The 2026 California Writing Workshop is a two-day Online Conference on June 12-13, 2026.

We will spell out details below in terms of what that means, but if you’ve never attended an online writers conference, the important and immediate things to know are 1) this will be great and easy, and 2) this will not eliminate any aspect of the event, so you will still get every part of the event that you would find in an in-person conference (and more). We will still have great classes teaching you how to get published, one-on-one video/phone pitches with agents, and helpful critiques. In fact, moving the event to a teleconference on the computer not only will keep attendees & faculty 100% safe, but it also adds some new awesome elements that we’re excited about, such as TONS of literary agents to pitch one-on-one virtually, and FREE additional bonus classes. More on that below.

We understand that an Online Conference may be new to some attendees, but do not worry. It is quite easy to do, and we will have detailed steps on what to do and when. (To hear feedback from attendees who have joined us through WDW online events from 2020-2025 events, click here and see what other happy writers have to say.)

Essentially, all you need is access to a working computer, tablet, or phone with Internet, and then you watch the conference on your computer screen live. You’ll click links in emails and be able to watch live classes and ask questions. That’s it. Also, the day’s classes can be viewed again and again because it’s all recorded! Many writing conferences are switching to teleconferences during these months, and it’s going well. Lastly, we the CWW coordinators are available all day long before and during June 12-13, 2026, to help and assist. You can always call on us.

                    A class like “Ask an Agent Anything”
allows attendees to get their questions answered.

OUR NEW ONLINE CONFERENCE – WHAT TO UNDERSTAND FOR ATTENDEES

What do attendees have to do right now: Nothing right now. If you’ve signed up, that is the key step. Just read through this email whenever you like so you understand how the day will work. That’s it. We will continue to stay in touch all the way through June 12-13, 2026. As always, we are happy to answer any questions. Although we are switching the event from one day to two, do not worry. If you cannot attend any classes, they are all recorded and sent out to you afterward.

We have tons of new agents to pitch! Because the event is now virtual, agents from all over have joined the event (and many will continue to join). We expect 30+ literary agents at the event, and you can pitch as many as you like. See all participating agents here.

Are we still accepting new attendees for the online events? Yes. Thank you for any word-spreading you do. People who want to register can contact Brian Klems, co-coordinator, at WDWconference@gmail.com. Just say you want to register for the California event. Payment is by check or credit card or PayPal.

Timing of the day: The event is from 9:30-5:00 Pacific time. (All classes are recorded in case you miss them live.) The classes will be online live during that time for you to watch. Concerning your one-on-one meetings with agents & editors, you will have personal Zoom or Skype or phone conversations for your agent pitches and add-on critique meetings. Most of those may happen on June 13, 2026 (Saturday), or some in the days before/after the event.

How classes work: We send you an e-mail, and on June 12-13, 2026, you open the email, click on a link, and log in to our “Classroom.” At that point, you are IN the conference with all other attendees—watching speakers teach classes on your screen. Then faculty members will be able to teach over the computer and speak directly to you. There is a Chat Box where you can type your questions at any time. For the workshop, our policy is that no question goes unanswered. That means if you type in a question and the presenter runs out of time to address all questions, those questions get answered following the event and emailed out to everyone. Here is the current lineup of classes (note that times may change, but the classes are confirmed):

Schedule: 2026 Workshop

The “Writers Got Talent” midday panel allows attendees to submit their unpublished first pages and get feedback from attending agents.

Classes are recorded (and this is amazing news)! With an in-person conference, attendees would miss snippets of classes because they leave the classroom to pitch, or make a phone call, or anything else. But the 10 classes happening June 12-13 are all recorded, which means we will send the days’ recording following the event. You can watch classes as many times as you want during the next six months. This is an exciting new element that we couldn’t include before. Also, we will be sending out all handouts for all classes to attendees in advance.

Lastly, having this new technology allows us WDW faculty members to pre-record sessions, too—meaning we will actually send attendees many extra FREE classes as part of their attendance. In addition to getting the weekend’s 10 classes sent to you to watch over and over again, we will also send you 10 more FREE classes on the side:

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

Practice sessions before the conference: The week before the event, we will hold 1-2 live practice/informational online sessions that all attendees are welcome to attend. We’ll walk you through the online platform we use (so you’ll be comfortable the day of the actual event), explain how everything will work, and answer your questions to make sure you know everything you need to know.

How agent & editor pitches work: Agents and editors are blocking off their whole day on June 13, 2026 (Saturday) to take pitches via Zoom or Skype (or a comparable video software) from attendees. So you get your individual 10-minute one-on-one pitches with agents and editors. If you’re not familiar with Zoom or Skype, you can always do the pitches by phone—you can choose.

Query critiques: Those will be done before the event and emailed out to you. Nothing is changed. This is an add-on feature for people who opt for a query critique.

Manuscript critiques: This is also an add-on element. If you paid for a manuscript critique, your critique faculty member should be in touch with you directly with their notes, and to schedule a 10-minute phone call (or Zoom/Skype/phone call). Thanks.

First Pages Panel: The panel is still happening. We will collect your first pages in advance over email and pick them at random for the agents to critique during this midday centerpiece panel. Having this panel taped (so you can re-watch it) is an exciting opportunity!

Thanks for reading all this! Be in touch if you have any questions. We will “see” everyone on June 12-13, 2026. More emails to come. Again, please check out attendee feedback for our new virtual events here.

Thanks,
Brian Klems
WDWconference@gmail.com – email him to register
http://californiawritingworkshop.com

During each 60-minute session, attendees have the ability to submit their questions through a Chat Box. Teachers stop and answer questions throughout.