These writing events 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. 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!
Be sure to check out Highlights list of workshops. They offer many throughout the year.
(Image: Monterey, Get Archive)
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Rananim online classes Courses run for eight weeks from April through May. "Participants receive personalized feedback on assignments from their instructor, as well as responses from classmates on discussion board forums. All instructors are university professors and/or working professional writers, who have experience teaching at the Taos Summer Writers’ Conference. Classes are limited to 15 students who will engage in conversation with you and your work. Firm deadlines and feedback help keep you writing and improving your work throughout the class." International students accepted. Cost: $400 per class.
Writing About Mental Health for MG and YA Readers: A Two-Night Mini. April 2 - 4, 2024: Online. Join middle grade novelist Crystal Allen and young adult author and pediatric neuropsychologist Katie Keridan to consider what it takes to develop authentic representations of mental health that hold reality and hope throughout your novel.
Beall Poetry Festival. April 3 - 5, 2024, Waco, TX. The festival features readings, panel discussions, and the Virginia Beall Ball Lecture on Contemporary Poetry. Participating poets include Major Jackson, Ruben Quesada, Tracy K. Smith, Allison Benis White, and a Poetry Panel. All events are free and open to the public.
The Monterey Writer Retreat in California. April 3 - 7, 2024: Monterey, CA. Participants in the Monterey Writer Retreat will work one-on-one with two of the best literary "closers" in the business: Paula Munier, Michael Neff, and Jennifer Sander combine 60 years of working with aspiring authors and ushering them to publication. They will be available for multiple private consultations from 9 AM to noon and 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM each day of the retreat. Choice of sessions and focus will be up to each individual writer.
Stories Your Collection Can Tell: A Larksong Bootcamp for Poets. April 3, 10, 17, 24, 2024: Larksong Writers Place, 1600 N. Cotner Blvd., Lincoln, NE. "Are you looking to not only consider individual poems, but also look at the sequencing of a collection as a whole? Maybe you’re looking for a workshop for like-minded poets at this stage of their writing who want to be the best they can be, and you want to join them? If any of that is true, a Larksong Bootcamp workshop is for you. The Bootcamps are taught by various teachers and in various genres at various times, so if you can't make one, keep coming back to see if the next one fits your needs."
Tennessee Mountain Writers Annual Conference. April 4 - 6 2024: Oak Ridge, TN. Writing Contests, Workshops, Networking, Manuscript Evaluations, Publishers, Book Signings, Bookstore, Vendors, And more!
Breakout Novel Intensive 2.0. April 4 - 10, 2024: Hood River, OR. Included are new or revised units on story discovery, strong voice, standout characters, the inner journey, compelling story worlds, beautiful writing, creating resonance and finding meaning in both story and process. Breakout fundamentals are also covered: strong characters, inner conflict, personal stakes, plot layers, powerful scenes, micro-tension, practical theme techniques and much more. Instructor: Donald Maass.
Buffalo Writing Workshop. April 5, 2024: Buffalo, NY. This is a special one-day in-person “How to Get Published” writing workshop at the Embassy Suites by Hilton Buffalo. 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.
The 2024 Writing Workshop of San Francisco. April 5 - 6, 2024: Online. A full-day “How to Get Published” event. "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." Online format.
WriteAngles. April 6, 2024: Northampton, Massachusetts. Panels and workshops, keynote speaker Honorée Fanonne Jeffers, a limited number of agent meetings. Continental breakfast, and buffet lunch included.
The 2024 Minnesota Writing Workshop. April 6, 2024: St. Paul, MN. "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."
The Sundress Academy for the Arts: “And yet … There’s still Joy”: April 10, 2024. Online. Joy as an Act of Resistance in Poetry. Throughout this workshop, participants will learn how other poets over time have experienced and explored joy in their writing. We will read and listen to poems and discuss how joy shows up in poetry, from the small joys in everyday life to healing through trauma. We will specifically explore the work of Toi Derricotte, her usage of “joy as an act of resistance,” and how we can use our writing to explore and experience more deeply the small moments of joy in our daily lives.
Las Vegas Writer’s Conference April 11 – 13, 2024: Las Vegas, Nevada. Join writing professionals, agents publishers and marketing experts for a weekend of workshops and enlightening discussions about the publishing industry. A chance to pitch your manuscript and ideas to agents.
Write Stuff Writers Conference. April 11 -13, 2024: Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. 20 workshops, Agent./Editor pitch sessions, marketing consults plus lunch and Keynote address, Book Fair, Flash Literature Writing Contest, Door Prizes. Featuring: Jonathan Maberry.
Idaho Writers League Annual Conference. April 11 - 13, 2024: Boise, Idaho. Our theme: The Lifelong Author. Do you want to do this writing thing for life? No matter whether that means self-publishing or traditional publishing, part-time writing or making this your career, doing this for life requires a mindset and strategy that anyone can learn. And we’re bringing experts from everywhere to teach you how: from the writer’s life to marketing your work, from the business of writing to improving your craft. They include J. Thorn, Nick Thacker, our keynote speaker, James A. Owen.
Kenyon Review Writers Workshops. June 24 - 29, 2024: 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 close April 12, 2024.
Ozarks Writers League Conference. April 12 - 13, 2024: Branson, MO. The Ozarks Writers League is a group of like-minded individuals dedicated to promoting writing, literacy, photography, and art. Since 1983, OWL has welcomed individuals at all stages of their development.
Writing Through Trauma to Empower Readers: A Working In-Community Retreat for Storytellers. April 11 - April 14, 2024: Boyds Mills, PA. A 3-night/4-day writing retreat for authors who are crafting books for kids and teens that center their lived experiences in areas of trauma, mental health, grief, and beyond.
Breaks, Blank Space, and Gaps: Poetic Gutters in Novels in Verse and Poetry. April 11 - 18, 2024: Online. How you use stanza breaks, blank space, and the gaps between poems affects the way that readers engage with your story. Join author Laura Shovan for an exploration of how we can use poetic gutters with intention to ensure active reading.
Florida Writing Workshop. April 12 (Tampa) and 13 (Orlando), 2024. Two separate full-day “How to Get Published” writing events in Florida — Tampa (April 12, 2024) and Orlando (April 13, 2024). "These writing events are 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 seats at the events. All questions about the events regarding schedule, details and registration are answered below. Thank you for your interest in the 2024 Florida Writing Workshops! We are very proud of our many success stories where attendees sign with agents following events — see our growing list of success stories here."
San Antonio Book Festival. April 13, 2024: San Antonio, TX. The San Antonio Book Festival is a FREE, annual, daylong event that unites readers and writers in a celebration of ideas, books, libraries, and literary culture. Featuring more than 80 nationally and regionally acclaimed authors, the Festival offers programming for all ages.
Rally of Writers Conference. April 13, 2024: Lansing, Michigan. Michigan authors and educators in 15 breakout sessions and workshops on all aspects of writing, including poetry, fiction, nonfiction, screenwriting, the Nuts & Bolts of manuscript submissions, and more.
Writing in the Pines. April 13, 2024 (in person), Stockton University, Galloway, NJ. Choose from workshops in memoir, poetry and revision. Each workshop will meet for 6 hours and will offer craft discussion, writing prompts, writing time, sharing and inspiration.
West Chester Pop Up Poetry Spring Festival. April 14 - 15, 2024: West Chester, PA. "Celebrating National Poetry Month, we embrace Renaissance! Our gathering is infused by hope, cast in appreciation for the possibilities inherent in the rigors of creating, the craft of revising, the challenge of teaching, the rewards of learning, and the joy of performing and publishing poetry for both new and established poets. We hope you join our two-day event in April with Patricia Smith as Keynote Speaker (bio), the Spencer Undergraduate Poetry Awards ceremony, outdoor readings, and much more on the beautiful West Chester University campus."
Working (PLAYING) Retreat: Artistic Play and Exploration. April 14 - 17, 2024: Boyds Mills, PA. Join the creative duo of Denise Fleming and Ashley Wolff for time to create and connect. (They asked us to include "PLAYING" in the title for this special program, because their sessions will center play and exploration, and celebrate your artistic creativity!)
Non-Traditional Picture Book Structure: A Two-Night Mini. April 15 - 17, 2024: Online. Picture book journeys aren’t one size fits all, and that’s a good thing! Join children’s book author Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen and literary agent Rachel Orr to celebrate alternative approaches to picture book structures.
Emotions in Nonfiction Picture Books: A Two-Night Mini. April 16 - 18, 2024: Online. Picture books open the world of information to readers. Join children’s book author Heidi E.Y. Stemple and editor Eileen Robinson to explore the many ways to infuse emotion into your nonfiction picture book, and hook and inspire your readers.
Before the Book: A Two-Night Mini to Get Organized and Get to the Heart of Your Story. April 16 - 18, 2024: Online. Getting ready to write a novel doesn’t just mean finding a computer or the right pen—you also need to spend time considering the elements that bring emotion and structure to your story. Join author Jennifer Gennari for this short course to learn tangible techniques for getting organized, and getting to the heart of what you need to know about your story—even before you’ve written a word!
Magpie Poems. April 16 - May 14, 2024: Online. As poets, we depend on our five senses to make images and music on the page. What surprising things will happen to our poems if we allow other artistic disciplines to inspire our content and form? We’ll learn from poets like Tyehimba Jess, Frank O’Hara and Eduardo Corral, and explore artists whose work crosses genres, including Renee Gladman and Lenka Clayton. Drawing from creative mediums like traditional ekphrasis, collage, sculpture, song and more, we’ll challenge the boundaries of the poem on the page and imagine it in constant conversation with its aural and visual neighbors. Poets of all levels are invited to create something new or revive existing work each week in this supportive workshop.
The Crash Course in Children’s Book Publishing (Spring). April 16 - June 18, 2024: 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.
Just Do It! Your Collaborative Support Group for Finishing Your Draft (Spring/Summer). April 17 - June 5, 2024. This supportive program takes all creatives (nonfiction or fiction, picture books, novels, essays, and more) from goal-stating to finished drafts. Together, we’ll move through live sessions, writing prompts, studio dates, daily inspirations, check-ins, feedback, and more.
Chicago-North RWA's Spring Fling. April 18 - 20, 2024: Oak Brook, IL. Three day Biennial writer's conference geared towards both aspiring and established writers of any genre but focused on romantic fiction. Bookseller/Blogger/Librarian event, Masterclass in Craft and Marketing, Closing Gala.
Chanticleer Authors Conference. April 18 - 21, 2024: Bellingham, Wash. Sessions with a special focus on the business of being a working writer on topics such as marketing, publicity, platform, sales tools & strategies, publishing, production, distribution, organization, storycraft, editing, and more.
Kentucky Writing Workshop, April 19, 2024: Louisville, KY. This is a special one-day “How to Get Published” writing workshop on Friday, April 19, 2024, at the Kentucky International Convention Center. 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.
Authors' Salon at Clockwork Alchemy. April 19 - 21, 2024: San Mateo, 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!
Multiple Narrator Novels: A Two Night Mini. April 19 - 21, 2024: Online. Join authors Meera Trehan and Sarah Kapit to explore techniques and innovative choices when bringing multiple narrators to your middle grade or young adult novel.
Monadnock Pastoral Poetry Retreat. April 19 - 21, 2024. Greenfield, NH. Includes workshops, individual conferences, participant & mentor readings; hiking & kayaking (weather permitting). Each workshop uses dual mentors.
Poetry at Round Top Festival. April 19 - 21, 2024: Round Top, Texas. Featuring: Pádraig Ó Tuama, Kimiko Hahn, Kim Stafford, James Crews, Danusha Laméris, ire’ne lara silva, José Antonio Rodríguez.
North Carolina Writers’ Network Spring Conference. April 20, 2024: University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, North Carolina. Features intensive workshops in poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction, as well as publisher exhibits, on-site "lunch with an author" readings, and an open mic.
San Diego Writing Workshop. April 20, 2024: San Diego, CA. 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.
Tennessee Writing Workshop. April 20, 2024: Nashville, TN. 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.
Blurred Lines: Writing Speculative Nonfiction. April 20 - May 18, 2024: Online. Though the golden rule of writing nonfiction is to be truthful, in speculative nonfiction, invention and imagination help a writer capture and hold truth’s slippery nature. In this five-week online workshop, we will read examples of speculative nonfiction by other writers like Margot Jefferson, Elissa Washuta and Jami Nakamura Lin, and learn how to draft scenes where facts are not fighting with what is imagined. Through exercises that employ both fiction and speculative nonfiction techniques, we will generate new material or fine-tune pieces already in progress. This workshop is open to new and more experienced writers looking to set their minds free—to use fact to explore fiction, blur the lines and create your own truth.
Nebraska Writers Guild Annual Conference and Writing Retreat. April 25 - 27, 2024: Omaha, NE. Workshops, pitch sessions with an agent and writing sessions followed by evening keynote speakers.
IBPA Publishing University. April 25 - 27, 2024: Denver, Colorado. The Independent Book Publishers Association offers 30+ educational sessions including experiential learning labs, insightful keynotes, a gala book award ceremony, networking events, and more!
The Pikes Peak Writers Conference. April 25 - April 28, 2024: Colorado Springs, Colorado. "The three-day conference is full of topical, in-depth workshops, dynamic keynote speakers, opportunities for one-on-one time with agents and editors, the chance to read your work aloud for constructive critique, plus time to socialize with fellow writers. Will be held in person.
Writing and Illustrating for Kids (WIK): Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators. April 26 - 28, 2024: Homewood, Alabama. "Gather with fellow writers, illustrators, translators, agents, editors, and other children's book publishing professionals for a day of craft, networking, professional development, and community. Make new connections, meet new friends, learn and explore, and refine your creative and business skills to move your kidlit career forward. With optional pre-conference intensives offered on Friday afternoon, April 26, and a free kidlit creators' social and trivia night event that evening, this will be a weekend to remember!"
Malice Domestic. April 26 - 28, 2024, Bethesda, MD. Malice Domestic™ is an annual fan convention in the metropolitan DC area that celebrates the traditional mystery, books best typified by the works of Agatha Christie. The genre is loosely identified as mysteries which contain no explicit sex, or excessive gore, or violence.
The Creativity Workshop in New York. April 26-29, 2024: 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."
Philadelphia Writing Workshop. April 27, 2024: Philadelphia, PA. This is a special one-day “How to Get Published” writing workshop on Saturday, April 22, 2023, at the Philadelphia Convention Center. 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.
Atlanta Self-Publishing Conference. April 27, 2024: Dunwoody, Georgia. The Atlanta Self-Publishing Conference (ASPC) is dedicated to serving self-published authors and the independent publishing market. No matter whether you're curious about the self-publishing market or you want to learn how to grow your independent author business, our conference will help you launch your career forward.
Northeast Texas Writers Organization. April 30, 2024: Mt Pleasant, TX. Speakers: Michael Wigington: World Building vs. Setting. C.I. Chevron: Writing with Bated Breath, Michael Scott Clifton: Journey into the Realm of Magic and Mystery.
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