Tracks & Tales: A New Mexico Storyathon 2027
October 15, 2027 @ 10:00 am – October 17, 2027 @ 5:00 pm
Event Description
Board the train. Find your story. Become a published author.
What if your writing retreat began the moment you stepped onto the platform?
This one-of-a-kind weekend event combines the romance of rail travel with the creative energy of the beloved Short Storyathon. You’ll board the Rail Runner — departing from Albuquerque and arriving in Santa Fe, New Mexico, where high desert plateaus and expansive open landscapes of New Mexico unfold outside your window. The journey itself is your first writing sprint.
Right now, there are only 10 spots because of room availability.
That’s award-winning author, Katy Hammel, with me on the Rail Runner! We love working on the train.
Upon arrival, you’ll step off the train and take a short walk to Hotel Santa Fe — the city’s only Native American-owned hotel— the perfect backdrop for the story you’re about to write.
Here’s how the weekend unfolds:
10/15 – Friday Morning — All Aboard Board the local commuter Rail Runner at 9:05 PM (Los Ranchos Station) in Albuquerque and settle in for the ~1.5-hour journey to Santa Fe, NM. Use the ride to brainstorm ideas, journal, write, and absorb the landscape that has inspired storytellers for generations. Check in to the hotel, get oriented, and join your fellow writers for a kickoff session with writing sprints.
10/16 – Saturday — Writing Day Wake up in a piece of history and write. Morning writing sprints and hourly check-ins will keep you moving. Midday sessions cover book cover design using Canva. The afternoon brings peer reviews and revision sessions. By evening, send your first three pages to our professional editors — feedback included in your ticket.
10/17 – Sunday — Publishing Day Final polish, edits, and then the moment you’ve been building toward: publishing your story on Amazon. Learn how to craft an irresistible blurb, choose the right categories, and hit “publish”. Leave Santa Fe, NM at 3:00 PM and arrive in Albuquerque at 4:30 PM.
FYI: There will be plenty of time built in for breaks and wandering! From the hotel, we are steps away from restaurants, including a Michelin-rated restaurant (Paloma), my favorite thrift store (Double Take), a cute used bookstore (Big Star), and a twenty-minute walk to the Santa Fe Plaza.
What’s included:
- Round-trip Rail Runner train ticket (Albuquerque ↔ Santa Fe, NM)
- Two nights at the historic Hotel Santa Fe (The only
- All Storyathon sessions and resources
- Professional editing for your first three pages
- A finished writing project
- And maybe a best selling short story on Amazon like these last three that were published at the 2026 Event (click the images to see them on Amazon)
Why here? Why now? There’s something about motion — the rhythm of the rails, the desert scrolling past — that unlocks the writer’s mind. Pair that with one of New Mexico’s most storied destinations, and you have the conditions for a story that could only be written in this place, on this weekend.
Also, I ran another train event to Las Vegas, NM, but Amtrak proved very unreliable. So I’m simplifying the trip to magical Santa Fe.
Join the trip! $950
Want to bring a friend, partner, or someone to share a room and participate in the event?
Want to bring a friend, partner, or someone as moral support and share a room? (ie. they won’t be participating in the writing sessions)
Need more options? Let me know.
Your Facilitator
Led by Sonja Dewing — award-winning thriller author, founder of the Women’s Thriller Writers Association, and named Best Author in New Mexico 2024. She’s led the Short Storyathon for over ten years, and has helped hundreds of authors to finish and publish!
Refund: If you cancel before 30 days of the event, you’ll receive a refund minus a nonrefundable deposit ($100).
What people say about Sonja’s events
It’s difficult to pick just one particular highlight of the weekend, but I really enjoyed the Canva session because it felt intimate, casual, and supportive. You and Katie have a lovely working relationship, and it was so generous of you both to allow us the freedom of asking questions about anything at all. I expected the atmosphere of the weekend to be intense, somewhat intimidating, and exhausting (especially for an introvert like myself), but it energized me and made me feel like writing for an audience is actually within my reach. – Las Vegas, NM Participant
FAQ
Q: What if I don’t want to publish my story to Amazon?
A: You don’t have to! I like to encourage everyone to use that story that they worked so hard on! Maybe send it to a journal, a magazine, or use it as your freebie offer on you author email list…
Q: What if I’m coming with a friend, partner, etc. and we want to share a room? Is there a different price for that?
A: Yes.
If your +one is there for moral support, then the price is $700;
if your +one is attending to share a room with you and participate in the writing sessions, then the price is $976. Keep in mind there is only one room left with 2 queen beds – the rest are rooms with single king beds.
Q: Does the story have to be thriller related?
A: No! Even though it’s hosted by the Women’s Thriller Writers Association, I (Sonja Dewing – CEO) encourage everyone to write what they want in any genre.
Q: Do I have to write a short story?
A: No! It’s your writing time. If you are compelled to work on that novel that’s been begging to be written, then feel free to write it!
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