(Please note that this is an in-person event. We at Writing Day Workshops plan both online/virtual as well as in-person events. This next PWW is an in-person event happening in Pittsburgh on Saturday, November 14, 2026. See you there.)
THIS YEAR’S SESSIONS & WORKSHOPS (NOVEMBER 14, 2026):
Agent pitches and critique consultations overlap with the sessions below. The schedule of presentation topics below is subject to change and updates.
8:30 – 9:30: Check-in and registration at the event location.
9:30 – 10:30: Getting Published in Today’s World: 10 Tips to Make You the Writer Agents and Publishers Want, taught by Brian A. Klems. If you want to land an agent and a book deal in today’s market, you’re going to have to do a lot more than just write a great book (though that’s a good start). In this session, former Writer’s Digest editor Brian A. Klems discusses the challenges writers face in publishing today and offers up 10 practical tips to help you break through the barriers and find success.
10:45 – 11:50: Improving Your Characters: How to Make Them 3-Dimensional, taught by Annette Dashofy. No matter what the genre, all of our stories are populated with characters. Have you been told that yours feel flat and uninteresting? Or they all sound alike? Or perhaps your main characters are vibrant, but your secondary characters feel like an afterthought. In this workshop, you’ll learn how to create a full cast of unique characters that will threaten to jump off the page. Be sure to bring your laptop or a notepad and pen. We’ll be working on getting to know our characters with several writing exercises during the course of the workshop.
11:50 – 1:15: Lunch is on your own during these 85 minutes.
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 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.
2:45 – 3:45: Social Media: How Soon Is Too Soon To Start Creating a Social Media Platform?, taught by Annette Dashofy. Spoiler: the answer is NEVER. How do you market when you don’t (think you) have anything to sell? Building an online presence well before you have a book coming out is more important to future success than you can imagine. Learn how and what to do to accomplish this goal. We’ll also discuss which social media platforms are “best” and how to create your own newsletter.
4:00 – 5:00: Everything You Need to Know After You Land an Agent, taught by Jon Michael Darga. Congratulations! You’ve signed with an agent — or, maybe you’re just planning ahead to the day you get to make that Instagram post showing off a contract with the ink still wet. Time to celebrate, but the work’s not done yet. In fact, it’s just beginning. Join senior literary agent Jon Michael Darga to discuss everything that comes after you sign on the dotted line, from edits to what the submission process looks like, from how to prepare for publisher meetings to learning whether or not you’ll actually lose your book deal if you negotiate that contract too hard. Come with all of your burning questions!
At 5 p.m., the day is done. Speakers may make themselves available for a short while to sign any books for attendees.
Agent & Editor Pitching: All throughout the day.
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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 sessions to enjoy live and in person, we will also send you 10 more free recorded classes on the side, from amazing past instructors. In the week leading up to your in-person conference, we will send all confirmed attendees the first two classes below, which will aid in your pitching efforts. By a week after the event’s end, we send the other eight free classes.
- Tips on Pitching Literary Agents & Editors at an In-Person Event, taught by former literary agent Carlie Webber
- Tips on Pitching Literary Agents & Editors at an Online Event, taught by former literary agent Carlie Webber
- How to Create a Long-term Writing & Publishing Plan
- The Art of a Page Turner: How to Craft an Un-Put-Downable Book
- Understanding the Differences Between Middle Grade, Young Adult and Adult Fiction
- Creating a Remarkable Narrative Arc in Fiction or Memoir
- Think Like a Screenwriter: Lessons From Hollywood for Fiction Writers
- Dial Up Your Dialogue: How to Craft Dialogue Readers Love
- How Writers Can Build a Network of Support
- Publishing Buzzwords 101