Conventions, Conferences, Workshops, and Retreats

[Lakey]

There have been a few questions lately about certain writers' conferences and workshops, so let's have a thread where we can talk about them. In this thread you can:

• Share news about upcoming conventions, conferences, workshops, and retreats that are open for writers to register or apply for.
• Share experiences, if you've attended such a gathering and want to tell us what you got out of it.

Let's see where the thread goes. If there's interest, we can start collecting a list of annual events here.

 

[Lakey]

Recently we had @MrPinot’s thread about a Writing Day Workshop conference in Los Angeles this spring.

That organization puts on events all over the US. Here is the list of upcoming ones.

 

[Lakey]

Registration for GrubStreet’s May, 2024 Muse and the Marketplace conference in Boston opens soon. Last year this conference was virtual, and it didn’t have nearly the energy or immersion that the in-person version does, so I’m glad they’re back to doing it this way.

Muse also offers optional (paid) 1-1s with agents. You don’t have to do a live pitch — you submit your query and pages in advance, and by the time of your meeting, the agent has read them, and just dives in with their comments.

 

[Lakey]

Registration for GrubStreet’s May, 2024 Muse and the Marketplace conference in Boston opens soon. Last year this conference was virtual, and it didn’t have nearly the energy or immersion that the in-person version does, so I’m glad they’re back to doing it this way.

Muse also offers optional (paid) 1-1s with agents. You don’t have to do a live pitch — you submit your query and pages in advance, and by the time of your meeting, the agent has read them, and just dives in with their comments.

Registration for Muse and the Marketplace is open. 2024 Keynote Speakers include Jonathan Escoffery and Emily St John Mandel.

 

[Lakey]

I will be at Muse and the Marketplace this weekend—in case any of you are there and want to say hello.

 

[Bitterboots]

I probably shouldn't bother posting about events here in South Africa but I'd be very keen to know if there's anything happening in Southern California this summer. I'll be in Laguna Beach for 10 weeks from mid June.

 

[Woollybear]

Bitterboots, We just had our LA writing day conference and the huge annual USC book fair is also over for the year. There are a lot of writing groups in SoCal, and you could probably find something there. Maybe someone else knows something...

But I'm posting because there's a pricey spec fic novel workshop in New Mexico in November. Cat Rambo is involved, and Donald Maass.

You need a completed spec fic manuscript, it looks to me, and you would share a room with another person. It's eight days or so. Registration closes in one week. I'd consider it despite the pricetag ($3800) if I had a manuscript at the moment. Which I don't. New Mexico is beautiful.

There's also a short story workshop and registration for that closes at the end of the month.

https://www.kittywumpus.net/blog/the-wayward-wormhole-new-mexico-2024/

 

[Woollybear]

And a free conference, Writehive, which I like to participate in every year. Its focus is inclusivity and breadth with topics on every idea under the sun and lots more. It's a discord conference, and I believe it's free. Registration is now open. I believe the conference is June 6-7-8.

https://www.writehivecon.org/

 

[Craigd]

Does anyone know of any of these that are based in the UK?

 

[waylander]

World SF Con in Glasgow this year 8-12 August
World Fantasy Convention in Brighton next year Oct 30 - Nov 2 https://worldfantasy.org/
EasterCon 2025 in Belfast 18-21 April https://registration.easterconbelfast.org/
BristolCon 26/27 Oct 2024 https://www.bristolcon.org/
Winchester Books Festival 25-27 April 2025 https://winchesterbooksfestival.com/

 

[NicoleAisling]

I've always loved my experience with the Pikes Peak Writers Conference in Colorado Springs https://conference.pikespeakwriters.org/

 

[pratfalleffect]

I brought this up in another thread but maybe this is a more appropriate thread. Has anyone ever attended the Killer Nashville conference? It looks like it's in august this year and I was thinking about it so was curious if anyone had experience attending!