Writers Conferences and Workshops

Published February 4, 2020

 Just Keep Writing

By: Margena Holmes

Writing is a craft that needs to be practiced and honed to get better. What’s out there to help the writer sharpen those skills? Writer conferences, workshops, critique groups, and classes are all out there to help the writer be the best they can be. But where do you find them?

Finding a Conference

An easy way to find conferences is to Google “writer conferences” and your city or state. A whole slew of conferences come up. But how do you sort through them all? Reading the description will tell you what kind of conference it is. There are some dedicated just to mystery writers, or science fiction—pretty much any genre! Your local library will also most likely have a list of conferences and workshops in the area. I found Pikes Peak Writers from looking on the library’s website.

Social Media

Another way (and maybe the best way) to find them is word of mouth. We all have writer friends on social media, so ask around, find out what they recommend. I’m sure at least one of your friends has gone to a conference or workshop. Also, you can search Facebook for writer groups, too. Some are affiliated with conferences and workshops, and others are for writers to ask questions or just to vent about their editing process, and will have special days where you can post your work for critiquing by the members to help you out.

A Few Recommendations

One group is Writers Club Live. On the third Saturday of each month, author, ghostwriter, and book coach Christine Whitmarsh hosts a live and virtual workshop focusing on the art and science of writing your book.

My favorite one, of course, is Pikes Peak Writers Conference, held once a year in Colorado Springs. It’s a favorite because it’s near me, but also because of the fantastic classes it offers to all levels of writers, and all stages, from beginning to write your book, to editing, marketing, and more. And, they feed you! The price includes all meals.

Along with their conference, PPW also hosts a lot of monthly events. The Write Brain workshops are usually held on the third Tuesday of the month. The free two-hour workshops bring in experts on writing, with emphasis on craft, as well as experts in other fields to help you make your story real. Make sure you bring something to write and take notes with.

Pikes Peak Writers also hosts a critique group once a month. Sign up to bring in your work you’d like critiqued, or just come in to observe how it works (no sign up necessary).

If you don’t mind travelling, the Southern California Writers Conference is held twice a year, in February (San Diego) and September (Irvine). It’s run very similarly to PPWC and also well worth the price of admission. I’ve attended twice and just one workshop made it worthwhile.

Another conference that is a hot commodity is the 20 Books to 50K Conference, held in Las Vegas. This one sells out in half an hour, that’s how popular it is. It is mostly for self-publishers on how to market and sell their books, but anyone can learn something from the conference. I’ve only heard good things from those who have attended, so I’m going to try to get tickets to this conference this year!

TCK Publishing has an great list of conferences. You can find every genre of writers conferences here, even very specific conferences on subjects like Haiku or Cats.

If you’re a crime or mystery writer, there are a whole slew of conferences and conventions for you throughout the country and abroad. You can find a list of them here.

One final conference to mention will get you out of the rat race and into the mountains of Crested Butte, CO. Murder in the Mountains is a thrilling weekend celebrating all things murder and mystery.

There are many conferences and workshops around in given area if you know where to look (and Google makes it easy) to keep you writing and learning throughout the year. Take a look and see what you can find that is the best fit for YOU. Happy writing!

Margena Adams Holmes was born in Bellflower, CA sometime in the 1960s. She has always had a love for both reading and writing, writing her first song/poem in 1st grade. Margena is a big supporter of indie authors and will read anything that draws her into the story. She is an observer of life, and many everyday things could (and do!) end up in her writings. Her publications are available through her author page. Contact Margena via email: jedi_anegram@hotmail.com.