THE NEVER-ENDING ODYSSEY

“I grow every time I come here. The learning never ends.”

–Gerald Warfield

A Message from Jeanne Cavelos, Director:

The Never-Ending Odyssey (TNEO) is an invitation-only, eight-day workshop exclusively for Odyssey graduates. Started in 1998, this unique program allows writing professionals and near-professionals with the shared background of Odyssey to work together to improve their skills. As we all know, the journey to become the best writers we can be is a lifelong one. If we don’t constantly challenge ourselves to learn new techniques, to gain deeper insight into the elements that give fiction power, to push beyond what we have done before, then our work stagnates and dies. TNEO is designed to help writers expand and deepen their skills.

As more and more Odyssey graduates build successful writing careers for themselves, the level of writing, discourse, and critiquing at TNEO continues to grow more advanced. Your fellow graduates truly form a great resource for you.

As director, I oversee all aspects of the workshop, including the schedule, curriculum, activities, organization, and facilities.

MAIN COMPONENTS:

• Three-hour workshopping sessions held in the mornings

• A Master Class on a particular element of fiction held in the afternoons. Each year, we’ll focus on a different element, such as plot, point of view, characterization, and so on. Odyssey graduates will provide advanced, graduate-level lectures on various aspects of this element, along with exercises and activities

• A bonus lecture by Jeanne Cavelos

• Daily writing hours

• Read-aloud sessions and a Barnes and Noble story slam

• A brainstorming session, problem-solving session, novel synopsis critique session, and plot breakout session

• On several evenings, the TNEO Salon Fantastique will be open for writing discussions, story dissections, and other activities

I participate in the workshop alongside you rather than teaching it. Instead, I work closely with an Odyssey graduate who serves as moderator.

The TNEO Resident Supervisor provides logistical support and serves as general problem-solver.

TNEO is a week of hard work that embodies what Odyssey is all about: the lifelong journey toward becoming the best writer you can be. You can come together with your peers in fellowship to discuss writing, to learn, to share insights, to commiserate, to encourage, to laugh, and to improve.

SCHEDULE:

Dates: TNEO is generally held the last full week in July, starting on a Friday (a week after the final day of Odyssey) and continuing for eight days until the next Saturday.

Arrival: Check-in usually begins around 3 PM Friday. All participants must arrive by 7:30 PM for the TNEO Reception.

Departure: Attendees should plan to leave by 2 PM Saturday afternoon.

EXPECTATIONS:

TNEO participants are expected to attend all workshopping sessions and master-class sessions. If you will be unable to attend some sessions, you must discuss this with the moderator before enrolling.

You are also expected to provide professional-level written and verbal critiques on all submissions of those in your group. Written critiques should be more advanced, sophisticated, and in-depth than those you did at Odyssey. Concrete, specific observations and extensive line edits are expected on every work. Feedback should be truthful and helpful.

SUBMISSIONS:

We usually split participants into three critique groups: the Short Story Group, the Regular Novel Group, and the Extended Novel Group. The Short Story Group and Regular Novel Group each contain 6-12 people, and the Extended Novel Group contains 4-8 people.

Short Story Group & Regular Novel Group: Each participant may submit three stories or novel excerpts. The total length of all three submissions cannot exceed 15,000 words.

Extended Novel Group: Each participant may submit three novel excerpts. The total length of your first two submissions cannot exceed 30,000 words. For your third submission, you may submit the remainder of your novel, up to a length of 80,000 words.

Manuscripts must be turned in before TNEO begins, because participants need to critique some, if not all, of the submissions ahead of time. We will be workshopping two or three submissions per day, so if you want to eat or sleep during TNEO, you need to get most of your critiquing done in advance. Most TNEO participants complete all of their critiquing ahead of time and have a much more enjoyable and useful week because of that.

Failure to meet one of the submission deadlines means a participant foregoes the opportunity to have one story/novel excerpt critiqued. All deadlines will be firmly enforced. Deadlines are usually around these dates:

  • First submission due: April 6
  • Second submission due: May 6
  • Third submission due: June 6

All attendees are required to submit at least one piece. Submissions should not be first drafts; they should be as strong as you can make them on your own, so you can profit the most from the feedback you receive. So get writing! [Insert whip crack here. 🙂 ]

All TNEO participants have the option of submitting, in addition, a novel synopsis. Novelists are strongly encouraged to do so, since the Novel Synopsis Critique Session should provide them important insights that may not be possible in the regular critique sessions. The synopsis is usually due around MAY 6 and must be under 2,000 words.

HOUSING AND FACILITIES:

TNEO is held at Saint Anselm College in Manchester, NH, one of the top liberal arts colleges in New England, which has a beautiful campus. Workshopping sessions and lectures are held in air-conditioned classrooms, and we have access to the air-conditioned computer lab, library, cafeteria, and coffee shop. Food can be purchased on an item-by-item basis, just as at Odyssey.

You should check with the moderator for information on housing, since it may vary from year to year. Usually, TNEO participants are housed in two-bedroom apartments on campus at Benedict Court. Benedict Court is #30 on the campus map. They have 1½ baths, an eat-in kitchen with stove and oven, a living room, and high-speed Internet connections. Each participant will receive a linen package that includes sheets, a pillow, pillowcase, blanket, hand towel, and bath towel. Odyssey provides a single window air conditioner in the common area of each apartment for your comfort. (No additional/other air conditioners are allowed.)

For those who prefer more luxurious (and air-conditioned) accommodations, we reserve a block of rooms at the Hampton Inn & Suites. TNEO participants should ask for the special Odyssey discounted rate.

If you plan to arrive at TNEO a day before the workshop begins or stay a day after, you may stay at the Hampton Inn & Suites at the special rate.

Also, if you have someone dropping you off or picking you up, that guest may stay at the hotel at the discounted rate. As in previous years, no guests are allowed to stay in the college housing.

If you have any questions regarding Saint Anselm College, please contact the moderator or me, not the college.

ENROLLMENT:

If you are interested in attending and you have not received an invitation from me, or you have lost your invitation, you may contact me for more information. The enrollment deadline is usually around MARCH 28.

Shortly after the enrollment deadline, you’ll be informed whether you will be in a single or double room. We’ll do our best to accommodate your requests.

COSTS:

Unlike Odyssey, which charges separate fees for the workshop and housing, TNEO combines these into a single fee. In addition, the TNEO fee includes our opening night dinner and our closing night dinner. The costs change each year, but as an example, the costs in 2020 were as follows:

  • $776 for a double room
  • $930 for a single room
  • $622 if you plan to live off-campus

Once the moderator informs you whether you’ll be in a single or double room, you should submit payment. Checks should be made out to Odyssey and sent to P.O. Box 75, Mont Vernon, NH 03057 by APRIL 6.

THE NEVER-ENDING ODYSSEY

Attending TNEO is a great way to gain new insights and perspectives on your writing, to build new momentum, and to make some great friendships. To get the most out of TNEO, you need to begin planning—and writing—now. Those deadlines aren’t far away. I hope to be seeing you and reading your latest work this summer!

Larry Hodges

Larry Hodges

Class of 2006

“There’s a reason some of us come back, year after year, always striving to improve our writing. We could spend the time at the beach or camping or at Disneyworld, but we’ve discovered a much more fulfilling learning experience at TNEO, a week with other writers where we are fully immersed in just the craft of writing.”

samantha_150x200

Samantha Weiss

Class of 2007

“TNEO is, in some ways, one of the most important weeks in my year. It’s the place I can go to resolve issues in my fiction that I can’t address myself. Knowing that I have TNEO as a resource allows me to push forward with my book and not get bogged down—I know that if I don’t figure ‘it’ out myself, I can bring my writing problems to TNEO and draw on the collective expertise of the group. I have never found another workshop or writing group of this caliber. The experience is also, quite simply, a joy, and something I look forward to all year.”

Eileen Wiedbrauk

Class of 2010

“I came to TNEO with a novel I’d stalled out on. The critique groups and problem solving sessions not only gave me work arounds, they pin-pointed the problems I could feel holding up the writing but was too close to the story to see myself. After I came home from TNEO, I was, for the first time in months, writing daily.”

Chip Houser

Chip Houser

Class of 2014

“If you want to ‘level up’ your writing and spend an immersive week with like-minded Odfellows, The Never-Ending Odyssey is a great way to reboot your motivation (and a few friendships) and improve your craft. So sure, there’s all that—but throw in that everyone gets to critique at least one of Jeanne’s novel chapters, to peer into the inscrutable mind of her Jeannius, and it’s hard to find a reason not to go. Hopefully we’ll see you there next year. Jeanne probably already knows if we will.”

From the 2021 Participants:

“I learned an unbelievable amount at Odyssey, but more—much, much more, at the various TNEOs—there is no comparison.  I learned that craft existed at Odyssey (in a massive drinking-from-a-firehose sort of way) but I learned to master much of it at the various TNEOs.  The rhythm of getting a TNEO infusion and then having a year to process has helped me feel like I really, really now understand plot, causal chain, and structure.  I’m vastly better at narrative distance, filtering, and showing instead of telling than I used to be.   And I’m starting to get a handle on how to manage character emotion.  Putting together a lecture this year for how to write flash fiction taught me to wrap my head around flash fiction structure–something that eluded me for years.  In the last few years of submitting, I went from form rejections to the identical form rejections with variations of “but we’d like to see something else from you in the near future” tagged to the end from many of the top markets, and finally I’ve started selling.  If not for the TNEOs, I might have just given up by now.  I think it takes a lot of time to process new ideas and incorporate them, and so the once-a-year structure of TNEO is more valuable to me than any particular individual TNEO.  Also recommended:  the January classes that Odyssey hosts.  I had sort of ignored them, thinking they were for people who hadn’t been through Odyssey, but I took my first January class (on emotion) and it just so vastly improved the several stories that I tried the techniques out on.  When I brought one story (that I had used a lot of those emotion techniques on) to TNEO this year, those passages were all marked by my crit group as things that were working particularly well.”

–Samantha Weiss, Class of 2007

“TNEO offers a way to reconnect and reenergize with speculative fiction writers from across the globe. I attended my first TNEO several years after Odyssey and wish I’d done it every year. At TNEO, I expanded my group of writing friends, learned to see weaknesses in my writing even more clearly (so I can fix them!), and left feeling like I know where I need to go as a writer. Thanks to everyone who organized and attended!”

–Miranda Forman, Class of 2014

“TNEO is the compound interest on Odyssey. Every year, the insights get more acute and the friends more dear. There’s really nothing like it: So many smart people working so hard to help you improve your stories, not to mention lectures, salon, social hours. This year, I resolved to never miss another, and to start work now on next year’s submissions.”

— Jenny Green, Class of 2017

“TNEO is a wonderful reminder of everything I learned at Odyssey. Between the brainstorming and problem-solving sessions, the critiques, and the detailed lectures, it’s a fantastically immersive week with talented writers. Highly recommend.”

–Vikram Ramakrishnan, Class of 2020

“TNEO 2021 was the best TNEO yet. No matter that it was online. Sure there were no optional in person dinners off campus or optional banquets or lunches in person at the Saint Anselm dining hall, but the lectures were just as stimulating online (maybe more), the critiquing just as insightful online (maybe more), the other Odefellows were just as perceptive, generous, encouraging, and enthusiastic online (maybe more), and there was as much discussion and laughter as usual (just look at the ridiculously silly quotes). Thank you Jeanne and Barbara and Becky for making TNEO 2021 happen!”

–Gigi Vernon, Class of 2016

“I’ve now been to twelve TNEOs – that’s 108 days of Total Writer Immersion! And TWI is, to me, half the point of going to TNEO. It’s a week with perhaps 25 other writers where you think, eat, and breathe writing, and specifically speculative writing. What’s the other half? Great critiques, master classes, readings, brainstorming & problem-solving sessions, plot breakout sessions, salons . . . and did I mention Total Writer Immersion? It works for me, and I think it’ll work for you as well!”

-Larry Hodges, Class of 2006

“TNEO is an opportunity to build on everything you learned at Odyssey. The critiques are even more in depth, and the lectures dive into the intricacies of craft. There are opportunities to pick the brains of brilliant writers and solve those nagging plot problems that have been keeping you awake at night or causing writer’s block.

“But beyond that, TNEO is a place where you can renew the friendships you made at Odyssey and make new friends. Writing is often a lonely endeavor, and it’s nice to spend time with people who understand the struggles you’re going through, or what it’s like to get excited pulling off an ending that is both surprising and inevitable.

“We just finished this year’s TNEO, but I already can’t wait for next year’s!”

–Rebecca Roland, Class of 2007

 

“I attended TNEO 2021 (online) with the hope of meeting and making friends with Odyssey graduates, improving my craft through lectures, and having some of my short stories critiqued so I can isolate and extinguish my blind spots. So, how did it turn out?

“I made new, wacky, thoughtful, caring, and talented friends.

“I was blown away by extremely in-depth lectures taught by former students.

“My blind spots are spotlighted and squished under my editor-brain’s boots!

“In short, it was amazing, and I hope to meet you at a future TNEO.”

–Scott Gray, Class of 2020

 

“When family and friends ask me about TNEO every year, they inevitably share their surprise that I don’t spend time at this workshop actually writing. What is the point of such a workshop if it’s not about writing?

“It’s getting detailed, thoughtful, and knowledgeable feedback on your work. Not just ‘this scene is OK’ but ‘I didn’t care for this character interaction because… and that took away from the scene for me.’

“It’s pushing your own knowledge of writing to the limits in the critiques that you give.

“It’s examining your own blind spots in your writing and critiquing by listening to the critiques given to your fellow critique groupmates.

“It’s picking up new concepts and techniques from the excellent lectures, salons, and other sessions.

“It’s the little gems of knowledge freely shared during conversations between writers.

“It’s the connections you make with writing friends, new and old.

“And most importantly, it’s the feelings of inspiration and empowerment at the end of the week. Yes, your writing is now lying in shreds on the floor, carefully deconstructed in the most loving way. But you have also been given effective guidance on how to put it all back together again, and you know you can. And if you’re anything like me, you will enter another year of writing knowing that you can do this, that you’ve grown as a writer since the last time you got an Odyssey-style critique, and that you will continue to grow.”

–Janea Schimmel, Class of 2018

From the 2020 Participants:

“We choose to return to Odyssey for The Never-Ending Odyssey workshop to re-kindle the fire of creativity. We arrive to find familiar, beloved fellow writers and newer graduates of the Odyssey workshop. Together, we explore our craft, share our work, and do so in trust and professionalism. We leave with improved skills and a bond not unlike comrades-in-arms, inspired to do our best writing.”

–Vee James, Class of 2012

 

“Amazingly enough, TNEO 2020 via Zoom was as amazing and useful as the past three in-person ones I’ve attended.

“Odyssey was Great. Attending changed my writing in ways I can’t measure. TNEO has continued that process.

“It was wonderful being able to continue the experience in spite of the pandemic.”

–Mike Howard, Class of 2016

 

“We choose to go to TNEO, not because writing great stories is easy, but because it is hard. And while many of us write good stories, good stories don’t sell; great ones do. If you come to TNEO, you can commit yourself to achieving the goal, before those nine days are out, of taking a good story and turning it into a great one. So ask not what your writing can do for you; ask what you can do to improve your writing. Plus, you’ll have nine days of writer heaven with other writers, where we critique, read, attend classes, and live the writing dream!”

–Larry Hodges, Class of 2006, veteran of eleven TNEOs

“When I finally wrapped my head around structure, I discovered that I had never understood theme, and my lack of understanding was robbing my stories of meaning.  When I started to wrap my head around theme, I discovered that I had forever been telling my characters’ emotions and not showing them, and that doing so was making my stories hard to sell.  When I started to wrap my head around emotions, it was tension…  All of those discoveries of blind spots happened, one way or another, at a TNEO.  I learned the tools to fix or at least mitigate those problems at a TNEO.  If I didn’t learn the tools themselves at TNEO, I got resource recommendations from someone at TNEO.  When I look back at stories I’ve written over the last decade I see the clear progression from stories that make me cringe (even if I still love the seed) to stories that are just so much better–stories that I’m happier with. I can attribute that growth directly to various TNEOs.  Having craft to draw from has helped me take writing from something that I do with painstaking slowness and angst to something I can do with relative speed and far more competence.”

–Samantha Weiss, Class of 2007

 

“I signed up for TNEO this year when COVID-19 was barely on the horizon.  Eventually it grew clear that it was too risky to travel and stay at St. Anselm.  I was disappointed.  But Jeanne promised the TNEO workshop experience, and thanks to her organizing and the hard work of her workshop elves Barb, Janea and others, we have just completed another wonderful workshop, as good as any I have attended, even better in many respects.  The TNEO experience features intensive reading and writing by the attending writers. It involves lectures on technique, practice sessions and daily writing.  We had great critiquing by groups through Zoom, communal dinners, public readings and salons about writing topics, everything organized through Canvas education software.  I feel flush with new-found enthusiasm, great ideas for my revisions, and new ideas to try.  Thank you, Jeanne, and thank you, Elves, for a great workshop. I didn’t miss a thing.”
–Jim Hall, Class of 2001

 

“There are so many elements of craft to consider when writing that it’s impossible to address each one adequately in one workshop. TNEO allows Odyssey graduates to come back time and again to various aspects of the craft to further hone their skills. Writers at TNEO all come from the same Odyssey background, and all have different strengths and weaknesses. Because of this, the group is able to provide helpful critiques, suggestions for improvement, and encouragement to continue on this writing journey. Most importantly, I get to see old friends and make new friends, and I always leave energized.”

–Rebecca Roland, Class of 2007

 

“What stands out most to me about TNEO 2020 is the incredible amount of passion and dedication to writing shared by everyone and the trust we put in each other.  The invitation letter went out as the first states began locking down for the pandemic, and there were significant questions about TNEO 2020 at that time. Would we able to meet in person? Would we be online? What would that look like? But people signed up, trusting that whatever Jeanne, Barbara, and I came up with, it would be up to the standards of previous TNEOs.  When the decision to move online was made, we all patiently learned new technologies, found new uses for familiar technologies, and through it all continued to give high quality critiques, inspiring lectures, and salons followed by late night discussions. We found ways to maintain the exceptional quality of work we all remember from Odyssey while balancing real-life distractions like children, spouses, and a colorful array of pets without missing a beat. We explored our weaknesses, gained new skills, made new friends, renewed old friendships, and best of all, came to trust that all this crazy technology can help us stay connected in ways we never imagined previous to TNEO 2020, so that this TNEO could truly be Never Ending.

“And if that’s TNEO while the world is on fire, imagine what it’s like in a normal year.”

–Janea Schimmel, Class of 2018

From the 2019 Participants:

“TNEO is an invaluable resource, one that allows you to renew your connection to fellow Odyssey graduates, hone your strengths as a writer, and examine your weaknesses. No matter how great a writer you are, there is always more to learn and new ways to grow. TNEO is the perfect place to discover how.”
—Richard Errington, Class of 2016

“TNEO is a focused, inspiring week that is part master class, part writers’ retreat, and all fun with like-minded, professional folks. I got excellent, professional feedback on my work and will return home pumped to apply my new revelations and skills.”
—Elizabeth Hirst, Class of 2006

“Fantastic! Great exchanges! Always a learning experience. This is indeed a never-ending odyssey!”
—Caroline Lee, Class of 2017

“I left Odyssey exhausted but ready to continue to tackle problems in my writing. I found a new awareness of some of my weaknesses in the year that followed, and as fate would have it, the next TNEO was all about one of those weaknesses. So, I did the thing I was sure I was still too exhausted to do and signed up. TNEO has given me valuable feedback on my writing and new tools to take home and develop. Because of the shorter format, I feel like I can go home and work on a few things, a few techniques and skills, and not the whole of the Odyssey curriculum at once. I know that my writing will level up again. I’ve met many new wonderful writers, and I’m leaving feeling my writer-self refreshed and revitalized.”
-—Janea Schimmel, Class of 2018

“TNEO builds on the heritage of literary analysis for the purpose of craft. There is so much work out there, from Aristotle on, and TNEO lectures are an amazing way to be exposed to rich and worthy ideas, dug out like jewels by our fellow classmates who have become instructors. Also, the critiques seem to get better every year. I have no idea how that works.”
—Cara DiGirolamo, Class of 2015

“I’ve done extensive writing workshopping, with Ernest Gaines, with Steve Almond, with Robert Olin Butler, with four summers at the Iowa Summer Writing Festival. Odyssey Writing Workshop with Jeanne Cavelos is head and shoulders above them all.”
—Ed Gauthier, Class of 2017

“Fabulous as always. An absolute necessity to my writing practice. Every year I learn so much and realize how much more I have to learn.”
—Jenny Green, Class of 2017

“TNEO is a lot of thing—writing, critiquing, getting critiqued, master classes, exercises, discussion salons, read-alouds, and nine days with writer friends. But at its core, it’s nine days of writing immersion, a writing vacation, and an experience you don’t want to miss.”
—Larry Hodges, Class of 2006

“Every year I have come to TNEO, I have learned something important that impacts my writing. This year it was sentence structure and story structure. But not just these. TNEO gives me a jolt of renewed enthusiasm for the writing year, reunites me with a community of writers, and challenges me to keep learning and to improve my skills.”
—Jim Hall, Class of 2001

“TNEO is the follow-up that no other workshop has! TNEO is the bonus for Odyssey. It’s like the extended warranty that never expires!”
—Gerald Warfield, Class of 2010

“I came in with a host of structural problems with the middle of my novel, and I leave exhausted but exhilarated with a clear plan for revision. This has been a wonderful opportunity both to learn and to teach, and I found exactly what I was looking for.”
—Geoffrey Jacoby, Class of 2003

“Odyssey is the beginning. TNEO is the continuation of the journey. TNEO allows you to deepen and sharpen and build on what you learned in Odyssey, and it’s amazing and invaluable.”
—Gigi Vernon, Class of 2016

“TNEO is a supportive community where writers with different interests and abilities come together to help each other learn, grow, and keep writing!”
—Ellen Denham, Class of 2006

“TNEO is lots of fun and carries the Odyssey experience forward. Instead of Odyssey being ‘over’ after six weeks, TNEO is a chance to relive it from May through July.”
—Mike Howard, Class of 2016

“TNEO is a recharging of my creative batteries… I’m reminded of best practices, get to learn new ones, and reconnect with a community of Odfellows—some of the most serious, fun, and talented writers I know. I’ve always been grateful for my time at Odyssey—but even more so because it wasn’t a once-in-a-lifetime thing. It’s a continuing journey with lots of excellent companions.”
—Bridget Norquist, Class of 2015

“I cannot say enough good things about TNEO! It has been such an incredibly powerful experience to connect with a community of writers, people who understand writing techniques, people who have insight into struggles in a way only writers can. This is such a vibrant, supportive, community. I am blown away by how much support I received.”
—Rebecca Stooks, Class of 2016

“With great story promise comes great responsibility.”
—Arthur Dorrance, Class of 2009

“One of the reasons I first decided to apply to Odyssey was knowing alumni had a community—that the workshop wasn’t a one-time experience—because writing isn’t a one-time endeavor but a lifetime endeavor. TNEO gives me the opportunity to continue the endeavors of workshop throughout the years. I take advantage of it every chance I get.

“TNEO is my chance to really sink into deep conversations with writers after spending all year conversing with normal people.”
—Eileen Wiedbrauk, Class of 2010

From the 2018 Participants:

“TNEO 2018 was exactly what I needed after finishing my novel. The preparation for it was intense. The critiques I did for the workshop and the critiques I received there were humbling. It is exciting to see so many good writers producing such amazing prose and yet struggling with some of the same issues I myself have as a writer. It is heart-warming to see how freely and generously the Odyssey writing community shares and encourages and inspires, all the while holding themselves and their fellow writers to high standards in the spirit of producing the best possible story. I love being part of that community and to realizing that writing is indeed a never-ending odyssey. My thanks to Jeanne Cavelos and all the hard-working Odfellows who gave lectures, held salons and handled general logistics to make the experience possible.”
—Caroline Lee, Class of 2017

“If you are struggling along blind, feeling perhaps that you are good enough to manage alone and too good to have anyone pinpoint your Achilles heel—come to TNEO. Your secret weakness will be found. It will be stabbed. Your ego will die. But a new sword will be given to you and your own limitations will cower before you. Or at least you will say, ‘Goddammit, I knew I should have fixed that.’”
—Cara DiGirolamo, Class of 2015

“TNEO is a unique and valuable experience which fulfills a need unsatisfied by anything else I’m aware of.”
—Mike Howard, Class of 2016

“TNEO was the meeting of minds on the craft elements of writing genre fiction that I’ve been looking for my whole life.”
—Maggie MacAlpine, Class of 2017

“I got great, detailed feedback from my critique group that really helped me to rethink my novel.”
—Katherine Heath Shaeffer, Class of 2017

“I wasn’t sure it was possible to enjoy time spent writing and learning about writing more than I did at Odyssey. But my past week at TNEO surpassed even that, providing even richer, more sophisticated discussions that will help me continue to improve as a writer. I’m so glad I came back–and I plan to continue doing so in the future.”
—Jason Febery, Class of 2017

“This was my 9th TNEO, which shows its value to me. I strongly recommend it to others for the critiquing, classes, special events, socializing, and for the great skills and motivation it gives us in our writing.”
—Larry Hodges, Class of 2006

“TNEO was fantastic! It was great to reconnect with old Odyssey friends and meet new ones. We are so lucky to have this supportive Odfellow community and the opportunity to continue to learn from each other. The critiques were immensely helpful, and I plan on returning every year (if I can) for a writerly ‘tune-up.’”
—Bridget Norquist, Class of 2015

“A great learning experience. Loved meeting some new Odfellows.”
—David Stier, Class of 2002

“To Saint Anselm College: Having TNEO on your beautiful campus helped me hone my writing skills and provided a pleasant place in which to admire the outdoors beauty of New Hampshire. It provided a counterpoint to a very hectic, strenuous week. Your hospitality has been appreciated and I look forward to returning here again in the near future.

“Thanks for allowing me to see and feel like a part of your magnificent campus, if only briefly.”
—Robert Cutchin, Class of 2002

“TNEO provides vital continuity in your development as a writer.”
—Gerald Warfield, Class of 2010

“TNEO is one of the lifelong rewards for having successfully completed Odyssey: A continuing fellowship of committed writer colleagues and an annual opportunity to refresh and uplift one’s writing skills in an atmosphere of positive mentorship.”
—Robert Sojka, Class of 2008

“I thought TNEO would be a lower pressure (ha!) way to brush up on my year-old Odyssey skills. I learned so much more in this one week, consolidating exponentially on the six-week workshop. I’ll certainly be back. But I will have those critiques done ahead of time.”
—Jenny Green, Class of 2017

“TNEO is the ultimate graduate course for Odyssey writers. Every year I attend, I learn more useful skills and get wonderful feedback on my writing.

“This year, we learn a variety of lessons from some of the masters of fiction writing—George R. R. Martin, Stephen King, Ursula Le Guin, and Damon Knight among them.

“We focused on the creation and development of ideas, on using techniques to create themes through repetition, to create fictional arguments to carry our characters forward, and techniques to quickly characterize major and minor characters in our work.

“TNEO has given me great feedback and camaraderie as well. Writing is a solitary occupation, but it need not be a lonely one.”
—James Hall, Class of 2001

From the 2017 Participants:

“TNEO can provide deep and relevant insights to your progression as a writer. Your manuscripts will come out of it stronger for the experience, as will you. The people you are surrounded with have all been through Odyssey and have come out of it with valuable insights and feedback you’ll find nowhere else.”
—Richard James Errington, Class of 2016

“Going to Odyssey or TNEO will change your life AND dramatically improve your writing and chances of getting published. What are you waiting for?”
—Larry Hodges, Class of 2006

“As I told my son, summing up the TNEO experience comes down to that I arrived knowing the new novel needed a lot more work. But I didn’t know what to change, or what flaws in it would make rejection likely.

“Now I have a much better idea of the main problems. I have a place to start! The supportive TNEO community makes learning about your mistakes easier to take, as well.”
—L.C. Braff, Class of 1998

“There aren’t many places where you can continue to grow after the basics. Learn the tools at Odyssey and realize their potential at TNEO!”
—Gerald Warfield, Class of 2010

“The novel critiques I received at TNEO absolutely kicked my novel up about a dozen notches. Deficiencies I knew or suspected were there came into sharp focus. I’m going home with a basketful of necessary tweaks.”
—Travis Heermann, Class of 2009

“If you’re still writing after Odyssey, you need to come to TNEO at least once. It’s not only fun, it’s nowhere near as exhausting. It’s kind of like grad school—without the hangover.”
—Mike Howard, Class of 2016

“I’ve been to several TNEOs. This year was perhaps the best one. I received excellent feedback on my three stories, wrote a new story, and plotted another. Going to these workshops has definitely improved my writing. I feel like I’ve assumed control of the writing process and developed the tools that lead to success. Thank you, Jeanne, for making this possible.”
—James William Hall, Class of 2001

“Once you’ve been away from Odyssey, it’s easy to slip back into a variety of bad habits. TNEO can save you from yourself.”
—Gigi Vernon, Class of 2016

“TNEO is an amazing (somewhat sleepless) blur, which you enter with a troubled manuscript and exit with a coherent plot and character arcs, and confidence that you can fix the things that are keeping your story from being as good as you know it can be.

“It’s emotionally safe to bring the stuff you know needs work. People put aside egos to work and to help each other. The positive atmosphere and kindness makes the week one of my favorite of the year.”
—Samantha Weiss, Class of 2007

“I have been away from writing for fifteen years. TNEO is the way you can always come back.”
—Ashley Armstrong, Class of 2002

From the 2016 Participants:

“TNEO is, in some ways, one of the most important weeks in my year. It’s the place I can go to resolve issues in my fiction that I can’t address myself. Knowing that I have TNEO as a resource allows me to push forward with my book and not get bogged down—I know that if I don’t figure ‘it’ out myself, I can bring my writing problems to TNEO and draw on the collective expertise of the group. I have never found another workshop or writing group of this caliber. The experience is also, quite simply, a joy, and something I look forward to all year.”
—Samantha Weiss

“Chris Kelworth, my roommate at my first TNEO, put it best when comparing the critiques he received at Odyssey versus those at TNEO: he said everyone’s feedback ‘leveled up,’ and he was right. Odyssey was a mind-blowing experience, an intense introduction to the mysterious powers of Jeanne. TNEO is another level entirely, where minions—Odfellows, I mean—from all classes gather to share their developing powers.

“The atmosphere of collaboration and support is like Odyssey, but better for the additional years the participants have spent writing and publishing. The detailed critiques, extensive workshopping, and in-depth summary comments on my three submissions were invaluable, not just when I sat down to rework those submissions, but also as I began writing new stories. The lectures were richly explored, professional-level presentations, informing the audience and the presenter. Because at TNEO, like Odyssey and probably everything Jeanne does, nothing is done for just one reason. Jeanne was up to her usual parlor tricks, mind-reading each lecturer to suggest a topic which would benefit his own work as well as his audience.

“If you want to ‘level up’ your writing and spend an immersive week with like-minded Odfellows, the Never-Ending Odyssey is a great way to reboot your motivation (and a few friendships) and improve your craft. So sure, there’s all that—but throw in that everyone gets to critique at least one of Jeanne’s novel chapters, to peer into the inscrutable mind of her Jeannius, and it’s hard to find a reason not to go. Hopefully we’ll see you there next year. Jeanne probably already knows if we will.”
—Chip Houser

“I came to TNEO with a novel I’d stalled out on. The critique groups and problem solving sessions not only gave me work arounds, they pin-pointed the problems I could feel holding up the writing but was too close to the story to see myself. After I came home from TNEO, I was, for the first time in months, writing daily.”
—Eileen Wiedbrauk

“TNEO is a positive, fun week of hanging out with lovely people who may be just as weird as you. By weird, I mean creative and fun, of course. Members of the TNEO community all work together to make this week happen, from volunteering to give lectures to hosting events to packing up housewares for storage. There is a great sense of community at TNEO and the people are wonderful.”
—Lauren O’Donnell

“Excellent opportunity to dig in and work in depth on specific craft techniques and their application to writing issues at large. Great camaraderie and support. WOW!”
—Kathrin Köhler

“I found TNEO to be a natural and deepening extension of Odyssey. The critiquing is more in-depth and participants add to the teaching side, too. There was an instant bonding between us, built around having been through a common, intense, shared experience and an abiding desire to improve as writers. A very satisfying balance between fun and hard work.”
—Terry Edge

“My first TNEO! What a wonderful week to reconnect with my friends, make new writing friends, motivate myself, and gain insight into my writing needs.”
—Michael Main

“There’s a reason some of us come back, year after year, always striving to improve our writing. We could spend the time at the beach or camping or at Disneyworld, but we’ve discovered a much more fulfilling learning experience at TNEO, a week with other writers where we are fully immersed in just the craft of writing.”
—Larry Hodges

“TNEO is another step. It can be many steps. I’m extremely grateful for the continuity of the Odyssey community.”
—Gerald Warfield

“It’s summer camp for the reality-challenged.”
—Buck Dorrance

“TNEO helps me sharpen my skills and energizes me for the entire year.”
—Richard Bradford

“The Odfellows in my critique group were brilliant writers and incredibly perceptive; they mercilessly ripped the stuffing out of my novel and then helped me find the direction I needed to build it up again. I’m extremely grateful for this wonderful experience, and I hope I’ll return soon.”
—Alec Hutson

“TNEO has become an essential part of my ongoing development as a writer. This is my 4th return to St. Anselm and Jeanne’s visionary teaching. Each time, my knowledge and skill has stepped forward to a new level. Each time my community of kindred writers has grown. Each time I return home with renewed energy, enthusiasm, and a satchel-ful of ideas.”
—Lorraine Heisler

From the 2015 Participants:

“TNEO is a great opportunity to sharpen the skills you developed in Odyssey. Each year there’s a master class in one aspect of writing—this year it was plot—plus three rounds of manuscript critiques with skilled writers and critiquers in either the short story or novel form. It’s a fast-paced, intense, writers’ boot camp. Plus there’s the opportunity to share thoughts with like-minded writers from many different Odyssey classes and come away with new friendships. If you are serious about your writing but have some unresolved problems, this is the workshop for you.”
—James Hall

“I’m thrilled to have attended TNEO this year. I think I’m finally starting to understand some of the aspects of plot that I just couldn’t grasp while at Odyssey. Plus, the people here are wonderful.”
—Lauren O’Donnell

“I grow every time I come here. The learning never ends.”
—Gerald Warfield

“The community of writers who have experienced Odyssey and return to TNEO is growing stronger. I made better, more lasting contacts and relationships in one week of TNEO than I did in six weeks of Odyssey. I think that is because the people who return are making the same commitment as I am.”
—Vern James

“A great place to nurture the Odyssey community of writers.”
—Michael Reed McLaughlin

“As always, nothing compares to the level of depth and insight in Odfellow critiques. I can always rely on my classmates’ multifaceted perspectives and attentiveness to point out what’s working well and to highlight the blind spots I need to pay more attention to.”
—Jen Welch

“TNEO is the perfect kick-in-the-pants to get an Odyssey grad back on track or to encourage him to take it to the next level. Meeting grads from other classes really enhances the feeling of ‘family’ that Odyssey grads have created.”
—Brent Smith

“I needed to reconnect with my writing after several years away from it. TNEO gave me the focus I needed to find my voice again, in a supportive but intense environment where we all dedicated ourselves to becoming better writers. I’ll treasure the things I’ve learned here, and the friendships I both made and rekindled.”
—Geoffrey Jacoby

“If you find yourself reminiscing about your six weeks at Odyssey, TNEO is your chance to relive the experience all over again, every year, as an annual writers’ ‘vacation.’ Sure, it’s a lot of work, but as writers, it’s the type of work that makes us better, while getting back to our roots. Plus you get to spend a week with over 20 other writers!”
—Larry Hodges

“This was my 7th or 8th TNEO and (as usual) I found the experience to be both rewarding and fun.”
—David Stier

“Falling ill could’ve qualified this year as my worst TNEO imaginable, but the concern and support from all the Odfellows here did far more to counterbalance the experience. It really hammered home that Odyssey and TNEO are about more than just feedback and lectures; it’s the amazing people we get to meet.”
—Jason Allard

“Once again, and excellent and enlightening experience.”
—Rita Oakes

“All year I work on my fiction, but struggle to find ways to workshop. Codex is great, but I always find in-person critiques far more useful. TNEO is a place where I feel safe enough to bring the work that needs the most help, and each TNEO, I leave feeling that I know how to fix those pieces. I am also confident of the things that do work in a way I hadn’t been before the workshop, and I have, every year, gained deeper insight into story structure. All of this works, sometimes on a subconscious level, to improve my writing.”
—Samantha Weiss

“It’s summer camp for the delusional!”
–Buck Dorrance

“I couldn’t have imagined learning ‘more’ at TNEO than I did at Odyssey–but the lectures examined plot elements at a more sophisticated level than the important basics we learned at Odyssey. More crucial, the level of critiquing was very high, with all participants extremely knowledgeable and sophisticated. Odfellows are an inspiring resource!”
–Meg Pontecorvo

From the 2014 Participants:

“TNEO is like a family reunion where all your relatives are brilliant, strange, and in most cases—a little twisted. It’s like coming home to a group of people who know why you want so badly to write that perfect scene or get that character arc to reveal a bit more. And not only do they understand, they help make your dreams come true—help you figure out those murky characters, tie in floating plot points and so much more. TNEO is a wonderful community of writers who’ve helped me stay in touch with the thing I love to do—write.”
—Olivia Do

“TNEO was like taking my sick book to the book doctor. I now have the hope and medicine to make my book well.”
—Natalie Sage

“It continues to surprise me that I can show up at TNEO and be wholly honest about the writing problems I’m having, and can get help from people genuinely interested in improving their own and each other’s writing. Jeanne’s way of setting up the workshop allows for us to be constructive + productive. There is no posturing and no intimidation. It is a completely safe space, and moreso than any other workshop I have ever been a part of. Moreover, I know that it will always be like that—at every Odyssey & every TNEO. It’s just the nature of this workshop.”
—Samantha Weiss

“TNEO was another great experience—my fifth one. Lots of great critiques and feedback, lots of ‘graduate’ classes, and lots of other great activities.”
—Larry Hodges

“Fantastic master class this year and wonderful insights.”
—Rita Oakes

“TNEO was a great writing experience, a coming together of passionate genre writers to share ideas and improve each other’s work. Come and re-immerse yourself in the exhausting and exhilarating Odyssey whirlwind for one more week . . .!”
—Chris Kelworth

“TNEO keeps the writing process vital. Unlike other skills, writing requires continual revelation and renewal. Writers need this challenging atmosphere to maintain their skill, their vitality and their relevance in a rapidly changing world.”
—Gerald Warfield

“I’ve had a story, an important story, locked inside. This year I discovered what it is and learned how to tell it (I hope).”
—Rich Bradford

“What I love about TNEO is joining like-minded and creative people for a week of adventure in learning. The other aspect I love is the amazing sense of community and belonging. TNEO is a bit like going home.”
—Holly Stoj

From the 2013 Participants and earlier TNEOs:

“All Odyssey graduates who went away with a sense of purpose and focus will benefit from the wonderful atmosphere of TNEO. It brings renewal and inspiration to speak and share with other authors who have had the common experience of Odyssey.

“Reboot, renew, refocus—TNEO inspires.”
—Vern James

“Who can sleep with spot-on feedback like this?”
—Arthur “Buck” Dorrance

“The subtext master class at TNEO 2013 was exactly what I needed to fix and improve the novel I workshopped this year. My group helped me brainstorm some wonderful ideas and variations to make the causal chain stronger and my protagonist more sympathetic.”
—Colleen Robbins

“The critiques are great, the master classes are great, the numerous other activities are great, and you get to spend nine days immersed in writing with other writers. I can’t recommend it enough.”
—Larry Hodges

“I earned a B.A. in English from one of the top universities in America and have attended numerous workshops and graduate courses over the years. Odyssey and TNEO did a better job of teaching story craft and writing fundamentals than any of my previous experiences. If you want to continue honing your craft, extend your networking in the writing community and develop life-long writerly friendships then TNEO will be a worthwhile investment in time, energy and money.”
—Robert Sojka

“My brain has been battered, bludgeoned and jellified by sheer awesome.”
—Robert Pickering

“TNEO is something I look forward to all year. This was my sixth TNEO, and the best workshop so far. The St. Anselm campus is a perfect setting for this workshop. I look forward to the day that I will be able to move to New Hampshire after I retire. Jeanne is a wonderful and caring person. St. Anselm is fortunate indeed to have her experience and knowledge.”
—David Stier

“TNEO allows graduates to return for a ‘refresher’ and reconnect with the Odyssey community.”
—Adria Laycraft

“The sleep deprivation is totally worth the incredible feedback, comments, + critiques, and the knowledge acquired.”
—Calie Voorhis

“If you love Odyssey & found the process of lectures & critique helpful, you’re going to love TNEO just as much. The TNEO master class provides a community of amazing writers (Jeanne included) who work together, teach each other, and provide so much inspiration and ideas that you will go home with a full mind.”
—Olivia Do

“The subtext master class was revelatory. I was able to see and address deficiencies in my writing, not just in the story submitted for critique, but in my body of work.”
—Rita Oakes

“Delve deeper into the mysteries of writing. Sometimes I felt like I was learning secret weapons! Terrific extension of the Odyssey experience!”
—Gerald Warfield

“I have met the enemy and he needs more subtext.”
—Robert Cutchin

“Attending TNEO helped strengthen my writing in so many ways. I identified problems and overcame them. I met new friends. I would recommend it without a doubt.”
—Andrew J. Cooper

“This year’s TNEO was charged with Odfellows wanting to learn, pitching in and getting it done! Can’t wait to apply what I’ve learned.”
—Ed Heiland

“I need to be around writers, and TNEO allows me to do just that.”
—P. Matthew Kimmel

“You know it’s a good writer’s workshop when you go home exhausted and exhilarated. You know it’s a great one when you can’t wait to get to the keyboard—not only to create new words, but to email new friends.”
—Calie Voorhis

“I learned new techniques, found where my writing worked well (and where it didn’t) and left more energized than I have been all year.”
—Richard Bradford

“I came here hoping for inspiration to fan the embers of creativity that Odyssey kindled last year. I leave here ablaze.”
—Tanith Korravai

“There is something about critical mass. Getting this number of writers together who know what they are doing is exhilarating!”
—Gerald Warfield

“I’ve done a lot of workshops. TNEO is one of the very best—writers lifting up writers. It’s totally positive and totally great.”
—Bob Sojka

“I thought nothing could do more for my writing than Odyssey did.  I don’t know if TNEO did more, but it definitely did new.  So much helpful brainstorming, so much re-solidifying of forgotten Odyssey principles.  So much drive to write write write.  This week has been exactly what the wizard ordered!”
—Meira Marom

“TNEO gives some of the structure a writer’s life often lacks: deadlines, consequences for not finishing, and great, well-trained readers to critique your fiction.”
—Eileen Wiedbrauk

“Never has sleep deprivation been more fun!”
—Arthur “Buck” Dorrance

“If it hadn’t been for TNEO, I would continue to work on an unpublishable novel. Here I shaped it into something that works.”
—P. Matthew Kimmel

“TNEO is a great refresher not just for my writing, but for my life.  The lessons we learn here—taught patiently by Jeanne and by our colleagues—apply to all facets of a writing career.  I enjoy the chance to learn and teach in a supportive atmosphere along with the top-notch graduates of Odyssey.”
—Ellen Denham

“TNEO is a master class available only to graduates of Odyssey, an experience enhanced by one’s background and by anticipation of a future populated with the excellent writers who have become part of you at TNEO.”
—Gerald Warfield

“An invaluable resource for Odyssey alumni.  TNEO will provide you with the expertise, camaraderie, and painful epiphany you need to continue on your artistic journey.”
—Hannah Strom-Martin

“TNEO showed me what kind of writer I might become and helped set me back on that path.”
—Rich Bradford

“TNEO is an invaluable resource.  A place where committed writers can hone their skills and make new friends.  The college atmosphere of Saint Anselm is an island of tranquility—perfect for this very rewarding time.  I look forward to TNEO.  Always!”
—Dave Stier

“This was my first TNEO. I came to get feedback, energize my writing, and meet new Odfellows. I got everything I’d hoped for, and more. There’s no doubt that TNEO will be part of my future strategy to keep myself motivated and growing as a writer. I am, for the first time in many years of post-academic life, an enthusiastic alumna.  ah! Rah! Sis-boom-bah!”
—Lorraine Heisler

“TNEO gets better every year, and I had numerous light-bulb moments this go round.  It really is a great way to get re-energized and tackle deeper writing issues.”
—Rita Oakes

“TNEO provided me with the deadlines I needed, and perspective on the stories I couldn’t figure out how to fix.  Collectively, the Odyssey alumni community has tremendous knowledge and can be a powerful resource, especially in such a constructive setting.”
—Samantha Weiss

“Faster paced and more in-depth than Odyssey, my first TNEO this year was extremely valuable.  It built on what I had learned at Odyssey and allowed me to recognize the progress I had made, as well as sparking story ideas.”
—Colleen H. Robbins

“As a full-time teacher, it’s tough for me to stick to a steady writing schedule.  Each summer, TNEO offers me the joy of reconnecting to my writing.  I review what I’ve written during the year, sharpen my editing skills with critiques, and develop the momentum to write again during the long fall, winter, and spring months when I am bogged down with days of parent/teacher conferences and nights of grading papers and planning lessons.  The fellowship with TNEOers encourages me to keep writing, and their work inspires me to do my best.  TNEO is a great way to continue your Odyssey experience for far less than the cost of a good vacation.  Try it!”
—Jim Hall

“I went to TNEO expecting a refresher course in some things I need to be reminded of and a kick in the butt to get me inspired to do more writing. I got all that, and so much more that I’m afraid I’m addicted. I didn’t think anything could top Odyssey. I was wrong! In the short space of a week, I believe I made progress as a writer, learning to pay attention to technical issues I hadn’t considered before and getting great feedback from others to help me fix things in my novelette that needed fixing. I became a smarter critiquer, partially due to the fact that we got the manuscripts ahead of time and I could read something, sleep on it, and really consider why something did or did not work for me.

“Because of everything I learned at Odyssey last summer, I came into this workshop at a significantly higher level as a writer. This allowed me to take advantage of new ideas and techniques beyond what I would have been able to do last summer. I haven’t done as much writing as I would have liked since Odyssey, but I was relieved to find that the lessons I learned still stuck, and I wasn’t making many of the same old mistakes. Now my attention has been called to lots more mistakes I didn’t even realize I was making, so next year I’ll be even better.

“The people were wonderful and I enjoyed getting to meet Odfellows from different years. Many participants gave lectures or plot dissections which helped me consider different ways to approach plot. I gave a lecture on Christopher Booker’s The Seven Basic Plots which forced me to go through the long book in greater detail than I had before. Yes, I learned things I hadn’t on the first read, well, skim, of the book.

“In summary, TNEO is a wonderful thing and I would have been insane to miss it.”
—Ellen Denham

“TNEO provides me with a yearly focus on my work.  It becomes a goal to write for and provides an audience for my precious but unfinished work.  The atmosphere during the workshop is rigidly professional, but also very kind and helpful.  I look forward to it all year.”
—David Lowrey

“I found the material presented in the afternoon lectures to be extremely helpful in a very immediate way with my writing. Most of the information covered new ground, even when based on books that I’ve already read. I left TNEO feeling like I knew more than when I’d come. I also felt renewed in my desire to write well, and inspired to work harder when I got home. In fact, the first thing I did when I got home was write out my TNEO goals and then create a one-year plan to achieve them.

“The caliber of critiques from Odfellows far exceeds those that I’ve received in any other critique situation. The short story critiques were thorough, honest, but always constructive. My stories are guaranteed to be better as a direct result of the feedback at TNEO.

“I always get more out of TNEO than I hoped for.  I learn new skills, gain confidence that I’m making progress, and make new friends.  One of the best things about Odyssey is that TNEO becomes available.”
—Maggie Della Rocca

“The brilliance of TNEO is that it’s a post-graduate, peer-driven experience.  We benefit from the process in ways we’d never have expected.  We receive insights from the most unsuspected sources. All we have to do is be receptive, and not ego-driven.”
—Larry Taylor

“As a full-time management consultant, I rarely have the time to write as much as I’d like.  Since I attended Odyssey, my interest in transitioning to a writing career has never wavered, but I’ve recognized the timing for such a move may not be there for me now.  Still, I’ve been working in the spare time I can find on two fantasy novels, and TNEO offered me the opportunity to re-connect with other Odfellows while getting practical and helpful feedback on what I have written.  Where other writing workshops just wouldn’t be possible because of the time involved, the week-long TNEO is something that even a busy professional can schedule.  The week will be every bit as involving and challenging as you remember Odyssey to be, but it has provided me with the lift I needed to revise and improve my work.  If you’ve been thinking about returing to TNEO after a several-year hiatus like me, I encourage you to join us next time. You’ll be glad you did!”
—Thompson Parker

“And the beat goes on.  TNEO picks up where Odyssey left off: learning through lectures, critiques, writing sessions, and discussions.  The master class lectures build upon Odyssey’s foundation.  The critiques are stronger because everyone is more experienced and can complete them before TNEO.  It’s energizing and informative to talk about writing with others who share your passion.  For me, attending next year is a no-brainer.”
—Dave Hendrickson

“The brainstorming session at TNEO 2008 provided me with my first short story publication.”
—Dave Stier

“Hardcore Odfellows come to TNEO.  For short story work in particular I always know I’ll receive valuable critical feedback from stern constructive eyes, and the special alchemy of these dedicated Odyssey grads is always revitalizing.”
—Erin Hoffman

“TNEO is Odyssey’s grad school.  Come in with your stories, get feedback, bounce around ideas.  Go home renewed and ready to keep writing.”
—Ronya F. McCool

“If you need a workshop to focus your efforts and give your goals immediacy, TNEO can do the trick.  You’ll get critical feedback and learn more about story through critiques than you might realize.”
—Jason S. Ridler

“TNEO is a vehicle for catapulting your writing to that next level, where focus is paramount to any eventual successes.”
—Ed Heiland

“I haven’t written in some time, and TNEO was a great way to get me back into it.  The critiques were first class.”
—Jeff Lyman

“TNEO is a wonderful opportunity to connect with other writers while expanding your repertory of writing tools and receiving the same professional level of critiques that made Odyssey so valuable.  The best part of TNEO is the camaraderie—those extra conversations and connections you can make with other writers in your genre.”
—Victoria Witt

“I love coming to TNEO.  It’s a great way to gain high-level feedback and insights on my novel, and to mesh with other writers.  It’s also a wonderful break from real life!”
—Abby Goldsmith

“The opportunity to workshop a substantial chunk if not an entire novel, was an overwhelmingly positive experience.  The level of detailed feedback and opportunities to discuss problematic areas and brainstorm solutions is like nothing else.”
—Rita Oakes

“I liken Odyssey to a journey of discovery through writer’s hell, not for the timid or uninspired would-be author.  TNEO is also a journey of discovery, but through heck, accompanied by a fellowship of writers and friends that make the trip one of camaraderie and personal growth as a writer.  I’ve been to six and plan to return.”
—Robert Cutchin

“I come to TNEO for the community as well as the critiques.  It is amazing and gratifying to see people progressing as writers from year to year.  I feel buoyed up by their support.”
—Michael J. DeLuca

“To be surrounded by so many talented and committed writers, all trying to help each other improve their craft, is an experience I’ll never forget.  And one I eagerly hope to repeat.”
—Peter Simonson

“Not having been an English major, Odyssey gave me the fundamentals to start putting the pieces of my writing together to get it to a professional level.  However, post-Odyssey life has a way of interfering in your progress and, despite having notes to reference, it’s hard to keep learning and growing your writing skills and career.  For me, this TNEO revitalized my drive . . . and I am leaving one week later with a plan and a set of practical tools that are going to keep me writing and help me hone my skills.  I was incredibly impressed with the talent, intellect, and passion of my fellow Odfellows.  The critical and helpful feedback has given me new perspective into my own stories and prose—and I’m never going to be able to look at the flaws in my writing the same way again.  On Monday I wasn’t able to see that my protagonist had no goal—he was a pawn.  By Friday, it became so obvious I had to laugh at myself.  I feel like this TNEO has given me a real chance to turn my stories into a realistic writing career.”
—Joseph Berwanger

“I came expecting camaraderie and critiques and found in addition professional-level master classes and inspiration.”
—Scott T. Barnes

“TNEO was a wonderful chance to recharge the writing batteries, just being around so much energy and talent.  The fact that folks helped fix my writing makes it even sweeter.”
—Jeff Lyman