24 Marvelous Writing Conferences in March 2022

Writing conferences usually start to pick up in March. Like last year, many conferences and workshops will be held online, but some will be held in person as pandemic restrictions ease. Virtual events still offer everything a writer might want: intensive workshops, pitch sessions with agents, to how to market yourself and your books, discussions - 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.

Image: Briton Rivière: Una and the Lion, Wikimedia Commons

___________________

Keep Writing Virtual Nonfiction Writers Conference. MAR/APRIL 2022 (5 weeks) meeting Wednesdays from 2 to 4PM EST. "Are you a nonfiction writer working on a memoir? For 5 weeks this spring 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. The sessions include discussions on the business of being a writer i.e. publishing, legal issues, agents and self promotion. The Kaz Conference was founded by award winning author Donna Kaz (UN/MASKED, Memoirs of a Guerrilla Girl) and is committed to diversity. Our conference faculty, mentors and cohorts reflect an all-encompassing and equal world and our goal is to challenge, inspire and foster a writers community that continues beyond the workshop because the stories we tell become the world we live in. In this workshop you will discover what is working in your pages, where your readers have questions, and what your peers want to see more of. These responses will spark fresh ideas about how you can strengthen your story and inspire you to return to your desk to complete and publish your work. Virtual workshop tuition: $375 for 5 weeks - includes at least two reviews of your writing samples from Donna Kaz and your cohort." Will be held online. Apply by February 2, 2022.

The Furious Flower Poetry Center Collegiate Summit. March 3 - 4, 2022. Harrisonburg, VA. Open to undergraduate and graduate students from any college or university program, this three-day summit invites participants to explore how poetry reaches across geographical borders and beyond conventional literary and ideological boundaries. This year's summit attendees will explore the theme of “Power, Presence, and Performance” through workshops, panels, and discussions that examine ways of engaging audiences and maximizing the reach and impact of their words. The registration is free. 

Atlanta Writing Workshop, March 4 - 5, 2022, Atlanta, GA. "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." Will be held virtually.

California Creative Writers Conference. March 4 - 6, 2022: Los Angeles, CA.  Educational and inspirational guidance from more than 40 literary agents, veteran educators, industry professionals, professional editors, and publishers in the craft and business of writing fiction, nonfiction, and screenwriting taught by Hollywood veterans. Over three days, you can learn how to take your writing to the next level and what it takes get published. 

Futurescapes. March 4 - 6, 2022: Salt Lake City, Utah. Futurescapes Workshop of Utah Valley University, is an intensive, exclusive workshop, offering writers an unparalleled chance to work with top authors and agents in speculative fiction (science fiction, horror, fantasy, paranormal). Each participant will work with three workshop faculty mentors on the first 3,000 words of their manuscript, while receiving substantive feedback on the overall structure of their work in progress and query letters. Will be held virtually.

Bay to Ocean Writers Conference. March 5, 2022: Wye Mills, Maryland. Sponsored by the Eastern Shore Writers Association. "Featuring eight tracks and over 30 sessions sure to fit all your writing needs, this year’s Bay to Ocean Writers Conference celebrates a quarter of a century of helping writers develop their craft, edit, publish, and market their writing.  This year’s sessions, all 90-minutes in length, are carefully designed to help you generate solid writing, hone your craft, and ask pointed questions from published and award-winning presenters about the process."

Redrock Creative Writing Seminar. March 5, 2022: St. George, Utah. Classes and readings in poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction. The faculty includes Lola Haskins, Tim Keller, and Denis Feehan.

Get Away to Write. March 8 - 13, 2022: New Smyrna Beach, Florida. Spend an inspiring week working on your memoir or poetry. Enjoy plentiful writing time, insightful feedback, homemade meals and time to relax. ach workshop will offer craft discussion, writing prompts, writing time, feedback, motivation and inspiration. By spending the entire week in one workshop, you will venture deeper into your writing, making more progress than you thought possible.

Algonkian Writers New York Pitch Conference. March 10 - 13 (online, Zoom) March 17 - 20, 2022: NY, NY. "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. More importantly though, it is also a diagnostic method for workshopping the plot, premise, and other elements of the story to determine quality and marketability. Simply put, you cannot successfully pitch a viable commercial novel if you don't have a viable commercial novel. Our goal, therefore, is to set you on a realistic path to publication." Will be held online and in person.

Ossabaw Weekend Writer’s Retreat. March 11 - 16,  2022: Ossabaw Island, GA. Workshops and seminars led by nationally recognized faculty, and evening readings (special emphasis on ghost stories) by faculty and participants. Application deadline: January 15.

Virginia Festival of the Book, March 16 - 20, 2022. "The Festival is the largest community-based book event in the Mid-Atlantic region and has attracted audiences of more than 20,000 for each of the past thirteen years. We have presented a captivating list of authors, ranging from international bestsellers to topical specialists to debut authors." Book exhibits, talks by authors, readings, workshops on book promotion, finding an agent, poetry, publishing, agents roundtable - you name it, this conference has it. Will be held virtually.

Writing Nature: Writing, Health, and Justice March 18 - 19, 2022: Bethlehem, PA. sponsored by the Lehigh Valley Engaged Humanities Consortium’s Writers’ Community and the Moravian College Writers’ Conference.  Keynote speaker: Porochista Khakpour. Plus additional workshops and a writers’ roundtable featuring area writers on Friday, March 27. FREE

Writing on the Door: Young Writers Conference. March 18-19, 2022: Sturgeon Bay, WI. "This conference, taking place at Sturgeon Bay High School in Sturgeon Bay, WI, is for middle school and high school students who want to explore options for becoming a writer. Sessions will include poetry, fiction, journalism, song writing, plays, and writing for games/digital media. The conference will consist of three keynote presentations with Wisconsin Poet Laureate Dasha Kelly Hamilton, internationally acclaimed singer/songwriter Cathy Grier, and award-winning children’s author John Coy. Between keynotes, students will have the opportunity to work with established writers in small, interactive groups on a variety of subjects."

Power of Narrative. March 19- 19, 2022: Boston, MA. Over 30 journalists, directors, producers and editors lead three days of lively discussions geared to advance the knowledge of narrative storytellers. Approximately 500 persons attend. Early registration is encouraged. Will be held online and in person.

Writing By Writers Boulder Generative Workshop. March 18 - 20, 2022: Boulder, Colorado. Lectures, craft talks, writing exercises and class discussions. Each participant will have the opportunity to work in a small group setting with all three faculty members.

Authors' Salon at Clockwork Alchemy. March 18 - 20, 2022: Burlingame, California. Clockwork Alchemy is the San Francisco area's own steampunk convention. Originally a part of FanimeCon, Clockwork Alchemy is now its own independent event celebrating music, makers, dancing, writing, crafting, fashion, and fun related to steampunk!

Association of Writers & Writing Programs Conference. March 23 - 26, 2022: Philadelphia, PA. "The AWP Conference & Bookfair is an essential annual destination for writers, teachers, students, editors, and publishers. Each year more than 12,000 attendees join our community for four days of insightful dialogue, networking, and unrivaled access to the organizations and opinion-makers that matter most in contemporary literature. The 2016 conference featured over 2,000 presenters and 550 readings, panels, and craft lectures. The bookfair hosted over 800 presses, journals, and literary organizations from around the world. AWP’s is now the largest literary conference in North America." Will be held virtually and in person.

Algonkian Novel Retreat, Sterling. Virginia, March 23 - 27, 2022. "In keeping with the spirit of this place and the goals of this retreat, you can be as goal-oriented or as hesitant in approach as you wish. You can show us your manuscript, improve your skills, clear your head, have your work read by our writer mentors, whatever works for you, whatever helps you grow and discover your vision as a writer. You discuss with us ahead of time via the Algonkian Writer Retreat Application the goals you wish to accomplish, and we'll work with you to make it happen. Do you desire a review of your short stories or flash fiction? A line edit? Do you wish to discuss the reality of the current fiction market, your novel project, plot and characters, or perhaps get feedback on the opening hook or a few sample chapters? Or would you simply like a relaxed and productive dialogue about your goals as a writer?" Registration is first come, first served.

University of North Dakota Writers Conference. March 24 - 26, 2022: Grand Forks, North Dakota. Founded in 1970 and held every year since, the UND Writers Conference is a three day event featuring six to eight authors annually. Authors ranging from Gwendolyn Brooks and August Wilson to Tommy Orange and Colson Whitehead, the UND Writers Conference is committed to community outreach, engagement, and finding ways to increase audience access to literature. The conference is free, but workshop space is limited to twenty participants; registration is first come, first served. Will be held online and in person.

Write Stuff Writers Conference. March 24 - 26, 2022: Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. 20 workshops, Agent./Editor pitch sessions, marketing consults plus lunch and Keynote address, Book Fair, Flash Literature Writing Contest, Door Prizes. Featuring Juilene McKnight. Will be held virtually.

Meet the Publishers! March 26, 2022: Tulsa, OK. Meet different publishers, traditional to self-published, magazines, newspapers, etc. Learn what they are looking for and how the industry is changing. FREE.

Beall Poetry Festival. March 30 - April 1, 2022, Waco, TX. The festival features readings, panel discussions, and the Virginia Beall Ball Lecture on Contemporary Poetry. Participating poets include Todd Hearon, Vievee Francis, Ilya Kaminsky, Chad Bennett, and a Poetry Panel. All events are free and open to the public.

2022 National Black Writers Conference. March 30 - April 2, 2022, Brooklyn, NY. This year’s theme is The Beautiful Struggle: Black Writers Lighting the Way. "Conference participants will examine the ways that texts by Black writers document struggle and persistence and light the ways for overcoming obstacles and surviving in a racially constructed society. The 16th National Black Writers Conference will be a virtual public gathering of writers, readers, scholars, literary professionals, students in the United States and from a larger international community of artists and literature lovers. As a four-day online event, NBWC2022 will feature panel discussions, readings, and much more. The Conference aims to broaden the public’s appreciation of Black literature and Black life."

Annual National Undergraduate Literature Conference. March 31 - April 2, 2022: Weber State University, Ogden, UT. "Each year, nearly 200 undergraduate writers and poets throughout North America, and sometimes beyond, come to Weber State University to present their work and learn from some of the most important writers in contemporary literature."