(ONLINE: Writing Day Workshops plans both in-person and virtual/online conferences. The 2026 NEWW is an Online Conference, on July 24-25. 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 classes below are on Eastern time.

THIS YEAR’S SESSIONS & WORKSHOPS:

Friday, July 24, 2026

9:30 – 10:30: How to Write a Query Letter That Gets Agent Attention. If you want an agent to represent your work, it all starts with a compelling query letter. How much information about the plot should you give away? Does the bio matter? How do you make your characters and plot stand out? All these questions (and more) will be addressed to help writers find an agent who can take their career to the next level.

10:45 – 11:45: Beyond the Book Deal: How to Navigate Social Media and Build an Effective Brand. This workshop will discuss the importance of an author’s platform. We’ll discuss why publishers wish to see a growing one (even small) for a novelist, how you can potentially build one if you don’t have one yet, and why being an “expert” is so important. Are they selling you or selling the book? Surprise, it’s both. This class will help you understand the very basics of marketing yourself and your book(s) online, whether you’re traditionally published or self-published.

11:45 – 1:15: Break

1:15 – 2:30: Conquering the Novel. Many writers want to write a novel, but are daunted by how to conquer something so long and unwieldy. This workshop helps writers develop a plan for organizing, writing, re-writing, and finishing their novel.

2:45 – 3:45: Plotting Arcs and Compelling Narratives. A great work of fiction requires excellent pacing to move the reader past those first pages and to propel them to the very end. This session will walk you through the key markers of exposition, climax, and denouement moments in novels, and will outline what these arcs look like across genres. If you’ve ever been told your story does not start in the right place, this session is for you.

4:00 – 5:00: Getting Published in Today’s World: 10 Tips to Make You the Writer Agents and Publishers Want. If you want to land an agent and a book deal in today’s market, you’re going to have to do a lot more than just write a great book (though that’s a good start). This session discusses the challenges writers face in publishing today and offers up 10 practical tips to help you break through the barriers and find success.

Saturday, July 25, 2026

9:30 – 10:30: Lost In Revisions—How to Self-Edit Your Manuscript. You know that before you send your work out to the world it’s going to need some adjustments, but where do you begin? How do you look at a work when you’ve been so close to it for so long. This session will teach the foundations of self-editing, focusing on high level plot and and continuing down into the nitty gritty of grammar. We’ll go over techniques that give authors the ability to distance themselves and discuss what makes one writer’s work sing while another’s falls flat.

10:45 – 11:45: Make Your First Five Pages Amazing. You have five pages to impress an agent–make them count. It takes a few paragraphs for an agent to know if they connect with the writing of a manuscript, and you have five pages to convince them they want to see more. We will take a look at what makes a great opening, what you need to successfully grab a reader’s attention, and leave them wanting more after five pages.

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

4:00 – 5:00: Story Lessons from Hollywood. How lessons from screenwriting, acting, directing, producing, and video editing can help prose writers craft more compelling stories and keep readers turning those pages.

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