Julie Gammack is launching a new ZOOM series, the Okoboji Mastery Circle, an online continuation of the annual Okoboji Writers and Songwriters Retreat. So, of course, I had to interview Julie about it.
Julie had to drag me kicking and screaming to my first Okoboji Writers’ Retreat. years ago. Much to my surprise, it was one of the most amazing times of my life. I have now been to four sessions, and every year I write a summary of what I learned at the retreat, and here is my last “Dear Julie Gammack” post from this past year.
Writers and readers from everywhere, panel discussions with writers, editors, and publishers of every persuasion. World-class journalists, opinion writers, novelists, screenwriters, poets—the list is never-ending. And now, it’s songwriters too!
And the best part of Okoboji? All egos are left at the door. What any of us had accomplished in the past really didn’t matter—all of us wanted to better our craft, and sometimes it was teenagers and other early-stage writers who taught us old geezers something.
Please consider watching the video—we had fun. Below is some more of what Julie has to say about the 2026 Mastery Circle:
A Year to Become the Writer You’re Meant to Be
Ten months. Ten - 12 master teachers. The Okoboji Writers’ and Songwriters’ Community Year-Round.
Registration is now open for our 2026 Mastery Circle, a guided, year-long training series designed for writers who want depth, structure, and real progress. Each month, you’ll learn from award-winning authors, journalists, memoirists, screenwriters, and publishing professionals who know how to turn lived experience into art.
This is not a casual drop-in workshop series. It is a developmental path. You will sharpen your voice, strengthen your structure, and leave with pages that are stronger, clearer, and more emotionally resonant. You will write, revise, share, and grow beside peers who are just as committed as you are to finishing meaningful work. All skill levels are welcome.
What This Experience Offers
Over ten months, you will learn how to:
• Find the most powerful entry point into your story
• Build unforgettable characters on the page and on screen
• Write for impact, change, clarity, and courage
• Turn overlooked history into compelling narrative
• Replace weak language with precision and electricity
• Bring meaning and transcendence to memoir
• Discover the themes that connect your stories
• Craft protagonists readers care about from page one
• Understand exactly what grabs an agent’s attention
• Write nonfiction rooted in voice, empathy, and insight
Each session stands strong on its own. Together, they form a year of transformation.
Month-by-Month Faculty
January: Kali White VanBaale — Points of Entry in Storytelling
February: Peter Hedges — From Page to Screen: Writing Character-Driven Stories
March: Rekha Basu — Writing for Change
April: Rachelle Chase — Turning Local Stories Into Powerful Narrative
May: Phoebe Wall Howard — Rethinking How We Use Language
June: Debra Engle — Finding Transcendence in Memoir
July: Beth Hoffman — Bringing It All Together: Finding Themes in Memoir
August: Nicole Baart & Julie Cantrell — Craft and Character Masterclass
September: Katharine Sands — Inside the Mind of a Literary Agent
October: Douglas Burns, Robert Leonard, Ty Rushing — Nonfiction Panel: Voice, Empathy, Perspective
Who This Is For
Writers of all genres and experience levels who are ready to learn in community, commit to craft, and make tangible progress on work that matters.
If you want to finish a book. If you want to write with clarity. If you want to move people. If you want to grow.
This is designed for you.
Please enjoy the video, and here is where you can register. Click on the link and your life will be changed forever.
Here’s an update.
On Saturday evening, I posted a column: Senator Tom Harkin says Trump and his team are “dedicated modern-day Nazis and fascists; at the Iowa Farmers Union meeting in Ames.
On Tuesday, the Iowa Farmers Union released a summary of the conference and a high-quality video of Harkin’s speech in a press release: Iowa Farmers Union Convention Highlights Senator Tom Harkin’s Call to Strengthen Rural America.
I’m a proud member of the Iowa Writers’ Collaborative. Please check out our work here. I also publish Cedar Creek Nature Notes, about Violet the Dog and my adventures on our morning walks at Cedar Bluffs Natural Area in Mahaska County, Iowa.
