(Please note that this is an in-person event. We at Writing Day Workshops plan both online/virtual as well as in-person events. This next AWW is an in-person event happening in Birmingham on Friday, March 27, 2026. See you there.)

THIS YEAR’S SESSIONS (FRIDAY, MARCH 27, 2026):

Agent pitches and critique consultations overlap with the sessions below. The schedule of presentation topics below is subject to change and updates:

9:30 – 10:30: Session 1

Understanding the Publishing Industry in 2026 – From Hybrid Publishing to Artificial Intelligence and Everything in Between, taught by Bob McGough. Writers today have lots of choices and options, but that doesn’t mean your publishing journey is an easy path to navigate. How are traditional publishing and self-publishing changing? What kind of writer is attractive to an agent currently? What is hybrid publishing? How will A.I. (artificial intelligence) help or hurt writers in the years to come? Which social media sites and publishing resources are worth the time and effort in 2025? All these questions, and more, will be addressed during the speech.

10:45 – 11:50: Session 2

Tackling the Dreaded Query Letter. You’ve finished your novel or completed your nonfiction proposal. Now it’s time to start pitching your project. So what do you do next? In this workshop, we will discuss the dreaded query letter, and how to write one that will get the attention of an agent or editor. What are the turn-ons and turn-offs? How do they make the judgment calls? With real-life examples of queries that do and don’t work, you will learn how you can refine your own query letter.

11:50 – 1:15: Lunch on Your Own

You have 85 minutes on your own to break and eat.

1:15 – 2:30: Session 3

“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: Session 4

Self-Editing for Fiction Writers. This workshop will cover more than 50 points for consideration before submitting to an agent, editor, or indie publisher, such as how to sharpen dialogue and prose, improving characterization, complicating plot, and much more.

4:00 – 5:00: Session 5

15 Tips on How to Write Like the Pros, taught by Brian Klems. This workshop is a thorough crash course concerning craft, style and voice. We’ll discuss nuts & bolts tips for sentence construction like how to avoid passive tense, how to use vivid language, how to self-edit your own work, how to make your characters memorable, the art of compelling dialogue, and much more.

5:00: The Day is Over

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 5 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. “Tips on Pitching Literary Agents & Editors at an In-Person Event,” taught by literary agent Carlie Webber.
2. “Tips on Pitching Literary Agents & Editors at an Online Event,” taught by literary agent Carlie Webber.
3. “Common First Pages Mistakes and How to Fix Them,” taught previously at the San Diego Writing Workshop
4. “6 Pillars of Well-Developed Characters,” taught previously at the Texas Writing Workshop
5. “How to Fix It: The Art and Craft of Revision,” taught previously at the Writing Workshop of Chicago