights days. (Or four, should you choose!)
Limited to twelve participants only.
In this highly personalized, hands-on workshop and retreat, you’ll learn the keys to writing timeless fiction, finding and keeping your audience, and drawing from personal experience to speak universal truths. With new material and a sneak peek from Donald Maass’s upcoming craft book, BONES OF THE GODS.
We’ll also talk about elevating and deepening one’s voice, crafting an immersive viewpoint, understanding and deepening theme, employing advanced narrative strategies, enacting smart revision techniques; crafting expert queries, and more.
This is a highly customized experience, with lessons crafted to students’ specific needs, as determined by submitted pages (and class discussion).
The following is a sample agenda, with the potential for many other topics to be covered.
DAY ONE - OPENING STRATEGIES: Creating powerful, persuasive opening pages.
DAY TWO - THE ART OF THE STORYTELLER: Developing a distinctive and dynamic narrative voice.
DAY THREE - IMMERSIVE POINT OF VIEW: Moving from close POV to truly immersive storytelling.
DAY FOUR - THE PAGE AS MICROSTORY: Making every page a complete reading experience.
BREAK DAY: WRITING DAY AND DINNER OUT WITH GROUP.
DAY FIVE - THE HUMAN UNDERNEATH THE HERO: Creating characters who are perfetly, recognizably human.
DAY SIX - SECONDARY CHARACTERS, STORY WORLD, AND RESONANCE: Expanding the fictional universe beyond the protagonist.
DAY SEVEN - SCENE ARCHITECTURE: Building scenes that do real work.
DAY EIGHT - PRO-PITCHING AND UNIVERSAL APPEAL: An agent’s-eye view to querying and creating work that transcends culture, language, and time.
What else can you expect?
Deep-dive craft instruction with Donald Maass, tailored to participants’ needs, with generative writing exercises, group brainstorming, and lively discussion.
A private thirty-minute consultation with Donald Maass, who’ll read fifty pages of each student's manuscript and other supporting material. (Or 100 pages for those who sign up for both sessions.)
Private thirty-minute consultations with editors/authors Lorin Oberweger and Brenda Windberg, who’ll read and offer editorial feedback on twenty-five pages of each student’s manuscript and other supporting material. (Or 50 pages for those who sign up for both sessions.)
Brainstorming sessions with Emmy-award winning director and writer Roman White.
Staff-led critique groups with rotating faculty moderators.
Cozy, high-end accommodations in an upscale AirBnB with pool, spa, and nearby clubhouse with fitness facilities and more.
Wonderful, communal atmosphere with private room and bath for solitary time and work.
Catered breakfast and dinner each day. (Supplies on-hand for make-your-own lunches, or you can order and stock your own items.)
Group dinner out midweek for those staying for both sessions.
Post-workshop assignments and check-ins.
Participants say…
“A very big thank you for the past eight days of Beyond the Breakout. I really found it very worthwhile, and I can honestly say I’ve never experienced a writing event like that. It has, I believe, helped me significantly and certainly opened my eyes to new elements of the craft.”
— Malcolm Dawe“Truly life-changing. It was my first time immersing myself in a live-in workshop, and I came out of it feeling like my mind had expanded several-fold. I went into the workshop looking to learn and elevate my craft to get it trad-ready, and I left knowing what I needed to do and how to get there.
Also, seeing Lorin & Brenda at work opened my eyes to what a professional editor IS. They both have a preternatural ability to feel when they get pulled out of POV, have an eagle's eye for catching errors and incongruent details, and have an incredible sense of knowing how to pull a scene together so the timing hits just right. Even when a work is already well-developed and the prose is excellent, they work to elevate the story.
I’m already signed up for the next one."
— Derek Edgington “This was my second time attending this close-knit writer’s workshop, and it was just as meaningful as the first. Over the years, I’ve participated in many Free Expression’s workshops, and I can’t say enough, how valuable it is to work with Lorin, Brenda, and Don.
No matter the writer’s experience level, each person leaves with fresh perspectives of their work, discovering greater depth and tension on every page.
Thank you again for such an enriching experience.”
— Susan Redmond$2375 per session or $4375 for both
Full Payment and Payment Plan Options available below.
SESSION 1 OF BEYOND THE BREAKOUT INTENSIVE, KISSIMMEE, FL - $2375
Session 1: October 3 - 6, 2026
PAYMENT PLAN - BEYOND THE BREAKOUT SESSION 1
Session 1: October 3 - 6, 2026
Three Payments of $820
SESSION 2 OF BEYOND THE BREAKOUT INTENSIVE, KISSIMMEE, FL - $2375
Session 2: October 8 - 11, 2026
PAYMENT PLAN - BEYOND THE BREAKOUT SESSION 2
Session 2: October 8 - 11, 2026
Four Payments of $820
For the full eight-day combined session of Beyond the Breakout Small Group Intensive, October 3 - 11, 2026
PAYMENT PLAN - BEYOND THE BREAKOUT BOTH SESSIONS
Combined Sessions: October 3 - 11, 2026
Three Payments of $1470