(ONLINE: Writing Day Workshops plans both in-person and virtual/online conferences. The 2026 TWW is an Online Conference, on March 6-7, 2026. Online events are easy and awesome, and the virtual events we’ve done thus far have received wonderful feedback. You do not have to be tech-savvy to do this, and understand we are keeping all aspects of a traditional in-person event, including one-on-one agent & editor pitching, which will now be done by Zoom or phone. Learn all details about what it means to have a writers conference online.)
The schedule below is on Central time.
THIS YEAR’S SESSIONS & WORKSHOPS:
Friday, March 6, 2026:
9:30 – 10:30: Creating a Remarkable Narrative Arc in Fiction or Memoir, taught by Laurie Dennison. This class, taught by a literary agent, discusses how an author develops a narrative character arc and how that arc can be applied in either a novel or memoir. You want a character to grow and change on the page. Learn how to map out a character’s ideal path in both fiction and memoir.
10:45 – 11:45: 15 Things You Can Do to Have More Control Over Your Writing Journey, taught by Chuck Sambuchino. If you want to have more say over a journey that seems out of your control, then you need to understand elements of the publishing path that are within your control, and how to harness them. This speech discusses a variety of different things any writer can do to help their chances — whether you’re published or aspiring.
1:15 – 2:30 Publishing Buzzwords 101, taught by Ismita Hussain. Like any industry, publishing is filled with jargon, acronyms, and terms that are commonly used among publishing professionals. If you’re an author navigating the publishing space for the first time or looking for advice on how to become traditionally published, it can feel impossible to sift through all of the lingo. This class will discuss terms commonly used by the publishing industry — popular and new buzzwords — and how writers can use them to their advantage.
2:45 – 3:45: Everything You Need to Know About Agents and Query Letters, taught by Laurie McLean. This workshop is a thorough crash course in dealing with literary agents. After quickly going over what an agent is and what they do for writers, we will discuss resources for finding agents, how to ID the best agents for you, query letter writing, as well as the most important things to do and not to do when dealing with representatives.
4:00 – 5:00: How to Market Yourself and Your Books: Author Platform & Social Media Explained, taught by Ava Roberts. A writer’s platform is as important as ever now. Visibility and ability to self-market are mandatory these days for writers of nonfiction and self-published works. Furthermore, fiction writers want a platform to sell more books, meet readers, and increase their value. This speech teaches writers the basics of what a platform is and why it is necessary. Then we delve into the building blocks of what can constitute a platform, from media appearances and speaking engagements to blogs, Facebook, Twitter and more.
Saturday, March 7, 2026
9:30 – 10:30: If I Only Knew Then What I Know Now: 10 Things I’ve Learned as an Author, taught by Tiffany Killoren. This class is designed to take a decade of learned wisdom and share it with attendees. Published novelist Tiffany Killoren will share her advice on writing. editing, the review process, and getting published — explaining a decade’s worth of lessons in a concise one-hour class.
10:45 – 11:45: How Do I Decide? Traditional vs. Indie Publishing, taught by Rachelle Gardner. There is plenty of information available on both traditional and self-publishing. But how do you choose between the two? This workshop will guide writers through the decision, allowing them to ignore the noise and hype and focus on their personal path. It’s a fair and balanced approach that avoids favoring one choice over the other–and instead teaches how to determine which choice best fits each individual’s situation.
1:15 – 2:30: “Writers Got Talent”—a Page 1 Critique Fest, with participating literary agents and editors. In the vein of “American Idol” or “America’s Got Talent,” this is a chance to get your first page read (anonymously — no bylines given) with attending agents commenting on what was liked or not liked about the submission. Get expert feedback on your incredibly important first page, and know if your writing has what it needs to keep readers’ attention. (All attendees are welcome to bring pages to the event for this session, and we will choose pages at random for the workshop for as long as time lasts. All submissions should be novels or memoir—no prescriptive nonfiction or picture books, please. Do not send your pages in advance. You will bring printed copies with you, and instructions will be sent out approximately one week before the event.)
2:45 – 3:45: Open Agent Q&A Panel. Several attending literary agents will open themselves up to open Q&A from TWW attendees. Bring your questions and get them answered in this popular session.
4:00 – 5:00: Craft Compelling First Pages That Get Agent, Editor, and Reader Attention, taught by Michaela Whatnall. If you want people to start reading your book and not put it down, you need compelling first pages. But how do you pull agents, editors, and readers in quickly? What are agent pet peeves concerning the initial chapters? This class, taught by a literary agent, will answer those questions, and more.
FREE ADDITIONAL RECORDED CLASSES:
We will actually send attendees extra FREE pre-recorded classes as part of their attendance. In addition to getting the weekend’s classes to enjoy live and in person, we will also send you 10 more free recorded classes on the side, from amazing instructors. In the week leading up to your in-person conference, we will send all confirmed attendees these classes below, some of which will aid in your pitching efforts:
- “How Do I Decide: Traditional vs. Indie Publishing,” taught previously at the Pittsburgh Writing Workshop
- “Common First Pages Mistakes and How to Fix Them,” taught previously at the San Diego Writing Workshop
- “6 Pillars of Well-Developed Characters,” taught previously at the Texas Writing Workshop
- “How to Make Money as a Writer,” taught previously at the Pittsburgh Writing Workshop
- “How an Acquisitions Editor Reads and Examines Your Manuscript,” taught previously at the California Writing Workshop
- “How to Fix It: The Art and Craft of Revision,” taught previously at the Writing Workshop of Chicago
- “Build an Irresistible Author Platform for Long-Term Success,” taught previously at the Ohio Writing Workshop
- “Demystifying Science Fiction and Fantasy,” taught previously at the San Diego Writing Workshop
- “How to Write Engaging Books for Children: Tips for Writing Picture Books,” taught previously at the Texas Writing Workshop
- “Writing and Editing Young Adult and Middle Grade,” taught previously at the Ohio Writing Workshop
- “Writers Got Talent—a Page 1 Critique Fest,” taught previously at the Pittsburgh Writing Workshop
- “Ask an Agent Anything: Open Q&A Panel with Literary Agents,” taught previously at the California Writing Workshop