(Please note that these are in-person events. We at Writing Day Workshops plan both online/virtual as well as in-person events. This next CWW events are in-person event happening in Charlotte on Friday, March 13, 2026; and Raleigh on Saturday, March 14, 2026. See you there.)
CHARLOTTE CLASSES (FRIDAY, MARCH 13, 2026):
The topics below are subject to change. There will be 1-3 classes/workshops going at all times during the day, so sometimes you may have your choice of what class you attend.
8:30 – 9:30: Check-in and registration at the event location.
BLOCK ONE: 9:30 – 10:30
1. How to Write a Query Letter That Gets Agent Attention. If you want an agent to represent your work, it all starts with a compelling query letter. How much information about the plot should you give away? Does the bio matter? How do you make your characters and plot stand out? All these questions (and more) will be addressed to help writers find an agent who can take their career to the next level.
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. Plotting Arcs and Compelling Narratives. A great work of fiction requires excellent pacing to move the reader past those first pages and to propel them to the very end. This session will walk you through the key markers of exposition, climax, and denouement moments in novels, and will outline what these arcs look like across genres. If you’ve ever been told your story does not start in the right place, this session is for you.
LUNCH ON YOUR OWN: 11:50 – 1:15
Lunch is on your own during these 85 minutes.
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 fiction 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 CWW attendees. Bring your questions and get them answered in this popular session.
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.
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. Story Lessons from Hollywood. How lessons from screenwriting, acting, directing, producing, and video editing can help prose writers craft more compelling stories and keep readers turning those pages.
SESSIONS END: 5:00
Agent & Editor Pitching: All throughout the day. (Register for the event here.)
RALEIGH CLASSES (SATURDAY, MARCH 14, 2026):
The topics below are subject to change. There will be 1-3 classes/workshops going at all times during the day, so sometimes you may have your choice of what class you attend.
8:30 – 9:30: Check-in and registration at the event location.
BLOCK ONE: 9:30 – 10:30
1. Inspiration as an Author. Inspiration is a fundamental part of any creative process. Pop culture would have us believe that inspiration is out of our control: the lightbulb moment, the rush to put pen to paper in the middle of night, the inimitable a-ha feeling that lends wings to our creativity, but that also shows up unannounced. Almost as if it’s … magic. And, to a certain degree, it is. But inspiration can also be learned, honed, and even stored. Learn practical tips on how writers can boost their inspiration levels—and improve their writing in the process.
2. Anatomy of a Successful Query. This workshop will take you through the do’s and don’ts of crafting a query letter that will get the attention of literary agent. From creating the perfect elevator pitch for your book to knowing what metadata to include to deciding what to put in your bio, you will learn the basic steps to writing a successful query.
BLOCK TWO: 10:45 – 11:50
1. Revision and Self Editing: Get Your Work Ready for an Agent. You have some chapters, maybe even a first draft. You want to get an agent, but is your writing actually ready to be seen by one? This intensive workshop offers tips and tools to take your fiction writing to the next level. The workshop will cover: tips on genre and story structure; the importance of showing not telling, and how to enact it in your writing; beats in fiction; scene writing versus summary, and striking the right balance in your prose; book genres and their norms. At the end of the session, you’ll have valuable insight that will not only help you become a better writer, but also help you get noticed by industry professionals.
2. Knock ’em Dead: Tips on Writing Mystery, Thriller, and Crime. You have an idea for a crime novel that you think will be a winner. Now what? This class is designed to help you get from concept to published book. Beginning with understanding the kind of crime novel that will be the best vehicle for your idea (mystery vs thriller?), this class will talk about how to come up with a working synopsis and an outline, offer tips on staying on task to write your book, and give pointers on how to edit effectively. Finally, you’ll learn how to describe and present your work to get the attention of agents and publishers.
LUNCH ON YOUR OWN: 11:50 – 1:15
Lunch is on your own during these 85 minutes.
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 fiction 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. Nonfiction Intense: Book Proposal Tips. This session is completely devoted to nonfiction that is not memoir. So if you are trying to create an awesome nonfiction book proposal, this presentation is for you. With both a writer and agent to instruct and answers questions, the session will talk about platform, identifying your book’s place in the market, effective pitching, and more.
BLOCK FOUR: 2:45 – 3:45
1. Open Agent Q&A Panel. Several attending literary agents (and editors) will open themselves up to open Q&A from CWW attendees. Bring your questions and get them answered in this popular session.
2. Creating Compelling Conflict in Your Fiction. The essence of writing conflict is what makes an author’s writing work. This craft-related course defines conflict and demonstrates the various elements of its application in writing novels or short stories. We will discuss everything from high-level conflict that comes from mapping out a taut plot, but also interpersonal conflict that develops between characters throughout a story.
BLOCK FIVE: 4:00 – 5:00:
1. Twenty Questions You Need Answered Before You Seek an Agent or Self-Publish Your Book. Before you publish your work or query an agent, there are plenty of things you need to know — such as how to submit to agents properly, how to find the best self-publishing service for your need, what social media channels you should be on already, how to launch your book right, how to draft a compelling query/pitch and synopsis, how to find other writers who can help you, and much more.
2. Tips on How to Write Like the Pros. This workshop is a thorough crash course concerning craft, style and voice. We’ll discuss nuts & bolts tips for sentence construction like how to avoid passive tense, how to use vivid language, how to self-edit your own work, how to make your characters memorable, the art of compelling dialogue, and much more.
SESSIONS END: 5:00
Agent & Editor Pitching: All throughout the day. (Register for the event here.)
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