13 (Warm) Writing Conferences in January 2022

It's no accident that so many writing conferences are held in warm places during the coldest month of the year. We all dream of sunshine during those chilly, dark days. And wouldn't it be nice to spend those dark days doing what we like best - writing?

Fortunately for us, there are a dozen delightful conferences this January held in places we would rather be. 

If you miss your ideal conference this year, don't worry. Many of these are annual events, and quite a few offer scholarships. (Apply early!) 

You can find a full list of conferences here: Writing Conferences.

(Image: Flickr)

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Kaz Conference Keep Writing Nonfiction and Memoir Cohort – JANUARY/FEB 2022 (5 weeks) meeting Wednesdays Jan 5 - Feb 2 from 2 to 4PM EST. Are you a nonfiction writer working on a memoir? For 5 weeks beginning 2022 just 6-8 writers will gather via ZOOM -- at each workshop two writers will workshop 10 to 16 pages of a work of creative nonfiction/memoir. Virtual workshop tuition: $375 for 5 weeks - includes at least two reviews of your writing samples from Donna Kaz and your cohort. Apply by December 4, 2021.

Key West Literary Seminar. January 6–9, 2022 (seminar) and  January 10–14, 2022 (workshop), Key West, Florida. The seminar offers readings, lectures, and conversations with poets, fiction writers, and nonfiction writers on the topic of “A Seminar Named Desire.” For “A Seminar Named Desire” we’re interested in literary explorations of the profane and the profound, the inventive, the graphic, and the deeply felt. This will be a unique gathering of some of today’s most acclaimed writers in conversation about the elemental urge at the center of human activity: desire.

Pacific University Master of Fine Arts in Writing Residency Writers Conference. January 6 - 16, 2022: Seaside, OR. January 16 - 26, 2022: 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.

Kaz Conference Writing Workshop is a 5-week playwriting / screenwriting intensive for women writers. The intensive takes place via ZOOM. Each week we will read and discuss two to three submitted plays/screenplays using the Liz Lerman Critical Response Process as a base for our critique. Writers receive two critiques of 10 to 30 pages from Kaz and the rest of the cohort. COST: $375.00. For women writers only. DATES: The Intensive will meet from 1-3PM on Thursdays beginning January 6, 2022.  To APPLY - GUIDELINES FOR SUBMISSION: 1) Submit 5 to 10 pages of your best piece of playwriting. Apply by November 30, 2021. 

Palm Beach Poetry Festival. January 10 - 15, 2022: Delray Beach, Florida. Workshop Faculty Poets: Kim Addonizio, Laure-Anne Bosselaar, Chard deNiord, Mark Doty, Yona Harvey, John Murillo, Matthew Olzmann, and Diane Seuss. Will be held online.

TMW January Jumpstart. January 14 - 15, 2022. “We will have a “Meet and Greet” session Friday from 7 p.m. – 8 p.m. Eastern. On Saturday there will be concurrent Poetry and Fiction morning sessions from 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Eastern, and afternoon sessions from 1:30 – 4:30 Eastern. Zoom access will be made available in January after registration fees are paid." Registration $60.

Colrain Classic. January 14 - 17, 2022: Arlington, Vermont. "The Colrain Manuscript Classic is a highly focused, 3.5 day conference designed for poets with manuscripts in progress. The Classic features in-depth pre-conference work and candid, realistic evaluation and feedback from nationally-known poets, editors and publishers. In preparation, participants work at home on pre-conference assignments and then, in the workshop, review, arrange, and winnow their work based on the pre-conference work. In addition to the manuscript preparation workshop and editor sessions, there will be an editorial Q&A, and an after-conference strategy session." Will be conducted online.

Winter Poetry & Prose Getaway. January 14 - 17, 2022, 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; lodging is not included. 

Eckerd College Writers in Paradise Conference. January 15 - 22, 2022, St. Petersburg, FL. Workshops, roundtables, panel discussions, Q&As, readings book signings, and receptions. The faculty includes Emily Bernard, Laura Lippman, Ann Hood,  Andre Dubus III, Michael Koryta, Stewart O’Nan, Ana Menéndez, and many more. Required mask wearing while indoors.  All faculty, staff, and volunteers must show proof of vaccination, while students must either show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test result. Application period runs from August 1 to November 1.

Breakout Novel Graduate Learning Retreat. January 17 - January 23, 2022: Tampa, Florida. An intensive week of critiques, one-on-one sessions, query clinics, brainstorming and writing. Limited to 16 students. Will be held virtually.

Writing By Writers GET THE LEAD OUT! January 21 - 23, 2022, Online. This workshop brings all levels of writers together for a weekend of inspiration, craft and the generation of new work. Faculty: Gina Frangello, Pam Houston & J. Drew Lanham. Tuition: $750 includes one three-day workshop, admittance to all craft talks and readings.

Kaua’i Writers’ Retreat. January 23 - 29, 2022: Kaua'i, Hawaii. Live and write among the plumeria, hibiscus, and beauty of Po’ipū, Kaua’i. Once you arrive on-island, each day is designed to provide inspirational, intensive craft instruction in the morning, followed by afternoons to read, write, explore, and enjoy the island, and evening gatherings to attend as you see fit. All residency events are optional: your time is your own, to read, write, revise, and be.

Sunshine State Book Festival. January 29 - 30: Gainesville, Florida. "Meet and engage in person with nearly 100 authors who will be happy to sign your books at our 2022 festival, being held at the spacious Oaks Mall in Gainesville, Florida." Admission is free.

Also see:

Kaz Conference Keep Writing: Playwriting Intensive for Women Writers. February 2022. Workshops include developmental workshops as well as talks on the practical training of writers with input from editors, publicists, agents, social media experts and productivity coaches. Because reading and reviewing other work helps to strengthen ones own writing, peer review is a requirement of all sessions. Just 10 to 16 writers are accepted for each cohort. Will be held online. Apply by January 23.