Some are free. Some require a fee. Some are more social than others. Many are for new writers, but a few dig deep into craft. You should choose an event that speaks to your needs and desires.
Unfortunately with the pandemic, many in-person events have been cancelled. Some have been replaced with virtual events, podcasts, or online classes and lectures.
Virtual events allow for a wider audience and lower costs since attendance does not require travel and lodging.
April 8 - 11, 2021 Book Lovers Convention, Nashville, Tennessee visit their site for updates and the status. https://www.bookloverscon.com/
April 9 - 10, 2021 24TH Annual Blue Ridge Writers Conference in Blue Ridge Georgia. https://www.blueridgewritersconference.com/
April 10, 2021 Liberty States Fiction Writers Conference at the Holiday Inn in Clark, NJ http://www.libertystatesfictionwriters.com/conference/
April 12 - 18, 2021 Breakout Novel Intensive in Hood River Oregon. https://www.free-expressions.com/breakout-novel-intensive-hood-river-or
April 13 - 29, 2021The American Society of Journalists and Authors Conference (ASJA), New York Marriott Downtown, New York City, New York, Conference will be hosted virtually April 13-29 and will span three tracks: Journalism (April 13-15), Books (April 20-23), Content Marketing (April 27-29). https://na.eventscloud.com/website/20696/
April 16 - 19, 2021 Colrain Poetry Classic will be held via Zoom this year. http://www.colrainpoetry.com/wp/?page_id=2871
April 17, 2021 A Rally For Writers Conference in Lansing, Michigan. The 2020 conference was cancelled. Check site for updates relating to the 2021 event. https://arallyofwriters.wordpress.com/
April 21 - 25, 2021 The Muse and the Marketplace, GrubStreet’s National Conference for Writers in Boston, Massachusetts will be virtual this year. http://museandthemarketplace.com/
April 21 – 25, 2021 Chanticleer Authors Conference, Bellingham, Washington. Hotel Bellwether will be virtual this year. https://www.chantireviews.com/chanticleer-conference/
April 22 - 25, 2021 The St. Augustine Author-Mentor Novel Workshop in St. Augustine, Florida https://algonkianconferences.com/conferences.html
April 23 - 25, 2021 Pikes Peak Writers Conference has decided to host a virtual conference in 2021 with the plan to come back as a hybrid conference in 2022. More to come about registration which will open January 15, 2021. Check site for updates in the upcoming days/weeks. https://www.pikespeakwriters.com/ppwc
April 24 - May 1, 2021 Ravencon Science Fiction and Fantasy Convention will take place in Richmond, Virginia. http://www.ravencon.com/
April 24 - May 2, 2021 Northern Colorado Writers Conference will be a virtual conference this year. Registration Begins December 2020. http://www.northerncoloradowriters.com/
April 30 - May 2, 2021 Malice Domestic Convention, Bethesda, MD. Malice Domestic is extending the Agatha Registration Deadline until January 31, 2021. While we continue to evaluate options and plan for the best possible Malice 32/33, we feel this deadline extension is necessary. Everyone who is registered or becomes a Friend of Malice by January 31, 2021, will receive an Agatha Nomination Ballot in early February. http://malicedomestic.org/
May 7 - 9, 2021 Atlanta Writers Conference, Our 24th conference offers virtual agent/editor meetings and an online workshop doubleheader featuring NYT bestseller Lisa Gardner. https://atlantawritersconference.com/
May 10 - 17, 2021 Longleaf Writers' Conference, Seaside, Florida. Tentative plans are for an in person event but is subject to change. www.longleafwritersconference.com
May 13 - 15, 2021 Storymakers 2021 Conference registration will open February 9th, 2021 at 6 AM MST. It is tentative set for an in-person event but may change to virtual. Check their site for updates. https://ldstorymakersconference.com/
May 15 - 18, 2021 Kachemak Bay Writers’ Conference in Alaska, will be a virtual event. Early-bird Registration is November 23, 2020 – February 28, 2021. Public Registration is March 1 - May 7, 2021. http://writersconf.kpc.alaska.edu/
May 20 - 23, 2021 Stokercon Horror Conference, the Royal and Grand Hotels, Scarborough, United Kingdom. Pandemic travel restrictions apply. http://stokercon2021.org/
May 24 - 28, 2021 Boldface Conference for Emerging Writers, University of Houston, Texas will be virtual this year. http://boldfaceconference.com/
May 26 - 29, 2021 North Words Writers Symposium, Skagway, Alaska. http://nwwriterss.com/
May 30 -June 2, 2021 Blue Ridge Christian Writer’s Conference, Asheville, NC
https://www.blueridgeconference.com/
June 3 - 4, 2021 Clarksville Writers Conference in Clarksville, Tennessee. Visit site for updates. http://www.artsandheritage.us/writers/descript.html
June 3 - 6, 2021 Indiana University Writers' Conference, Bloomington, Indiana will be virtual this year. https://iuwc.indiana.edu/
June 7 - 13, 2021 VCFA Novel Retreat, Vermont College of Fine Arts, Montpelier, Vermont. In a state of cautious optimism, we are planning for an on-campus retreat. However, if pandemic conditions warrant, we will again hold the retreat remotely via Zoom. https://vcfa.edu/novel-retreat/
June 11, 2021 Annual West of the Moon Writer’s Retreat, New Harmony, Indiana has plans to be in person. Visit site for updates and plans for 2021. http://westofthemoonretreat.com/the-retreat/
June 12 - 13, 2021 DFW Writers Conference (DFWCon), Dallas- Fort Worth Texas. Check site for status of the workshop in 2021. https://dfwcon.org/
June 12-13, 2021 California Crime Writers Conference Culver City, California, https://ccwconference.org/
June 13 - 17, 2021 Tinker Mountain Writers, Hollins University, Virginia will be virtual this year. https://www.hollins.edu/academics/workshops-online-writing-courses/tinker-mountain-writers-workshop-residential/
June 17 - 27, 2021 Fine Arts Residency Conference Pacific University campus, Forest Grove, Oregon. https://www.pacificu.edu/masters-fine-arts-writing/residency-writers-conference
June 17 - 19, 2021 Kentucky Christian Writers Conference, Elizabethtown, Kentucky. Updates to the website with plans for 2021 will be posted as soon as details are finalized. http://www.kychristianwriters.com/
June 20 - 26, 2021 Kenyon Review Fiction Workshop, Kenyon College, Gambier, Ohio is excited to offer a new suite of online programs for summer 2021. https://kenyonreview.org/writers/fiction/
June 20 - 26, 2021 Chesapeake Writers’ Conference at the St. Mary's College of Maryland hopes to offer an in person event this year. Check site for updates. https://www.smcm.edu/events/chesapeake-writers-conference/
June 21 - 26, 2021 Minnesota Northwoods Writers Conference, Bemidji State University, Minnesota. Conference will be online. http://www.northwoodswriters.org
June 22 - 26, 2022 Wesleyan Writers Conference, Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT. The 2021 conference has been cancelled. Check site for plans for 2022. http://www.wesleyan.edu/writing/conference/
June 23rd – 27th, 2021 The 30TH Jackson Hole Writer’s Conference registration begins January 2nd. A 100% virtual event with post-conference access to material. http://jacksonholewritersconference.com
June 25 - 26, 2021 Chuckanut Writers Conference in Bellingham, WA, will announce the full details in the fall. Check site for updates. https://www.whatcom.edu/academics/community-continuing-education/chuckanut-writers-conference
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Diana Hurwitz is the author of Story Building Blocks: The Four Layers of Conflict, Story Building Blocks II: Crafting Believable Conflict, Story Building Blocks III: The Revision Layers, and the YA adventure series Mythikas Island. Her weekly blog, Game On: Crafting Believable Conflict explores how characters behave and misbehave. Visit DianaHurwitz.com for more information and free writing tools. You can follow her on Facebook and Twitter. |
Normally, I don't attend conferences, but some do appeal to me. Not being much of a traveler — especially during pandemics — I am interested in some of the virtual events. Thanks for posting these, Diana.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for this list, Diana. I think flying about is still off the plate for me, so it's great to be able to attend conferences virtually. I hope some of the annual ones might consider going "hybrid" (virtual combined with face-to-face) once the pandemic is "over" (over in quotes, because who knows when, or in what form...).
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