(ONLINE: Writing Day Workshops plans both in-person and virtual/online conferences. The 2026 CWW is an Online Conference, on June 12-13. 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 Pacific time.

THIS YEAR’S SESSIONS & WORKSHOPS:

Friday, June 12, 2026

9:30 – 10:30: Mastering the Art of Dialogue. Dialogue can be a tricky problem for many writers. The way we talk and the way we think doesn’t always look right on the page. New writers often struggle creating dialogue that doesn’t sound stilted, forced, or just plain weird. Good writing strikes a balance between narrative and dialogue, so how do you make sure you’re sharing the right information? This presentation will help writers learn how to format their dialogue, how to find your characters’ voices, how to make it sound natural, and how to avoid five big mistakes that writers often make.

10:45 – 11:45: How to Get a Literary Agent and Write a Query Letter. 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.

11:45 – 1:15: Break

1:15 – 2:30: The Writer’s Journey. This class is a deep examination of the publishing process and what it’s like to make a living as a writer and find success in a multifaceted industry. Understand how to motivate yourself on days you don’t want to write. Learn how to transform one book into more books (a series). Learn what to expect from working with beta readers, literary agents, and publishing house editors. This class will help attendees plan for long term success.

2:45 – 3:45: Writing for Young Adult and Middle Grade Audiences. Leigh Bardugo, Rick Riordan, Angie Thomas, and YOU. In this class, you’ll learn who your audience is, hear about the “musts” of YA and MG fiction, review publication trends, and discover the pitfalls to avoid when crafting a novel for the middle grade and young adult worlds. Join other kidlit writers as we discuss how to write for younger audiences.

4:00 – 5:00: Writing with A.I.: How Authors Using Artificial Intelligence Can Harm (or Help) Their Chances at Publication. The widespread automation of art has already given us glimpses of how devastating Artificial Intelligence could be for the future of creativity. Authors can lose credibility when they rely too heavily or too obviously on A.I. to write their manuscripts, but there are ways authors can use it ethically and effectively. In this session, developmental editor Joel Brigham discusses how A.I. can streamline your process, how it might raise red flags with editors, and how you make use of these world-changing tools without sacrificing your artistic authenticity. Whether you’re curious, cautious, or already experimenting, you will leave with a better understanding of how A.I. interacts with the literary world.

Saturday, June 13, 2026

9:30 – 10:30: Time Management For Writers. Are you easily distracted? Is procrastination your superpower? If you need help to keep you on track to meet those looming deadlines, this is the workshop for you. This session will give you hands-on practical methods for avoiding distraction while racking up that word count. Your bag of tools will include proven tricks and techniques for starting to write and then maintaining focus on your work

10:45 – 11:45: The Agent/Author Relationship. This workshop, taught by a literary agent, details the happenings from “The Call” all the way to going on submission. Understand how to be a great client, how to effectively communicate with your agent, how to know what to expect in the process, and more.

11:45 – 1:15: Break

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 CWW attendees. Bring your questions and get them answered in this popular session.

4:00 – 5:00: From A to Z: Strategies for Plotting, Pacing and Structure. This class will begin with a detailed introduction to the three-act screenwriting structure that lends itself to theoretical preparation for novel-writing and outlining, and then identify different tools for plot consideration, outlining, as well as writing that permit novelists to plot and pace their work tightly. More in-depth plotting theory introduces a series of key moments and movements in the evolution of the plot trajectory, and this will class will provide an introduction to them. The goal will be to provide some theory, an introduction to key tools, and an analysis of case studies from award-winning or bestselling novels.

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:

1. “How Do I Decide: Traditional vs. Indie Publishing,” taught previously at the Pittsburgh Writing Workshop
2. “Common First Pages Mistakes and How to Fix Them,” taught previously at the San Diego Writing Workshop
3. “6 Pillars of Well-Developed Characters,” taught previously at the Texas Writing Workshop
4. “How to Make Money as a Writer,” taught previously at the Pittsburgh Writing Workshop
5. “How an Acquisitions Editor Reads and Examines Your Manuscript,” taught previously at the California Writing Workshop
6. “How to Fix It: The Art and Craft of Revision,” taught previously at the Writing Workshop of Chicago
7. “Build an Irresistible Author Platform for Long-Term Success,” taught previously at the Ohio Writing Workshop
8. “Demystifying Science Fiction and Fantasy,” taught previously at the San Diego Writing Workshop
9. “How to Write Engaging Books for Children: Tips for Writing Picture Books,” taught previously at the Texas Writing Workshop
10. “Writing and Editing Young Adult and Middle Grade,” taught previously at the Ohio Writing Workshop
11. “Writers Got Talent—a Page 1 Critique Fest,” taught previously at the Pittsburgh Writing Workshop
12. “Ask an Agent Anything: Open Q&A Panel with Literary Agents,” taught previously at the California Writing Workshop