Master Skills Workshop with Esteemed Editor Patti Gauch and Award-Winning Author Gary D. Schmidt
In Person: Sunday, November 8 - Saturday, November 14, 2026
Location: Caboose Farm, Sabillasville, MD
Editor Patti Gauch and author Gary Schmidt team up once again for our foundational workshop.
The two instructors will join 13 writers for a week of workshops, craft talks, readings, and one-on-one editing and mentoring sessions. This class is for experienced writers ready to work hard over long days. You will write and learn from morning until night. You will be given on-the-spot prompts as well as possible writing assignments with short turnaround times, and you will be expected to make revisions and edits as well.
During large-group sessions, discussions will center on major elements of fiction and how they can be used in your stories. During your one-on-ones, you and your mentor will workshop your manuscript. Together, you’ll examine voice, pacing, alternate perspectives, points of view, and more. The aim of this workshop is to hone your writing skills and edit your work so that you can take it to the next level, so that you are getting closer to submission-ready. You’ll also return home with a new community of writers and a stronger sense of craft.
If you are someone who does not like writing under pressure, this is not the workshop for you. Please explore Whale Rock’s mentorship and retreat programs, which are more self-driven.
Important Details
Location
Caboose Farm is located in Sabillasville, MD, conveniently accessible from four airports: DC, Dulles, Harrisburg, and Baltimore. We encourage participants to share Ubers or Lyfts, or to split the cost of a car rental. Once on the property, you do not need a car.
Lodging
The Caboose Farm property has a variety of houses. Each one is unique, but they all contain multiple bedrooms, bathrooms, a living room, and a kitchen. Students will share these houses for sleeping and writing.
When you register, you will be asked to select a room. We have many queen rooms with a shared bath in the hall. We have a limited number of private bathroom suites available, as well as a limited number of discounted rooms, which include one twin bedroom and a handful of basement rooms.
PLEASE NOTE: Upgraded private bathroom suites are in the furthest building from our main gathering spot, about an eight-minute walk. Some folks may prefer to drive to and from that location.
Work Space: Each house has a kitchen table. Additionally, the property features a bright, common work space with windows overlooking the property. Each floor has tables where you can work. There will be at least one "quiet" floor.
Food
Breakfast: Students will be responsible for their breakfasts. There is a Wegmans grocery store 25 minutes away by car and a Weis’s grocery store 12 minutes away by car. We encourage students to do a shop on their way to the property on the first day. Some participants have used delivery services.
Lunch and Dinner: These meals will be provided by a private chef. Snacks, beverages, and wine will be offered each day.
Refund & Payment Policies
Your tuition must be paid in full at registration. If you require a payment plan, please click on the pink Klarna button at checkout.
REFUNDS: OUR WORKSHOPS ARE NONREFUNDABLE. As such, we highly recommend you purchase travel insurance for this event. Over the last two years, we’ve had an increasing number of last-minute cancellations. While these are often due to circumstances beyond anyone’s control, as a small business, we cannot absorb such losses.
CREDIT: If you are an accepted participant and withdraw prior to September 1, you may be eligible for Whale Rock credit if your spot can be filled from the waitlist.
PLEASE NOTE: We continue to give tremendous thought to your health and safety as well as the health and safety of our staff and instructors. We have chosen a location with ample outdoor space, but we recognize the event will be held in November. For everyone's safety, we ask all participants to exercise caution during the two weeks prior to the workshop.
Workshop Size
13 writers