The mic is hot and the song list even hotter! Join us in Windsor C for the writing community’s most electric annual karaoke event. Whether you’re a seasoned artist or can’t hold a tune, your voice is welcome here. This will be a night to remember!
Category: WilWrite26 Saturday
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7 – 9PM Saturday Zoom: Online Open Mic
It’s time: we’re passing the mic over to YOU! You’ve got five minutes max to share your excerpt with a supportive crowd of writers. It’s first come, first served, so fire up that Zoom link and get your name on the list. We can’t wait to hear your work!
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7 – 9PM Saturday Belmont A/B: Open Mic
It’s time: we’re passing the mic over to YOU! You’ve got five minutes max to share your excerpt with a supportive crowd of writers. It’s first come, first served, so dash on over to Belmont A/B to get your name on the list. We can’t wait to hear your work!
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5:30 – 7PM Saturday Belmont A/B: SAG-AFTRA FilmLab Live Reading!
FilmLab proudly premieres a LIVE reading featuring the 2026 Writer’s Room participants and professional SAG-AFTRA performers. You won’t want to miss this exciting debut!
The FilmLab Writer’s Room is an in-person educational opportunity for aspiring screenwriters. Eight writers were selected by a panel of judges to participate in a two-day in-person writer’s room in Portland, Oregon:
- Kim Bailey
- Barbara Blomquist
- Steven Dexheimer
- Adam Lohman
- Kate Morris
- Kari Mote
- Chad Neufeld
- Mariia Rudenko
They worked with Grant Rosenberg, an experienced showrunner, producer, and screenwriter, to collaborate on the script that will be performed by SAG-AFTRA actors. This script will move into production in 2027.
Come listen in on the script and hear about the process behind our next FilmLab production!
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5 – 5:30PM Saturday Belmont Foyer: Drinks and Appetizers Before the Show
Kick off the evening with drinks, appetizers, and popcorn at our pre-show social hour. Mingle with fellow attendees and get excited for tonight’s Writer’s Room dramatic premiere. You’ll hear the work of our talented FilmLab writers brought to life by professional SAG-AFTRA readers in an unforgettable night. This event is free and open to the public, so bring your friends and find your seat.
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4 – 5PM Saturday Zoom 2: Social Media(tion for those who just don’t know where to start with social media marketing)
If you want to maximize your readership reach, social media is a necessary evil. In this workshop, we’ll explore each of today’s leading platforms, their respective audiences, as well as their technical strengths and weaknesses. Over the course of 60 minutes, we will cover the core components of building and amplifying a brand in 2026, as well as tips and tricks to jumpstart your social media strategy. This is a beginner-level marketing workshop built for authors at any stage of their publishing journey, and there will be Q&A time throughout.
Faculty
- Fitz Cyr
Fitz Cyr is a queer romantasy author putting fictional darlings in occasionally funny, always heartfelt, and intermittently perilous situations for your enjoyment. They tell stories of adventure, hope, and the kind of love that makes you want to throw yourself into the sun for a cooldown. With over a decade of marketing experience, Fitz has… Read more: Fitz Cyr
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4 – 5PM Saturday Zoom 1: How a Literary Agent Supports Your Writing Career
Join a panel of literary agents as they discuss the many ways agents support authors throughout their publishing journey. From preparing a manuscript for submission and identifying market opportunities to negotiating contracts and building a long term career, the panel will offer an inside look at the author and agent relationship.
Faculty
- Daniele Hunter
Daniele Hunter (she/her) is a queer, chronically ill, disabled junior agent in the children’s department at McIntosh & Otis. She started at McIntosh & Otis in 2016 as an intern and has been there ever since. She has a BA in English with concentrations in Literary Criticism, Poetry, and Creative Writing from Drew University. Before agenting,… Read more: Daniele Hunter - Natalie Kimber
Natalie/Nat Kimber (she/her) has been an agent with The Rights Factory since 2014, and is based in Weehawken, NJ. She represents adult fiction, nonfiction, and books for young adults. She is the lead organizer of the NYC Writers Circle. She takes pride in guiding authors through the strategy and practical process of publishing, and yet she acknowledges that a wondrous… Read more: Natalie Kimber
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4 – 5PM Saturday Windsor C: Break This Line
Can a paragraph become poetry? Join poet Brian Garrison in a conversation on ways to use line breaks as we tinker with words. You’ll experiment with transforming ordinary sentences into lyrical, expressive lines that capture rhythm, emotion, and meaning.
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4 – 5PM Saturday Windsor B: Crafting a Series
How do you keep readers hooked across a trilogy or a full series of books? In this workshop with Jared Agard, you’ll explore exercises, strategies, and examples to craft story arcs that span multiple books. You’ll walk away with practical tools to build compelling, lasting series that keep your audience coming back for more.
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4 – 5PM Saturday Windsor A: Legal Contracts for Writers
Ever wonder what you’re really signing when you agree to a contract? Join lawyer Valerie Saski as she breaks down common worries in legal contracts, including different contract types and what you’re actually signing away on the dotted line. You’ll also learn which terms can come back to bite you if things go wrong. Bring a notebook and your questions for this interactive workshop.