Craft and Career:
A Spring Writer’s Intensive

with Alyssa Eisner Henkin and Acclaimed Author and Agent Guests

Sunday, May 17 – Friday, May 22, 2026, Online
Sunday: 7:30 – 8:30 PM EST
Monday – Friday: 10:00 AM – 4:30 PM EST

PRICE: $1750
EARLY BIRD PRICING: $1650 through April 17

The work of writing a book is about much more than putting words on a page.

It involves developing yourself as an author, understanding your creative strengths, honing your craft, and learning how your work fits into the ever-changing publishing landscape. It also requires resilience, curiosity, and the ability to keep going even when the path forward feels uncertain. New, this spring, we’re bringing you this weeklong intensive designed with all of that in mind.

Join Alyssa Eisner Henkin, the literary agent behind Wonder and many other bestselling and award-winning titles, for a six-day creative immersion that blends craft lectures, writing prompts, industry insight, and lively conversation. There will be time to write, time to think, time to ask questions, and time to connect with other writers.

Participants also have the unique possibility to submit 15 pages for editorial review. Writers may even purchase re-reads post event.

Topics You’ll Explore During the Week

Throughout the week, Alyssa and her guest speakers will guide writers through the intersections of craft, career, and creative identity.

Topics will include:

  • Developing voice and emotional clarity

  • Writing authentic friendships and relationships for young readers

  • Using regionalism and setting to strengthen narrative momentum

  • Understanding which elements reliably capture an agent’s attention

  • Turning real-life inspiration into powerful story ideas

  • Navigating the realities of the publishing industry

  • Building a sustainable creative practice

Each session is designed to spark new insight while also creating space for reflection, experimentation, and writing.

Unique Editorial Feedback Opportunity

Prior to the workshop, you will have the opportunity to submit 15 pages from your manuscript to Alyssa for feedback. Alyssa will return your pages before the start of our workshop. After the workshop ends, you will have the opportunity to submit an additional five pages to Alyssa, a new project outline, or a revised project outline.

Guest Authors and Industry Voices

Throughout the week, Alyssa will be joined by accomplished authors and publishing professionals who will share their perspectives on craft and career. Each day, a guest lecturer will focus on an area of expertise, including turning setting into character, building momentum and raising stakes, writing from lived experience, finding emotional clarity in your work, and more.

RUTH BEHAR is the award-winning author of almost a dozen books. Her novel, Letters from Cuba, was named a Sydney Taylor Notable Book and received an International Latino Book Award, and her novel, Across So Many Seas is a Bank Street Best Book of the year, a Newbury Honor book as well as a Sydney Taylor Honor. In addition to being the first Latina to win a MacArthur “Genius” Grant, her honors also include a John Simon Guggenheim Fellowship, a Fulbright Award, and being named a “Great Immigrant” by the Carnegie Corporation.

Lecture: Castro Covertible and Other Things
Explore writing from lived experience. We’ll talk about cultural specificity and emotional resonance, with insights drawn from Ruth’s novel Lucky Girl and beyond.

Meghan P. Browne is the award-winning author of ’23-’24 Texas Library Association’s Bluebonnet Masterlist title, Indelible Ann: The Larger-than-Life Story of Governor Ann Richards, Dorothy the Brave, and The Bees of Notre Dame. Her debut middle-grade novel, The Edge of Forever, is due out with Feiwel & Friends in Spring 2026. Meghan holds an MFA from the Vermont College of Fine Arts.

Lecture: Yellow Prose of Texas
Meghan will explore how regionalism can elevate writing, turning setting into character and driving narrative momentum.

Lisa Greenwald is the author of almost 30 books for adults and young readers. Her first novel, My Life in Pink & Green, was published in 2009 and began the Pink & Green series. Since then, she has written multiple popular series, including The Friendship List, TBH, Seagate Summers, and Ellie’s Deli, along with several standalone novels. She holds an MFA in writing for children from The New School.

Lecture: You’ve Got Mull
A lively lecture with a Q&A period on writing with humor and honesty. Topics included: voice, emotional clarity, building friendships in our manuscripts and writing that feels authentic.

Bobby Pyron is a critically acclaimed, award-winning novelist. Her novels have garnered starred reviews from Publishers’ Weekly, Booklist, Kirkus and School Library Journal and have been selected for the Junior Library Guild. Her novel Stay was nominated for 8 state literary awards, and her latest book. Octopus Moon (2025) won the ALA Schneider Family Awardand was selected as a best book of the year by School Library Journal.

Lecture: The Curious Incidentof the Plot in the Nighttime
Bobby will explore how to build narrative momentum that feels earned, raising emotional stakes, and pulling readers and characters (human and furry) along - heartstrings, paws and all.

Monica Rodriguez is the Director of Brand Management and a senior agent with Context Literary Agency. Monica loves maximizing the career potential for authors and brainstorming new ways to discover life-long readers. Her solution-driven strategies support her clients’ books before and after they’ve hit the shelves. She represents picture book illustrators, middle-grade and YA authors, and graphic novelists. With her marketing experience, her taste tends to lean commercial, but she loves discovering new voices across all categories and genres. 

Lecture: Armor Up
An engaging conversation exploring how writers can remain resilient, protecting their mental health and creative life in a volatile industry.

What Does a Day Look Like

Each day follows a rhythm designed to keep ideas flowing while also giving writers time to experiment on the page.

  • A short, focused writing exercise to ignite creativity and sharpen attention.

  • An in-depth lecture and discussion covering craft

  • A chance to dive deeper into the day’s lecture

  • Each day will have a different industry guest and a different workshop topic.

  • Stretch, snack, walk break

  • Get to know each other and Alyssa as participants share books, research, or inspirations connected to their work.

  • A session that brings together the day’s themes and offers practical insight into the realities of publishing. Includes prompts and discussin.

  • A fun closing session to the day, which may include breakout room discussions or Ask Me Anything questions with Alyssa.

You Will Leave This Workshop With

  • Editorial feedback on 15 pages submitted in advance

  • A deeper understanding of your writing strengths and creative process

  • Greater clarity about the publishing landscape

  • Writing prompts and exercises you can continue using after the workshop

  • Feedback on one of the following:

    • A project outline

    • A revised outline for an existing project

    • Five revised pages from your original submission

Participants may also choose to purchase an additional manuscript review with Alyssa following the workshop.

This Intensive Is For Writers Who

  • Want to deepen both their craft and their understanding of publishing

  • Are seeking thoughtful feedback and professional insight

  • Feel stuck or uncertain about their next step as a writer

  • Want to spend a focused week immersed in creative work

  • Value learning from both authors and industry professionals

To preserve meaningful interaction and discussion, this workshop is limited to 15 participants.

And most importantly, you will spend a week surrounded by people who love writing, books and stories as much as you do

About Alyssa Eisner Henkin

Alyssa Eisner Henkin began her publishing career in editorial at Simon & Schuster in 1999, mentored by colleagues deeply committed to the craft of shaping stories.

Seven years later she transitioned to agenting, drawn to the creative partnership and advocacy that comes with representing authors.

At Trident Media Group, Alyssa rose to Executive Vice President, brokering hundreds of deals across books, film, and musical theater. In 2021 she founded Birch Path Literary (a nod to Anne of Green Gables), where she represents bestselling and acclaimed creators including Julie Berry, Ruth Behar, Lisa Greenwald, R.J. Palacio, and Bonnie Pyron.

A lifelong reader raised on Bemelmans, Betsy-Tacy, Burnett, and the Brontës, Alyssa loves comfort reads but also relishes risk-taking. She is especially drawn to projects that elevate overlooked voices and foster hope and connection.

She lives in Pennsylvania and teaches writing as an Adjunct Instructor at Temple University’s Klein College.

Submission Guidelines

As part of your registration for this workshop, you have the opportunity to submit 15 pages for Alyssa to review. You will also be able to purchase additional pages after the workshop ends. If you would like to submit, please send us your 15 pages from your manuscript, as well as a sentence or two outlining the plot. Your sample should be double-spaced in 12-point Arial or Times Roman font, 1-inch margins. Please include your name and the page numbers in the header or footer. Samples should be addressed to submissions@whalerockworkshops.com.

Register Now