These writing events offer everything a writer might want: intensive workshops, pitch sessions with agents, how to market your books, discussions - there is something for everyone.
I have included conferences with deadlines that have already passed on this list to give you advance notice. If you miss an application deadline, put it on your calendar for next year. Quite a few conferences offer scholarships, so apply early. Plan ahead!
For a full list of conferences held throughout the year see Writing Conferences.
Be sure to check out Boyds Mills list of workshops. They offer many throughout the year.
[Image: Boothbay Harbor, Maine: Flickr]
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Odyssey Writing Workshop. June 1, 2026 (6 weeks): Online. Since its inception in 1996, Odyssey has become one of the most highly respected workshops for writers of fantasy, science fiction, and horror. Will be held online. Application deadline April 10.
Educational Publishing 101: Navigating New Paths for Your Writing. June 2, 2026: Online. Bridge the gap between your creative craft and the classroom with an insider’s roadmap to the thriving educational market.
All About Picture Books: A Retreat for Storytellers. June 3 - 6, 2026: Boyds Mills, PA. If you're writing (or want to write) a picture book, this is the retreat for you. You'll have time to write/revise, a 1:1 consultation with picture book faculty, presentations, and small group feedback sessions.
Picture Book Middles: Bridging Beginning and End. June 8, 2026: Online. The middle of a picture book isn’t filler. It’s the emotional bridge that carries readers from promise to payoff. Discover practical ways to strengthen that bridge and avoid a muddy, unfocused middle.
Look / Mira: Latinx/e Ways of Looking in Poetry & Prose. June 10, 2026: Online. This 90-minute generative workshop invites participants to explore the act of looking at both cultural inheritance and creative practice. Drawing on Latinx/e writers who reframe the gaze, we’ll examine how looking and being looked at are shaped by language, place, power, and memory. We’ll read short excerpts from poetry, creative nonfiction, and hybrid works that reimagine observation as resistance, remembrance, and recognition.
Nebula Conference. June 3 - 7, 2026: Chicago, Illinois. SFWA members and other individuals who are interested in the field of science fiction and fantasy are welcome to attend SFWA’s Nebula Conference. Attendees may participate in workshops, programming and special events throughout the weekend. You do not need to be a member of SFWA to attend.
The Crash Course in Children’s Book Publishing (Spring). June 3 - August 5, 2026: Online. Join lead faculty Harold Underdown and special guests for a Crash Course in Children’s Publishing. At the end of the course, you will understand how the children’s book publishing industry works, including submitting, publishing, marketing a book for children, teens, or young adults, and beginning ideas about craft and critique.
Wyoming Writers Conference. June 5 - 7, 2026: Casper, WY. The conference features workshops in craft, marketing, and productivity for poets, fiction writers, and nonfiction writers, as well as publisher pitch sessions, roundtable critiques, and open mics. Past writers have included fiction writer Nina McConigley, and Poet Matt Mason.
The Creativity Workshop in New York. June 5 - 8, 2026: New York, New York. "The Creativity Workshops take away the fear of writing and open the way to new ideas. They are especially helpful for writers in fiction, poetry, memoir, theatre and film to get over writing blocks. In our Creativity Workshop Retreats you will generate both new work and ideas for the work you are in the midst of creating. We use many different techniques to help you find your way through the novel, essay, poem, memoir, or script you are writing or hope to write. In The Creativity Workshop you will be doing free writing, writing from guided visualizations, collaborative writing, journaling and memoir work and even some rudimentary drawing, collage and photography."
Northeast Texas Writers Organization. June 6, 2026: Mt Pleasant, TX. Crime, Mystery, Suspense, Horror Writing Conference.
Colgate Writers’ Conference. June 7 - 13, 2026: Hamilton, New York. Morning craft talks & workshops. Individual consultation with workshop instructor in the afternoon. Late afternoon participant readings and talks on publishing, storytelling. Evening readings by instructors & guests. Late night social events. "Bring a story, a book in progress, some poems, or a novel, and work with us on developing narrative strategies, verse techniques, and methods of research. Members of the publishing profession will also be here to discuss marketplace tactics."
Picture Book Middles: Bridging Beginning and End. June 8, 2026: Online. The middle of a picture book isn’t filler. It’s the emotional bridge that carries readers from promise to payoff. Discover practical ways to strengthen that bridge and avoid a muddy, unfocused middle.
The Writer’s Hotel Maine “Mini MFA”. June 10 - 16, 2026: Boothbay Harbor, Maine. "The Writer’s Hotel Maine “Mini MFA” is a unique, hybrid, comprehensive writing program. Our programming includes our TWH two-editor pre-conference Team Reading and our conference, to be held in person, June 4-10, 2025. We have even built in a free day so that attendees can enjoy the surrounds. Space is extremely limited. From our virtual pre-reading process through to conference, TWH takes writers and their writing to the next level. It's an extraordinary opportunity." Deadline to apply to TWH is April 6, 2026.
Squam Writes Retreat. June 11 - 14, 2026: Squam Lake, New Hampshire. The Squam Writes Retreat is a small group retreat for experienced fiction writers. We focus on craft with an eye toward publication. We offer opportunities for feedback and plenty of time to write, make new friends, and recharge creative batteries in a beautiful New Hampshire lakeside setting. Every participant receives a one-on-one critique with an agent or editor.
The 2026 California Writing Workshop. June 12 -13, 2026: Online. This writing event is a wonderful opportunity to get intense instruction over the course of one day, pitch a literary agent or editor (optional), get your questions answered, and more. Note that there are limited online “seats” at the event (200 total).
West Virginia Writers Conference. June 12 - 14, 2026: Cedar Lakes, West Virginia. Author readings, contests and sharing your love of writing with others.
Tinker Mountain Writers’ Workshop. June 14 - 19, 2026: Roanoke, Virginia. "In our manuscript workshops, capped at 10, you will distribute manuscripts in advance, prepare comments for your colleague’s submissions, and gather each morning to share insights and gain inspiration on the best path to advance your writing. You’ll receive critical feedback from peers and your faculty mentor and learn what other writers are working on as well. Our write-now workshops, capped at 12, allow you to immerse yourself in the craft of writing without the pressure of preparing or reading manuscripts. Through daily reading, writing exercises, and prompts, you’ll write both in class and during the afternoon to generate new work over the course of each day, dedicating as much time as possible to your own new writing. In our tutorial (a new offering this year!), you will submit work in advance to your faculty mentor, and then meet one-on-one three times during the week in 30-minute sessions. You will get an individualized reading list and extensive writing prompts to help you continue your work throughout the week."
Orion Environmental Writers’ Workshop. June 14 - 19, 2026: The Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, New York. This program is for writers who want to learn how to write an Orion essay, short story, or poem; for writers who seek to become better advocates for the environment through their writing; for poets who are drawn to writing about nature and culture; for teachers and scholars who wish to write for a more general readership; and for environmental professionals who want to bring better writing skills to bear on their work. The program will feature small writing workshops dedicated to poetry, fiction, and nonfiction, as well as faculty readings and lectures, student readings, and presentations on publishing. Application deadline May 1, 2026.
Kenyon Review Writers Workshops. June 14 - 19, 2026: Gambier, Ohio. Workshops in poetry, fiction, and nonfiction led by an accomplished faculty. Genre workshops (Fiction, Literary Nonfiction, and Poetry) are held for three hours each morning. Online. Applications open in March.
Lit Camp. June 14 - 19, 2026: Boonville, California. The conference features workshops, panels, and craft talks for fiction writers and creative nonfiction writers. Part writing retreat, part MFA-style intensive, our spring conference focuses on the craft of writing. Over the course of the five days, you will have plenty of uninterrupted time to write...because one of the best ways to get better at writing is to sit down and write. There will also be prompted free writing sessions to motivate and inspire you, as well as daily afternoon master classes taught by some of the most accomplished writers and instructors in publishing. Registration is limited to 23 participants. Application Deadline: January 31, 2026.
Bread Loaf Environmental Writers' Conference. June 14 - 20, 2026: Ripton, VT. The Bread Loaf Orion Environmental Writers' Conference is a week-long writers’ conference designed to hone the skills of people interested in producing literary writing about the environment and the natural world. The conference is co-sponsored by the Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference, Orion magazine, and Middlebury College’s Environmental Studies Program. Application deadline March 15.
Bread Loaf Translators' Conference. June 14 - 20, 2026: Ripton, VT. The Bread Loaf Translators’ Conference includes workshops in poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction, as well as lectures, craft classes, meetings with editors and agents, and readings by faculty and guests. Application deadline March 15.
Writing and Illustrating for Young Readers. June 15 - 19, 2026: Draper, Utah. A week-long conference filled with hands-on workshops where the faculty work WITH you on your manuscript. As a participant of a five-day workshop, you get free feedback from an agent or editor on your writing, opportunities to network with like-minded writers, and five days of afternoon breakout sessions filled with dozens of craft-specific topics designed especially for kidlit authors.
Kundiman Retreat. June 15 - 20, 2026: Brooklyn, NY. "In order to mentor and build community among Asian American and Pacific Islander (“AAPI”) writers, Kundiman sponsors an annual creative writing Retreat. During each Retreat, six nationally renowned poets and fiction writers conduct craft classes and mentorship meetings. Readings, writing circles, and informal social gatherings are also scheduled. Through this Retreat, Kundiman hopes to provide a safe and instructive environment that identifies and addresses the unique challenges faced by emerging AAPI writers."
Western Writers of America Convention. June 17 - 20, 2026: St. Louis, Misouri. Children's, Fiction, Marketing, Non-fiction, Publishing, Young Adult. History presentations at the convention include Cats in the Old West, Border Wars/Law and Order, Mark Twain Literary Contributions, and more. Other sessions will take place related to the craft of writing, book marketing, and research sources and techniques.
The 2026 Writing Workshop of Chicago. June 20, 2026: Chicago, IL. This is a special one-day “How to Get Published” writing workshop. In other words, it’s one day full of classes and advice designed to give you the best instruction concerning how to get your writing & books published. We’ll discuss your publishing opportunities today, how to write queries & pitches, how to market yourself and your books, what makes an agent/editor stop reading your manuscript, and more. No matter what you’re writing — fiction or nonfiction — the day’s classes will help point you in the right direction. Writers of all genres are welcome.
Sundress Academy: Summer Poetry Writing Retreat. June 20 - 21, 2026: Via Zoom. All SAFTA retreats focus on generative writing, and this year’s retreat will also include the following craft talk sessions: “When the Only Way Out Is Through: On Discomfort, Breaking, and Adaptation” as well as “Getting the Picture,” a workshop the seeks to hone the visual imagery of our writing by exploring the effect of this spectrum on both readers and writers, and by embodying visual images through personal somatic activities, social and scenic research, ekphrastic prompts, and more. Application deadline April 15, 2026.
Aspen Summer Words. June 21 - 26, 2026: Snowmass Village, Colorado. Workshops, panels, and readings in fiction and creative nonfiction, as well as opportunities to meet with agents and editors. "Aspen Summer Words is the Rocky Mountain gateway to the literary world. Recognized as one of the country’s pre-eminent literary conferences, Summer Words welcomes visitors and locals alike to celebrate writing and writers in Aspen for a week each June. The exceptional faculty and awe-inspiring mountain scenery combine to make this a writing retreat like no other." Juried workshops close on February 26. All other workshops are on a first come first serrved basis.
The Santa Barbara Writers Conference. June 21 – 26, 2026: Santa Barbara, Calif. "Every summer, writers in many genres from around the world gather to participate in a magical week of intensive work focused on story, voice, craft, marketing, and networking with fellow writers and publishing professionals."
Juniper Summer Writing Institute. June 21- 27, 2026: Amherst, MA. Daily workshops in poetry, fiction, & nonfiction; interactive craft sessions that include discussions & writing exercises; evening readings by faculty & writers-in-residence. Workshops and craft sessions are led by MFA candidates from the renowned University of Massachusetts MFA Program for Poets and Writers who design curricula especially for the Institute setting. The scholarship application deadline is January 5, 2026. The self-pay application deadline is February 15, 2026.
Chesapeake Writers' Conference at St. Mary's College of Maryland. June 21 - 27, 2026: St. Mary's City, Maryland. "Join us on Maryland’s Western Shore-for the Annual Chesapeake Writers’ Conference for a week of craft talks, lectures, panel discussions, and readings, as well as daily workshops in fiction, poetry, screenwriting, translation, songwriting, or creative nonfiction.
Novel-In-Progress Bookcamp & Speculative Fiction Writing Retreat. June 21- 27, 2026: Racine, Wisconsin. The Bookcamp offers morning instruction, an afternoon editing clinic, group critique sessions, discussions on the current publishing industry, one-on-one consultations with our staff, pitch sessions with literary agents and acquisition editors, and presentations on writing or publishing topics. Separate tracks for speculative fiction, and all genres.
New York State Summer Writers Institute at Skidmore College. June 21 - July 18, 2026: Saratoga Springs, NY. Since 1987, the Institute has been offering students the opportunity to learn from an extraordinary faculty of distinguished writers led by director Robert Boyers. The program is an offshoot of the New York State Writers Institute created by Albany native and Pulitzer Prize-winning author William Kennedy. The curriculum is designed for college-aged students and adults, and the new virtual format will retain many of the Institute’s hallmark features:
- Creative writing workshops in poetry, fiction and non-fiction
- Small classes that offer individualized attention and workshop student writings
- Public readings and afternoon Q & A sessions with world-renowned guest writers
- Private tutorial sessions for student fiction manuscripts, book-length poetry, or non-fiction (available for an additional fee)
- Option to enroll for one-week, two-week, or four-week sessions
- Optional undergraduate credit for eligible students enrolled in one genre for four weeks
- Merit Scholarships for tuition
The deadline for Scholarship Applications is March 7.
Kenyon Review Young Writers Workshops. June 21 – July 4, 2026 and July 12–25, 2026: Gambier, Ohio. At Kenyon Review Young Writers Workshops, talented high school students from around the world join a dynamic and supportive literary community to stretch their talents, discover new strengths, and challenge themselves in the company of peers who are also passionate about writing. Application deadline: March 1.
Christopher McKitterick Speculative Fiction Writing Workshop. June 21 - July 4, 2026: Lawrence, Kansas. Learn how to write SF that sells. Using the short-story form, we help you master the elements that create great stories. Since 1985. This annual two-week residential writing workshop helps established writers grow their skills while helping those who have just begun to publish or who need the final bit of insight or skill to master the elements that create great stories readers love and editors want to buy. Become part of a writing community: Award-winning author, SF scholar, long-time director of James Gunn's original SF research center, and Ad Astra SF Institute Director Christopher McKitterick has led this workshop since 2010, and served as guest author in James Gunn's SF Writers Workshop starting in 1995.
Fine Arts Work Center Summer Workshops (poetry, fiction, visual art, and creative nonfiction). June 21 - August 21, 2026: Provincetown, Massachusetts. "This year, we have lined up 65 extraordinary workshops in visual arts and creative writing over the course of nine weeks. We’ve brought together an outstanding group of instructors that includes many esteemed faculty members, along with many faces who are new to FAWC. We are confident that this dynamic combination of new and familiar faces will help create an inspiring atmosphere at FAWC that will invite students to take creative leaps." Housing is available at nearby guesthouses and inns; limited campus housing is available on a first-come, first-served basis. See individual workshops for dates.
Clarion West Summer Writers Workshop. June 21 - August 1, 2026: Seattle, Washington. "The six-week workshop can give you time away from everyday distractions and encourage you to experiment and take artistic risks. The critique sessions are the heart of the workshop: you learn not only by receiving critiques, but by reading others’ work and constructing your own critiques. Instructors work directly with attendees to present group critiques of newly written stories, participate in discussions about writing techniques or professional concerns, and hold individual or small-group conferences. Throughout the entire experience, the Clarion West Workshop staff is present to help guide participants and facilitate an inclusive environment." Application deadline February 13.
Stonecoast Writers’ Conference. June 22 - 27, 2026: Portland, ME. "Your conference experience centers around the workshop. In these classes, your work (and the work of your peers) serves as the primary text. Faculty focus on providing constructive criticism that can help you unlock your writing. Class discussions provide opportunities to discuss theories and practical application of writing craft. Each instructor adapts their class to reflect the interest and abilities of the students. Generative writing exercises ensure that you’ll have threads of new work to follow after the conference ends. This summer we are offering three distinct workshop classes: Creative Writing, CNF and Memoir. Each workshop is limited to ten students.
Community of Writers at Squaw Valley: Poetry Workshop. June 22 - 28, 2026: Olympic Valley, California. "We work together to create an atmosphere in which everyone might feel free to try anything. In the mornings we meet in workshops to read to each other the work of the previous twenty-four hours; each participant also has an opportunity to work with each staff poet. In the late afternoons we gather for a conversation about some aspect of craft. On several afternoons staff poets hold brief individual conferences." Registration deadline: March 10.
Minnesota Northwoods Writers Conference. June 23 - 26, 2026: Bemidji, Minnesota. Our faculty so far includes four members of the MNWC25 faculty: Jennifer Foerster (poetry), Toni Jensen (creative nonfiction), Douglas Kearney (poetry), and Joni Tevis (creative nonfiction). The award-winning novelist Debra Magpie Earling (fiction) and the acclaimed poet Layli Long Soldier will be joining the faculty this year. Please check our website periodically for updates. We will open registration in March.We hope to see you this coming June!
Summer Fishtrap Gathering of Writers. June 23 - 28, 2026: Wallowa Lake, Oregon. Join us this June at Wallowa Lake where you’re sure to get some writing done! Spend a week in community with fellow writers, learning from some of the best teaching artists in the West. Each weeklong workshop is limited to no more than 13 students, creating a brave space for you to explore your craft in new and creative ways. Registration includes your five-day workshop, plus craft talks, featured author readings, panel discussions, open mics, discussions, and much more. Workshops offered include fiction, nonfiction, memoir, and poetry.
Chuckanut Writers Conference. June 25 - 27, 2026: Bellingham, Washington. Writers conference that includes speakers, panels, breakout sessions, authors' readings, reception with authors, pitch sessions with literary agents, book signings, open mic for attendees. Autobiography/Memoir, Children's, Fiction, Nature, Non-fiction, Poetry, Publishing.
David R Collins Conference Faculty & Workshops. June 25 - 27, 2026: Rock Island, IL. Daily workshops, critiques, pitches, evening events, keynote.
In Your Write Mind Workshop. June 25 - 28, 2026: Greensburg, Pennsylvania. This is an annual, alumni-run writers workshop. It features writing-related classes, agent pitch sessions, a book signing, and other special events. Open to the public.
New York Pitch Conference. June 25 - 28, 2026: NY, NY. The New York Pitch Conference and writers workshop is held four times a year and features publishing house editors from major houses such as Penguin, Random House, St. Martins, Harper Collins, Tor and Del Rey, Kensington Books and many more who are looking for new novels in a variety of genres, as well as narrative non-fiction. The event focuses on the art of the novel pitch as the best method not only for communicating your work, but for having you and your work taken seriously by industry professionals.
Writing for the Educational Market. June 25 - July 30, 2026: Online. Learn the ins and outs of writing for the educational market in this 6-week course. Hosted by experienced industry professionals, this workshop will get you up to speed quickly and prepare you for submitting your work to publishers. 30 participants max.
Writers' League of Texas. June 26-28, 2026: Austin, Texas. "The WLT’s Agents & Editors Conference is one of the nation’s premier conferences for writers. Every year, we bring together nationally-known literary agents and book editors and other industry professionals with writers at all stages of the writing process for a weekend of conversation and community around the craft of writing and the practical steps toward publication. For writers with finished manuscripts, the conference’s one-on-one consultations with agents and editors offer a unique opportunity to pitch their work directly to publishing professionals. For writers working toward a completed manuscript, the conference’s genre meet-ups, panels, presentations, and general sessions offer an abundance of useful information and a friendly, relaxed atmosphere for informal chats with agents, published authors, and fellow writers from all genres and backgrounds."
