The schedule below is on Eastern time.

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THIS YEAR’S SESSIONS & WORKSHOPS:

Friday, October 9, 2026

9:30 – 10:30: The Quintessential Query: Writing a Query Letter that Stands Out from the Rest, taught by Cathie Hedrick Armstrong. The query letter can be the most challenging aspect of securing a literary agent. After all, you’re asked to condense 85,000 words down to fewer than 300. This workshop will help authors learn how to silence the background noise of extraneous information to focus only on the important information that will grab an agent’s attention.

2:45 – 3:45: How to Deal With Rejection in the Writing Trenches, taught by Rae Loverde. You’re staring down the end of your agent list. Your spreadsheet is covered in “rejected” or “no response.” So after you’ve finished drowning your sorrows in the indulgence of your choice . . . where do you go from here? Every writer faces rejection. The real secret to industry success isn’t discovering a secret code word but learning how to channel failure into positive progress.

4:00 – 5:00: Pick Your Path: Choose the Right Publishing Path for You, taught by Cathie Hedrick-Armstrong. This presentation is intended to give authors a good overview of the different paths to publishing (self-publishing, small press, finding an agent for large publisher) along with the necessary steps they’ll need to take for each path.

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Saturday, October 10, 2026

9:30 – 10:30: Story Beats and Why They Matter, taught by Zach Steele. From the inciting incident to the finale, story beats are the foundation that makes your story work. Author and Editor Zachary Steele walks you through each element, why they are important, and offers examples of popular works to show them in action.

10:45 – 11:45: Finding Your Voice Through POV, taught by Rae Loverde. “First person present,” “third person past,” “limited omniscient” –– you’ve heard these terms thrown around and maybe even dabbled in a few. Or perhaps you’ve only ever written in one POV and are hesitant to try something new. Despite what you may have heard, there is no superior One POV to Rule Them All. The correct POV will always be the one that best conveys your characters’ voices. Through practice, trial and error, and sometimes happy accidents, you can always find the perfect POV to make your manuscript pop. In this class, we’ll cover the strengths and weaknesses of writing in the various POVs and how to choose which one will help you convey the story you want to tell.

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

4:00 – 5:00: From Story to Screen: Adapting Your Book into a Screenplay, taught by Audrey Wilson. This session will show authors how to adapt their book into a screenplay by structuring their story for film, developing their characters, and crafting a scene using dialogue and visuals to forward their plot. From formatting your screenplay using industry-standard screenwriting software, to pitching your work and seeking representation, you’ll leave feeling prepared to take the first steps into the world of screenwriting.

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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