HISTORY THROUGH FICTION PRESENTS
Novel Whisperer Writing Adventure: Santa Fe 2027
Not a crowded conference. Not a sightseeing-first vacation. A calm, writing-centered retreat for authors who want progress, clarity, and meaningful support.
WHEN
June 6-12, 2027
WHERE
Santa Fe, New Mexico
CAPACITY
7 Writers
There are seasons in a writer’s life when what you need most is not another webinar, another craft book, or another promise to finally make time. What you need is time itself—protected, intentional, and held within the right kind of environment.
Novel Whisperer Writing Adventure with HTF is a weeklong writer’s retreat in Santa Fe, New Mexico, created for writers who want to step away from distraction and return to the page with depth, clarity, and momentum. Over six nights, you’ll have space to write, revise, reflect, and talk through your work with guidance that is personal rather than generic.
This retreat is designed to balance solitude and community. You’ll have meaningful stretches of time to work on your manuscript, opportunities for private coaching, and carefully chosen moments of conversation, instruction, and shared experience.
STRATEGIC TIMING
Why This Retreat, Why Now
The timing of this retreat matters. It takes place just ahead of the Historical Novel Society North American Conference in Pittsburgh on June 17–19, 2027. This positioning gives the retreat a clear and practical value. It is not only a beautiful week away. It is also strategically placed within the larger 2027 historical fiction calendar.
An Alternative
For some writers, that makes Santa Fe an appealing alternative: a smaller, quieter, more intimate historical-fiction-centered experience for those who cannot make the trip to Pittsburgh.
A Primer
For others, it makes this retreat an ideal primer: a focused week to strengthen pages, clarify your project, refine how you talk about your manuscript, and arrive at the conference with more confidence.
FIT & FOCUS
Who is this Retreat for?
Admission is application-based and limited to seven writers, which means the fit matters. This retreat is especially well-suited to writers who are dedicated to craft, committed to responsible historical research, and ready to use the week seriously.
This retreat may be a strong fit if you:
are actively working on a historical novel
want focused time to draft, revise, or rethink a manuscript
are serious about finishing and publishing your book
value strong craft, thoughtful research, and honest guidance
want a retreat environment that respects quiet, boundaries, and individual working rhythms
THE WEEK
What You’ll Experience
The intention is not to fill every hour, but to create a week in which your project can finally breathe. By the end, writers should feel not only that they accomplished meaningful work, but that they better understand their manuscript and what it needs next.
Private Coaching
Three one-on-one sessions focused entirely on your project, your questions, and your next steps.
Craft Discussions
Group sessions on topics central to historical fiction: research, voice, structure, pacing.
Protected Writing Time
Scheduled blocks of quiet, uninterrupted time to do the work you came here to do.
Pre-Retreat Zoom
A meeting before arrival so you can set intentions and arrive ready to begin immediately.
Group Tour
One curated experience in Santa Fe that feeds the imagination without consuming the week.
Community
Seven like-minded writers in an setting designed for genuine connection and mutual respect.
YOUR GUIDES
Meet Your Hosts
The people guiding this week are not generic workshop leaders. They bring deep knowledge of historical fiction, publishing, and the specific challenges of writing responsibly about the past.
Book Coach, Editor, & Literary Expert
Robin Henry is an Author Accelerator Certified Book Coach, librarian, editor, and adjunct professor of Humanities. As Managing Editor at History Through Fiction, she brings years of experience helping writers strengthen their stories and manuscripts. She specializes in historical, upmarket, and literary fiction—and is always happy to talk story, revision, or the Oxford comma.
Author, Historian, Editor, & Publisher
Colin Mustful is the founder of History Through Fiction and the author of Reclaiming Mni Sota, winner of a Midwest Book Award. As an editor, book coach, and publisher, he works with writers on everything from developing ideas and strengthening manuscripts to navigating the publishing process. His approach combines a love of storytelling with practical experience in craft, research, revision, and publishing.
DETAILS
What’s Included
INCLUDED IN THE RETREAT:
✓ Pre-Retreat Zoom Meeting
✓ Airport Transfers
✓ 6 Nights of Private Accommodation in Santa Fe
✓ All Breakfasts
✓ Four Dinners
✓ Snacks, Coffee, and Tea Throughout the Day
✓ Three Private Coaching Sessions
✓ Scheduled Writing Time
✓ Group Discussions on Craft Topics / Craft Classes
✓ One Group Tour
NOT INCLUDED IN THE RETREAT:
✓ Airfare
✓Meals Not Specifically Listed
✓ Optional Tours & Activities To Do On Your Own
THE SETTING
Santa Fe &
the Accommodations
Santa Fe offers exactly the kind of atmosphere many writers crave: beauty, history, texture, and a sense of place that slows you down enough to notice things again.
The lodging centers on the Zona Rosa complex in downtown Santa Fe, just a short walk from the Plaza and the Railyard District. Three adjoining units offer a mix of private rooms, common areas, outdoor space, and practical amenities. Because the property is distinctive rather than conventional, room layouts vary: that variation is part of the retreat's character.
THE WEEK
Your Week at a Glance
Each day balances structure with freedom. Mornings are for focused work. Afternoons flex between coaching, exploration, and open writing time.
-
Arrivals and transfers · 6:30 PM orientation walk · 7:30 PM welcome dinner
-
Breakfast · Orientation + goal setting · Individual coaching sessions · Open writing time
-
Breakfast · Writing time in company · Craft class · Coaching sessions available · Included dinner
-
Breakfast · Craft class · Time to explore independently · Coaching sessions available · Included dinner
-
Breakfast · Group tour (time TBA) · Open writing time
-
Breakfast · Craft class · Coaching sessions available · Farewell dinner
-
Transfers and departures
INVESTMENT
$4750
Pricing & Payment
Before Thu Jan 1, 2027
$500 non-refundable deposit to reserve your place
Mon Mar 15, 2027
Second Payment of $2,500 or remaining balance due
Sat May 1, 2027
Final Balance of $2,250 due
Travel insurance is strongly recommended. Full cancellation and refund terms can be found here: Policies, Expectations, and Cancellation Terms
QUESTIONS
Frequently Asked
-
Yes — this retreat is specifically designed for writers of historical novels.
-
The retreat is limited to seven writers.
-
Yes. We are selecting for fit, seriousness of purpose, commitment to craft, and strength of project.
-
It can be. For writers who cannot travel to Pittsburgh, this retreat offers a smaller, more intimate way to invest in their historical novel. For writers attending the conference, it can also serve as preparation.
-
AI may be used for research support, brainstorming, and outlining, but not to generate the prose of the novel itself.
-
Prospective attendees should ask about accessibility before booking, since historic-style lodging and downtown walking can present limitations.
Join us in Santa Fe
If you’ve been longing for the kind of time and support that allows real writing progress to happen, this retreat is meant to offer exactly that: a change of place, a steadier rhythm, and the chance to return to your work with renewed seriousness and care.
Whether you are looking for an alternative to a large conference or a way to prepare for one, Novel Whisperer Writing Adventure with HTF offers a focused, generous, writing-centered week in Santa Fe.