7 Great Writing Conferences in January 2021

The new year kicks off with seven great conferences for writers. These conferences offer everything from intensive workshops and panels, to pitch sessions with agents and one-on-one tutorials. There is something for everyone.

For a full list of conferences held throughout the year see Writing Conferences. During the pandemic most of these are being held virtually at reduced rates. Quite a few offer scholarships, so apply early.

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Pacific University Master of Fine Arts in Writing Residency Writers Conference. January 7-17, 2021: Forest Grove, Oregon. Writers seeking to deepen their craft and expand their professional community are invited to attend the Residency Writers Conference together with MFA students, faculty and guest speakers. Join us for 10 full days of craft talks, workshops, panels, classes, readings and more featuring some of the best minds of the literary world. This residency is a rare opportunity to engage in sustained and meaningful conversation with others who share your passion for the art of writing.  Because of ongoing concerns due to COVID-19, this will be a virtual residency.

TMW January Jumpstart. January 9, 2021. “Fresh Slate/Fresh Page in 2021: This Zoom workshop will address the writer as beginner, even when we are experienced, even when we’ve already started or written most of a project. We will explore tools and exercises to help begin a project or begin a project again, generate or develop a new idea, or return to an old idea that for some reason stalled and see that project with new eyes. These tools and exercises can be used for fiction or nonfiction, prose or poetry, and be beneficial to writers of all levels from novice to seasoned author."

Winter Poetry & Prose Getaway. January 14-18, 2021, Atlantic City, New Jersey. Workshops in poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction, as well as craft talks, one-on-one tutorials, featured readings, and open mics. Tuition, which includes some meals, ranges from $490 to $690, depending on the workshop. Will be held online.

Writing By Writers DRAFT. Application deadline: January 15, 2021: Lake Tahoe and Boulder, CO. DRAFT is an intensive program for 15 writers who are committed to completing a novel, memoir, short story, or essay collection over the course of two years. Whether starting a first draft, or working through a new revision, this program is appropriate for writers who want a rigorous and supportive community throughout their process.

Eckerd College Writers’ Conference. January 16-23, 2021, St. Petersburg, FL. Workshops, roundtables, panel discussions, Q&As, readings book signings, and receptions. The faculty includes poets Billy Collins, Gregory Pardlo; fiction writers Michael Koryta, John Dufresne; creative nonfiction writers Stephanie Elizondo Griest and Dani Shapiro; editor George Gibson (Grove/Atlantic); and agent Ann Rittenberg (Ann Rittenberg Lit Agency) and many more. Canceled for 2020, but a 2-day virtual event for applicants, will take place on Sunday and Monday, January 17 and 18.

Palm Beach Poetry Festival. January 18-23, 2021 , Delray Beach, Florida. Workshop Faculty Poets: David Baker, Laure-Anne Bosselaar, Traci Brimhall, Eduardo C. Corral, Vievee Francis, Kevin Prufer, Martha Rhodes, and Tim Seibles. Special Guest is Gregory Orr accompanied by The Parkington Sisters; Poet-at-Large Brian Turner; and Conference Faculty: Lorna Knowles Blake, Sally Bliumis-Dunn, Nickole Brown, Jessica Jacobs, and Angela Narciso Torres. Will be held online.

Breakout Novel Graduate Learning Retreat. January 25 - February 31, 2021: Tampa, Florida. An intensive week of critiques, one-on-one sessions, query clinics, brainstorming and writing. Limited to 16 students. Will be held virtually.