Ghostwriting

Book Editing

Book Coaching

Writer Retreats

Our Team

Ghostwriting

Book Editing

Book Coaching

Writer Retreats

Our Team

May 2–8, 2027

KAA Writers Retreat
in Tuscany

“Powerful Storytelling”

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Retreat Mentors

David Cashion

Exec Editor, KAA

New York Times-bestselling, former Big 5 acquisitions editor

Duvall Osteen

Agent

Literary Agent of Bestselling Authors

Rebecca Makkai

AUTHOR

NYT Bestselling, Multi-Award-Winning Author

Retreat Workshops

Below are some of the topics and workshops covered during this retreat

Key Elements of Story and Structure

From inciting incidents to resolution, learn how to shape a narrative arc that captivates readers. Break down the essential beats that drive momentum and keep tension alive from start to finish.

Building Compelling Characters

Master the techniques that bring characters – in both fiction and memoir – to life. Explore motivation, voice, and transformation arcs so your protagonists feel authentic and unforgettable.

Kill Your Darlings

Learn the art of ruthless self-editing from professional editors. Discover how to trim, refine, and reshape your manuscript to achieve clarity, pacing, and emotional impact — without losing your unique voice.

The Compulsive Read: Crafting a Page-Turner

Discover the secrets to pacing, stakes, and suspense that keep readers hooked. Learn from bestselling authors and editors how to turn your manuscript into one agents can’t put down.

Going the Distance

Writing a great book is a marathon, not a sprint. Learn how to manage your energy, avoid creative burnout, and make strategic decisions that carry you — and your story — across the finish line.

How to Capture an Agent’s Attention

A great novel or memoir can be overlooked without the right query. In this session, leading agents reveal what grabs them in the opening pages — and what makes them stop reading. Learn to craft a query that gets immediate attention and results.

Key Elements of Story and Structure

From inciting incidents to resolution, learn how to shape a narrative arc that captivates readers. Break down the essential beats that drive momentum and keep tension alive from start to finish.

Building Compelling Characters

Master the techniques that bring characters – in both fiction and memoir – to life. Explore motivation, voice, and transformation arcs so your protagonists feel authentic and unforgettable.

Kill Your Darlings

The Compulsive Read: Crafting a Page-Turner

Discover the secrets to pacing, stakes, and suspense that keep readers hooked. Learn from bestselling authors and editors how to turn your manuscript into one agents can’t put down.

Going the Distance

Writing a great book is a marathon, not a sprint. Learn how to manage your energy, avoid creative burnout, and make strategic decisions that carry you — and your story — across the finish line.

How to Capture an Agent’s Attention

Meet Your Mentors

David Cashion

Exec Editor, KAA

New York Times-bestselling, former Big 5 acquisitions editor

A twenty-year veteran of the publishing industry, David Cashion has worked with professors and rock stars, scientists and actors, historians and comedians, in addition to experienced journalists and novelists. These partnerships have resulted in multiple national bestsellers and many critically-acclaimed volumes. He began his career at Hyperion, where he edited the memoirs of songwriter Jimmy Webb and TV personality Drew Carey. At Viking Penguin, he worked with nonfiction writers such as Jeff Gordinier, Kathleen Flinn, and Peter Irons, and novelists such as Robert Alexander and James Robertson.

While an Executive Editor at Abrams Books, he collaborated with authors including James Ellroy, makeup artist Lisa Eldridge, John Leguizamo, and Metallica’s Kirk Hammett. Having edited across a wide spectrum of categories, David is comfortable guiding aspiring and established book writers through their efforts on multiple subjects and in many categories.

Duvall Osteen

AGENT

Literary Agent of Bestselling Authors

Duvall Osteen represents a diverse list of debut, award-winning, bestselling, and notable authors. Before joining UTA, she spent 11 years as an agent at Aragi Inc., focusing on literary fiction, narrative nonfiction, and graphic novels.

Her literary interests include writing rooted in place, especially the global South, multigenerational storytelling, crime, and literary suspense. In both fiction and non-fiction, she gravitates towards books across genres with big, original, astute, immersive voices.

She is a passionate advocate for her authors, and tailors her approach to representation based on their needs. Above all, she prioritizes close editorial relationships. Duvall was raised in the South, and is based in Manhattan, where she lives with her family. She holds a Master of Arts in Southern Cultural Studies from the University of Mississippi.

Duvall’s clients include: Tess Gunty (National Book Award winner of The Rabbit Hutch), Julie Orringer (international bestselling author), Marjorie Liu (NYT Bestselling and multi-award winning author of the graphic novel series Monstress); Kawai Strong Washburn (Sharks in the Time of Saviors, Winner of the Pen/Hemingway Debut Novel Prize), Mary HK Choi (NYT Bestselling author)

Rebecca Makkai

AUTHOR

NYT Bestselling, Multi-Award-Winning Author

Rebecca Makkai is the author of the New York Times bestselling I Have Some Questions For You as well as four other works of fiction.

Her last novel, The Great Believers, one of the New York Times’ Best Books of the 21st Century, was a finalist for both the 2019 Pulitzer Prize and the 2018 National Book Award, and was the winner of the ALA Carnegie Medal and the LA Times Book Prize among other honors.

A 2022 Guggenheim Fellow, Rebecca teaches graduate fiction writing at Middlebury College, Northwestern University, and the Bennington Writing Seminars, and she is Artistic Director of StoryStudio Chicago.

Your Host on Site

Retreat Coordinator

Anna Burtt

Retreat Coordinator

Your on-site host throughout the retreat

Our Retreat Coordinator, Anna, will be in touch as soon as you’ve secured your place to answer any questions you have, assist with booking transport and to get to know you and your work to make sure that you get the most from your experience in Tuscany. She will make sure that mentors know about your projects and receive material ahead of the retreat in order to tailor their teaching accordingly.

Anna has a background in both publishing and hospitality and is always happy to share insight and ideas as well as make you your favourite coffee and cocktail. Anna will be on site during the retreat overseeing teaching, organising airport transfers, serving meals and excursions and making sure that you have everything you need during the week, so you can switch off from your responsibilities and lock in to your learning.

What Writers Say

4.9

Guest Experience Rating

100%

Satisfaction Rating

90%

Say It “Exceeded Expectations”

“
“The KAA Writer’s Retreat was exactly the breakthrough I didn’t know I needed. The workshops sharpened my craft, challenged creative barriers and gave me valuable insight into the publishing industry. I left with a deeper understanding of both the industry and myself as a writer.”
Amy Nolen
“
“The KAA retreat exceeded my expectations on every front. Between the incredible Tuscan villa, wonderful meals and close interaction with highly experienced publishing mentors, it was the perfect environment to learn. I left feeling like my book project had received a highly effective booster shot.”
Avner Hershlag
“
“Prior to the KAA Writers Retreat, I spent hours on Google and ChatGPT trying to figure out what to do with my completed manuscript. After a week in Tuscany, I had the answers, a clear way forward and a dozen new friends raising a toast to them.”
Shelley Daly
“
“Go. Go. Go, with your heart and mind open to new ideas and life-changing exchanges. The experience is simply invaluable for anyone looking to publish their book. In my case, it gave me exactly what I needed to move forward with my memoir.”
Lisa Benson
“
“The KAA retreat in Tuscany was such a gift. It gave me the support, connection and expert advice that can be so hard to find as a writer. I’d highly recommend it to anyone looking for focus, encouragement, professional guidance and a little pampering along the way.”
Heather Lesie
“
“This retreat far exceeded my expectations. I arrived with no idea how to start writing a book and left with a clear roadmap for making it happen. The mentors were incredibly knowledgeable and generous, and the beautiful Tuscan setting created the perfect environment for creativity.”
Stephanie Fillion
“
“I arrived at the retreat ready for a major change in my writing journey, although I didn’t know it yet. The place, the people and the gentle encouragement opened up a whole new set of possibilities. How I feel about my life as a writer has been deeply changed.”
Ben Dunwell
“
“What a stunning and inspiring retreat. We were brilliantly looked after, with wonderful food and the perfect mix of group sessions, one-to-ones and writing time. Best of all was seeing participants expand their ambitions as they began to realise what might genuinely be possible for them.”
Sophie Hannah