(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 WWOC is an in-person event happening in Chicago on June 20, 2026. See you there.)
THIS YEAR’S SESSIONS & WORKSHOPS (JUNE 20, 2026):
Agent pitches and critique consultations overlap with the sessions below. The schedule of presentation topics below is subject to change and updates. The classes here are all on Central Time.
BLOCK ONE: 9:30 – 10:30
1. How to Pitch a Literary Agent, taught by Brent Fisher. This session is a comprehensive workshop on how to pitch a literary agent. After covering the basics of what a literary agent is and what they are looking for, we will discuss the pitch itself in regards to structure, effectiveness, and delivery. Next, we will go over questions agents might ask (aka what information you should have ready for them) as well as questions you might want to ask too. Finally, we will workshop participant pitches in order to fine tune yours and leave you feeling prepared and confident to sit down for those valuable ten minutes of facetime with someone in the industry.
2. 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.
BLOCK TWO: 10:45 – 11:50
1. 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. The Deep Outlining Method: How to Write a Great Book Faster. While there are many different ways to write a book, laying the groundwork through outlining can allow you to avoid writer’s block and focus on the task at hand — completing that book! In this session, writer and editor Victoria Griffin will teach you the Deep Outlining Method and how to use it to write faster and better drafts.
LUNCH ON YOUR OWN: 11:50 – 1:15
You have 85 minutes on your own to break and eat.
BLOCK THREE: 1:15 – 2:30
1. “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. How to Sell a Nonfiction Book Proposal. This session focuses on effective strategies for writing a nonfiction book proposal on any subject. Topics include industry standards, building your expertise, and how to prepare a winning proposal that demonstrates your understanding of the marketplace.
BLOCK FOUR: 2:45 – 3:45
1. 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.
2. Character-First Storytelling. Great books have compelling characters and captivating plots. Learn the differences between character vs. plot driven stories, how to make your manuscript stronger no matter which path you choose, and also how to build character-driven plots during your writing and revision process.
BLOCK FIVE: 4:00 – 5:00
1. 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.
2. 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.
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:
- “Tips on Pitching Literary Agents & Editors at an In-Person Event,” taught by literary agent Carlie Webber
- “Tips on Pitching Literary Agents & Editors at an Online Event,” taught by literary agent Carlie Webber
- “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 Fix It: The Art and Craft of Revision,” taught previously at the Writing Workshop of Chicago