NEW ENGLAND NARRATOR RETREAT OCT. 19-21, 2026

 

NEW ENGLAND NARRATOR RETREAT 2026 AGENDA

COACHES: JOHNNY HELLER, JO ANNA PERRIN, PAUL ALAN RUBEN, PAULA PARKER, CAROL MONDA, SEAN ALLEN PRATT, JOEL LESLIE FROOMKIN, DON BAARNS, TOM DHEERE

PUBLISHERS: RINN KRAUS-SPOTIFY, KHAI DHATTOLI-PODIUM, ELISHIA MERRICKS- MACMILLAN, ZANE BIRDWELL – JOHN MARSHALL MEDIA

Fill out your coaching preferences, food needs, and more HERE!

AGENDA (SUBJECT TO CHANGE – we aim to please!)

MONDAY OCT 19TH

4PM: CHECK IN

6PM: DINNER

6PM – 12AM: COCKTAILS

7:45PM -8:45PM: LISTENERS LOUNGE #1 BY LOTTERY/3 MINUTE READS MAX!

7:45P -?  FIREPIT #1

8:45-?  KARAOKE #1

TUESDAY OCT 20TH

8-9:30AM: BREAKFAST

9:40-10:50AM:   INTROS/WELCOME/PUBLISHER PANEL Q&A #1 – MC: JOHNNY -CEDAR
SEND YOUR PUBLISHER QUESTIONS HERE!

11-11:45AM BREAKOUT SESSIONS

1. DEEP DIVE: LITRPG/FANTASY: JOHNNY, JOEL, KHAI, RINN – CEDAR
2. PREP, PRE-READ, PERFORMANCE, PROOFING, PROFESSIONALISM: DON, LISA, TOM, ZANE- OAK
3. MAINTAINING CREATIVITY/SPONTANEITY ON A SCHEDULE – ACTING TO ORDER: JO ANNA, CAROL, ELISHIA- MAPLE or TECHRON
4. NON-FICTION – YOU ARE THE AUTHOR: SEAN – RESERVOIR A
5. LETTING THE AUTHOR DO THE WORK: PAUL, PAULA – RESERVOIR B

12-1:15PM: LUNCH

1:30-3:30/4pm DIRECTED READINGS

1. Reservoir A – JOHNNY
2. Oak – JOEL
3. Reservoir B – CAROL
4. MAPLE or TECHRON – SEAN & JO ANNA
5. CEDAR – PAUL
6. Lobby – PAULA

4:30pm-5:30pm: Optional session offerings from our colleagues (TBD)

1. Reservoir A -TEXT MAPPING & SUBTEXT – CAROL MONDA
2. Reservoir B – CREATING CHARACTERS – voices & choices – JOHNNY, PHIL THRON
3. OAK- PODCASTING FOR FUN & PROFIT- BILL LORD
4. CEDAR -MONETIZING AND MODERNIZING YOUR BUSINESS – DON, TOM

6PM: DINNER

7:00PM-12AM: COCKTAILS/BAR

7:30PM-8:30PM: LISTENERS LOUNGE #2 – BY LOTTERY/3 MINUTE MAX READS

7:30PM-? FIREPIT #2

8:30PM-? KARAOKE #2

WEDNESDAY OCT 21ST

8-9:30AM: BREAKFAST

9:40-10:50AM PANEL – PUBLISHERS Q&A #2!  MC: JOHNNY – CEDAR

11-11:45AM BREAKOUT SESSIONS

1. MAREKETING/REACHING OUT/STAYING IN TOUCH SUCCESSFULLY – BEING ACTIVE WITHOUT BEING ANNOYING: SEAN, RINN – RESERVOIR B
2. WHAT DOES A DIRECTOR & HOW TO LIVE WITHOUT ONE: PAUL, PAULA -RESERVOIR A
3. ROMANCE & THE DANGERS OF DUAL NARRATION (WHEN ASSHATS STRIKE!)- CAROL, JOEL, KHAI -CEDAR
4. ACTING TO WIN THE GIG V DOING THE GIG – WHERE DID THE ACTOR GO? – JOHNNY, JO ANNA, ELISHIA, ZANE -OAK
5.  HOW TO GET FOUND ONLINE IN 2026-SEO,AEO,GEO: DON, TOM -MAPLE

12-1:15PM: LUNCH

1:30-3:30/4pm DIRECTED READINGS

1. Reservoir A – PAUL
2. Reservoir B – SEAN
3. Cedar – JOHNNY
4. Oak – JOEL
5. Maple – JO ANNA & CAROL
6. Lobby – PAULA

4:30pm-5:30pm: Optional sessions offerings from our colleagues (TBD)

1. MAPLE – AI & THE ACTOR- JUST THE FACTS- AN OPEN DISCUSSION ABOUT REALITY AND RUMOR – JOHNNY, TOM, DON, LISA, (AND ANY PUBLISHERS WHO WISH TO JOIN)
2. RESERVOIR A – MORE ON FANTASY/ROLE-PLAYING: FOR NEWBIES -AN EXPLANATION OF GENRES, ROLES, PROGRESSION V GAME LIT & MORE! – GARRETT BROWN, GARY TIEDMAN, PHIL THRON
4. TBD
5. TBD

6PM: DINNER
6PM-12AM – COCKTAILS

8PM-? FIREPIT #3

8:30-? KARAOKE #3

THURSDAY OCT 22ND

8AM-10:30AM BREAKFAST/GOODBYES/LOTS OF PICTURES TO MAKE UP FOR FORGETTING TO TAKE ANY EARLIER

—————-

IMPORTANT NOTES THAT YOU WILL LIKELY IGNORE & THEN ASK ABOUT LATER:

1. BREAKOUTS – I will assign rooms/spaces for every breakout and session. Going outdoors is an option if it’s nice out.
2. DIRECTED READS – Publishers will wander from session to session as they like. They are free to comment but you need feel NO pressure!
3. LISTENERS LOUNGE – You will be assigned your day and time by lottery for this. (You can change your mind and not read on-site. Again, NO pressure!) NO PIECE LONGER THAN 3 MINUTES! NO GUARANTEES THAT EVERYONE WILL/CAN READ!
4. FOR FOOD PREFERENCES/NEEDS, LISTENERS LOUNGE, DIRECTED READINGS COACH SELECTIONS, FILL OUT THE FORM  – “FORM OF CHOICES”.
5. PLEASE SEND IN QUESTIONS FOR THE MORNING PUBLISHER PANELS. WE WILL SELECT FROM YOUR SUBMISSIONS.
6. NARRATOR INFORMATION FOR THE PUBLISHERS: TO HELP ALLEVIATE OUR NERVOUSNESS/PRESSURE IN TRYING TO MEET ALL THE PUBLISHERS, WE WANT ANY ATTENDEE TO WISHES TO PARTICIPATE IN AN INFO PACKET! WE WILL SHARE A SPREADSHEET WITH YOUR NAME(S), WEBSITE, SOCIAL MEDIA…ETC. WE WILL ADD A VIDEO OF YOUR WORKSPACE WITH YOU ANSWERING THE SAME FEW QUESTIONS FROM THE PUBLISHERS. THIS WAY, THEY WILL HAVE A CHANCE TO “MEET YOU” BEFORE THEY MEET YOU!
7. THE WORKSHOP PRICE IS NOT THE SAME AS THE WARREN CENTER PRICE. YOU WILL BE BILLED BY THE WARREN CENTER FOR FOOD/FACILITIES. 

PAYMENTS – PLEASE READ THIS

Your workshop fee is NOT the same as the room/board/facilities fees charged by the Warren Center.

THE WARREN CENTER WILL BILL YOU FOR THE EVENT. YOU PAY THE WARREN CENTER FEE TO THEM. YOU DON’T PAY THEIR FEE NOW!

IF/WHEN THE WARREN CENTER FILLS UP – OR BEFORE, YOU CAN STAY AT AN OFF-SITE HOTEL. You can also stay off-site to save some loot! Off Site hotel attendees participate in all the activities as on-site attendees. There are nearby hotel options -all about 10-15 minutes away. Feel free to book & if we get a room rate deal, you can switch to it!

COSTS:

WORKSHOP FEE: $995 (THIS DOES NOT COVER ROOM, BOARD, FACIILITIES!)

DAY TRIPPERS:

WORKSHOP FEE: $995 & THE WARREN CENTER FOOD/FACILITIES FEES: $610 + TAXES (estimate)

ONSITE WARREN CENTER ROOM & BOARD & FACILITIES: (rooms are first come, first served)

SINGLE ROOMS ARE SOLD OUT! YOU WILL likely NEED TO SHARE A DOUBLE .

1. SINGLE ROOM: $209 p/night + taxes. Plus $610 food/facilities = $1237 plus taxes and booze.
2. DOUBLE ROOM: $124.50p/night with roommate = $373.50 + $610 food/facilities each = $983.50 plus taxes and booze Per Person. (If not sharing – $249 p/night + taxes; Plus $610 food/facilities plus taxes  = $1357 plus taxes and booze.)
3. OFF SITE HOTELS – there are many swell hotels near the Warren Center. Ask and I can send you a list. We do not have room blocks.

IF YOU KNOW WHO YOU WANT TO ROOM WITH, PLEASE MARK IT ON THE JOTFORM “Registration Choices”. WE NEED ALL OF YOU TO CONFIRM. YOU ARE WELCOME TO SHARE A SINGLE IF YOU LIKE.

WHEN ON-SITE ROOMS ARE FULL, YOU WILL NEED TO STAY AT THE OFF-SITE HOTEL.

The payment you send me is for the Workshop. The Warren Center fees are separate. You will get a bill from the Warren Center, probably onsite if they do it the way they have in previous years. If you stay at the off-site hotel, they will charge you their room fee.

You DO NOT NEED TO CALL THE WARREN CENTER FOR ROOMS. (In fact, don’t! We handle the room assignments. They handle everything once we are on site!)

Refunds: THERE ARE NO REFUNDS. Every year, we have late cancellations, and we have to adjust our rooming plans/schedules/etc. THERE WILL BE NO REFUNDS. If you find you cannot attend, we will see if there is a possible replacement with the waiting list but that’s the best we can do.

We reserve the right to refuse your registration due to space and comfort concerns and, if we do, we will refund your fee.

If covid rears its ugly head and causes cancellations, that’s considered an “Act of God” and not a nice one at that.  As to covid, we expect all attendees to be fully vaccinated. We will follow local and federal CDC guidelines on this issue.