Summer Writers' Event Sponsors 'Red Bull Rising' Blog

The Interlochen Center for the Arts' Summer 2014 series of 4-day writers' retreats has sponsored the Red Bull Rising blog. Scheduled from June 16 to 19 on the center's campus in Northwestern Michigan, series offerings include "From Blog to Book: How to Expand Your Web Log into a Book Manuscript."

The Blog-to-Book retreat will be hosted by Iraq War veteran and author Matt Gallagher.

Other Interlochen Summer 2014 offerings include workshops on short story, memoir, and using art as inspiration. "Spend four days writing new material in the genre of your choice, attending craft talks by award-winning faculty, enjoying lakeside lunches and evening readings, all while making connections in the literary world that will last for years to come," the series website reads.

As a young U.S. Army officer deployed to Iraq in 2007-2008, Gallagher first gained worldwide attention as a military blogger. He later turned his writing into a book-length memoir, "Kaboom:
Embracing the Suck in a Savage Little War," which was published in 2010. In 2013, he was co-editor and contributor to "Fire and Forget: Short Stories from the Long War." He currently serves as a writing instructor for Words After War, a New York City-based non-profit organization that seeks to bring civilians and veterans together to discuss literature regarding war and conflict.

"I'm very pleased to help signal-boost the Interlochen summer writers' retreats, and, specifically, Matt Gallager's 'Blog-to-Book' seminars," says Randy "Sherpa" Brown, writer of the Red Bull Rising blog. "We first met through the blogosphere in 2010, and I personally know him to be funny, insightful, and supportive of other writers' journeys, regardless of medium or genre. This would be the perfect opportunity for anyone—not just mil-bloggers—who regularly engages readers through on-line platforms, and who aspire to creating larger manuscripts."

Past sponsors of the Red Bull Rising blog include low-residency MFA in creative writing programs, writers events and conferences, and retail gaming stores.

For more information or to register for the Interlochen writers retreats, click here.