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You’ve arrived, and we’re so excited to see you! Pick up your badge and folder and let’s get the fun rolling. Don’t miss out on a cup of coffee and a light breakfast! This will… Read more: 8 – 9AM Friday Belmont Foyer: Badge Pickup

Registered for a pitch or critique with an in-person professional in conference registration this year? Join us at your scheduled time to meet with your industry professional. Scheduling info is sent our via email to… Read more: 9AM – 2PM Friday Belmont C: In-Person Pitching

Let the 56th Annual Willamette Writers Conference begin! Opening poet Christopher Diaz will take the mic to draw us into a weekend of writing, creating, and learning together. Bring your notebook and find your seat.… Read more: 9 – 10AM Friday Belmont A/B: Opening Poem and Welcome

Need a moment to yourself? Sit down before the conference carries you away with an hour of quiet writing.

Anytime you need to step back from the virtual conference and get some words written – we’ve got you covered! Our quiet writing zoom room is open for you during workshop hours.

There’s so much we’re excited for you to see and do this weekend, but don’t forget to pace yourself. Take a break with a few new friends before you dive deeper into the publishing and… Read more: 10 – 10:30AM Friday All: Break

Sit down with published authors as we share honest insights about building a sustainable, fulfilling writing life. We’ll talk about career paths, publishing realities, and ways to protect your creativity and joy. Whether you seek… Read more: 10:30 – 11:30AM Friday Belmont A/B: Writing and Publishing Life

Award-winning writer Eric Witchey leads this 5-hour Master Class on analysis and revision. Writing a saleable story is predominantly a revision process. The most important skills are all related to deciding what to revise and,… Read more: 10:30AM – 4:30PM Friday Windsor B: Master Class: Fluency in Multi-Layered Story Analysis for Revision

Invite-Only: Our Timberline Authors are invited to join us for a worksop to prep their pieces for tonight’s reading. This performance workshop will be facilitated by author and poet Emmett Wheatfall. Faculty

The desire to be published is more prevalent than ever. A record-breaking number of CEOs, entrepreneurs, business professionals, and aspiring writers from all walks of life dream about becoming published authors but are stumped about… Read more: 10:30 – 11:30AM Friday Zoom: Traditional Publishing vs. Independent Publishing

It’s time for lunch! Pre-purchased box lunches are availble in the foyer. Pick up your lunch and join a new colleague or old friend for lunch.

Does your opening hook your readers? Bring 5 copies of your first page and find out. Published authors and industry professionals will sit down with you to critique your work and help you learn what… Read more: 12:30 – 2:30PM Friday Belmont A/B: First Page Critique Sponsored by Scrivener

Join Write Around Portland for Word Play — a creative writing frenzy rooted in respect and community. Through timed freewrites inspired by open-ended prompts and activities that will invigorate your creative writing practice, Word Play… Read more: 12:30 – 2:30PM Friday Windsor A: Generative Writing with Write Around Portland

Struggling to find a beta reader for your work? You’re not alone! Come by Windsor C to connect with your fellow writers. We’ll discuss best practices and work on connecting you to other writers interested… Read more: 12:30 – 2:30PM Friday Windsor C: Beta Reader Connections

Does your opening hook your readers? Bring your first page and find out. Published authors and industry professionals will sit down with you to critique your work and help you learn what makes a first… Read more: 12:30 – 2:30PM Friday Zoom: First Page Critique Sponsored by Scrivener

Break time! Get a good stretch and say hello to some fellow writers by the book table. So many new novels, poems, and stories to read and enjoy.

If you’ve been looking to connect with professionals and fellow colleagues in your writing and publishing life, join us for genre connections. You’ll sit down with writers, authors and poets to talk about the work,… Read more: 3 – 4PM Friday Belmont A/B: Genre Connections

The cross-disciplinary mode of “ekphrastic writing” has historically been defined as descriptive writing influenced by the visual arts. Ekphrastic writing is writing in response to what you see — from portraits to pottery. In this… Read more: 3 – 4:30PM Friday Windsor A: Ekphrastic Poetry

Is this your first time joining us or your first writing conference? We’re here to answer any questions you may have and help you make the most out of your first conference. Join us to… Read more: 3 – 4:30PM Friday Windsor C: Your First Conference

Is this your first time joining us or your first online writing conference? We’re here to answer any questions you may have and help you make the most out of your first conference. Join us… Read more: 3 – 4:30PM Friday Zoom: Your First Conference

What does your author brand look like? Designer Maite Dalila will help you find out. In this interactive workshop, you’ll take a deep dive into branding and walk away with the exact colors, fonts, and… Read more: 3 – 4:30PM Friday Zoom: Your Brand

School taught us that the best time to make a new friend is in the hallway between classes. There’s no rush to get to the workshop, so why not start a conversation with someone you’ve… Read more: 4:30 – 5PM Friday Belmont A/B & Zoom: Break

Invite-Only: Our past and current FilmLab authors are invited to join us for a meet and greet before Saturday’s SAG-AFTRA reading. Connect with your fellow writers over coffee and conversation. This workshop will be facilitated… Read more: 4:30 – 5:30PM Friday Windsor C: Invite-Only: FilmLab Writers Meet & Greet

Our silent auction is now open, featuring books, themed baskets, prints, and writerly gifts! Browse the collection, place your bids, and take home something special while connecting with fellow conference attendees. All proceeds support our… Read more: 5PM Friday Belmont Foyer: Silent Auction Opens

Our silent auction is closing! It’s your last chance to place your bids on books, baskets, prints, and gifts. Take a final look and see if there’s anything you’d like to claim before bidding ends.… Read more: 6:30PM Friday Belmont Foyer: Silent Auction Closes

It’s time for the 2026 Writer’s Fair! Our annual fair is free and open to the public, so invite your friends to join you in the Belmont Ballroom. Snacks, drinks, and conversations await you. You… Read more: 5 – 7PM Friday Belmont Ballroom: Writer’s Fair

It’s time for the 2026 Writer’s Fair! Our annual fair is free and open to the public, and this year, it is also online! Join us to learn about amazing programs and resources available to… Read more: 6 – 7PM Friday Zoom: Writer’s Fair Roundtables

It’s time for the Launch of the 15th Annual Timberline Review Literary Journal. Join us online or in-person at the Conference to hear from poets, essayists, authors, memoirists, and that’s just scratching the surface! This… Read more: 7 – 9PM Friday Windsor C & Zoom: Timberline Review

How would Frankenstein have gone if there were a dozen Dr. Frankensteins working on the monster at once? Want to find out??? Join us for a dastardly experiment where we’ll put our heads together to… Read more: 8 – 10PM Friday Windsor A: Exquisite Corpse

The vibes are just right to relax, enjoy quiet conversation, and write to Lo-Fi soundtrack. Wrap up your evening with smooth music and easy conversation.