Please note: One-on-Ones with agents/publishers will be scheduled in 10-minute blocks throughout each day. You will be notified in advance as to your slot. Please arrive 2-3 minutes early for your pitch. It is normal at a conference like this to leave a session early or enter late because of a one-on-one session.

 

Complete Schedule Coming Soon!

This schedule is subject to change and may be updated regularly.

Please see our Sessions page for descriptions of breakouts.

 

Saturday, August 29, 2026

8-9 a.m.: Gather/Registration

9-9:15 a.m.: Welcome and Opening Remarks, with Jessica Kelley & Michael Khandelwal

9:20-10:20 a.m.:
#1: First Page Remix: An Exercise in Flexible Openings
#2: The Pitch: How to Sell your book In 60 Seconds
#3: I'm the Bad Guy: How to Write Compelling Villains
#4: Lessons from the Slush Pile

10:30-11:30 a.m.:
#1:The Publishing Industry: Ask Me Anything
#2: How to Write Sex (In a Literary Way)
#3: Practice Your Pitch LIVE!
#4: Poetry of Place: Mapping the Paths to Where We Are

11:30a.m.-1 p.m.: Lunch and Networking Break

1-2 p.m.:
#1: The Query Letter Blueprint
#2: Game Writing
#3: Newsletter Content That Readers Actually Want to Open
#4: The Creative Nonfiction Pendulum: Striking a Universal Chord

2:10-3:40 p.m.:
#1: The Biggest Thing Writers Miss While Revising
#2: to Write a Novel in 30 Steps
#3: Almost Incognito: Writing Through the Mask in Persona Poems
#4: The Mindful Journal: An Expressive Arts Experience for Healing, Reflection, and Renewal

3:50-4:50 p.m.:
#1: The Media Rights Landscape: Making Your Short Stories and Books Adaptable for Screen
#2: Author Branding for Authors Who Hate Branding
#3: Shut Up & Write
#4: Thrill me: Tension & Voice

5:15-6:45 p.m.: Conference Social & Auction

7-9 p.m.: Conference Open Mic

 

Sunday, August 30, 2026

8-9 a.m.: Gather/Registration

9-9:30 a.m.: Recap and Announcement of Contest Winners

9:30-10:20 a.m.: Keynote Speech with Lauren Blackwood

10:30-11:30 a.m.:
#1: Creating Characters Readers Care About
#2: Building Worlds on Small Plot
#3: Critique Partner Match-up & Club Highlights
#4: Tap Dancing on Thin Ice: Creating & Sustaining Dramatic Tension in Poetry

11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.: Lunch and Networking Break

1-2 p.m.:
#1: The Differences Between Traditional, Hybrid & Self Publishing
#2: Fantasy & Folklore
#3: The Importance of the First 10 Pages of Your Screenplay
#4: Autism and Creative Writing: An Inside Perspective

2:10-3:40 p.m.:
#1: Publishing from the Author Perspective
#2: What Goes Into A Nonfiction Proposal
#3: Criminal Investigations for Authors: A Practical Guide to Law Enforcement Operations
#4: Poetry Prompt Roulette

3:50-4:50 p.m.:
#1: Self-Publishing 101: What Every Author Needs to Know Before Uploading a Book
#2: Creating Characters with Attitude for Film & TV
#3: Crafting the "Me" in Memoir
#4: Write Now

5-5:15 p.m.: Closing Remarks