Category: WilWrite26 Saturday

  • 10:30 – 11:30AM Saturday Belmont B: Mining Darkness for Light: The Art of Humorous Memoir

    What makes humor strange and magical is that it is often rooted in sadness, anger, or shame. The writers we find funniest reveal deeply vulnerable truths while mining the absurd even from their darkest moments. In this workshop, we’ll cover ways to do this in your own writing, strategies to help you gain perspective, and the benefits of reframing your experiences—both to your writing and your life.

    Faculty

    • Courtenay Hameister
      Courtenay is an author, teacher, and the former host and head writer of the nationally-syndicated public radio show, Live Wire. Her first book, Okay Fine Whatever: The Year I Went From Being Afraid of Everything to Only Being Afraid of Most Things was long-listed for the Thurber Prize for American Humor. Find out more at… Read more: Courtenay Hameister

  • 10:30 – 11:30AM Saturday Belmont A: Build to a Book Deal: Submit strategically

    In this workshop with Alle C. Hall, you’ll learn effective strategies for submitting journalism, essays and creative nonfiction, poetry, KidLit, short stories, and flash. You’ll gain practical tools to strengthen your submissions and target the right markets. Each step is designed to help you build a publishing history that attracts agents and editors to your query or book proposal.

    Faculty

    • Alle C. Hall
      Seattle author Alle C. Hall (pronounced AL-lee) is a veteran essayist and short-story writer (Dale Peck’s Evergreen Review, Tupelo Quarterly, The Seattle Times). Alle’s debut novel—As Far as You Can Go Before You Have to Come Back— earned 16 honors, including two #1 Kindle rankings and a nomination for The Pacific Northwest Booksellers Book Award.… Read more: Alle C. Hall

  • 10 – 10:30AM Saturday Belmont A/B & Zoom One: Break

    Time for some quick self-care! Grab a snack, stretch your legs, check in with friends, then get ready for your next amazing workshop!

  • 9AM – 9PM Saturday Zoom: Quiet Writing

    Writing at a writer conference? You bet! Bring that brilliant idea and get it on the page in a quiet space. The quiet room is open all day.

  • 9 – 10AM Saturday Zoom 2: Writing as Resistance: Crafting Work That Refuses to Be Silenced

    In a time of political suppression, censorship, and rising hostility toward the arts, your writing can become a vital act of resistance. In this workshop, you’ll learn practical craft strategies for embedding resistance into form, voice, and structure without relying on clichés or overt messaging. You’ll examine short excerpts from contemporary writers who confront systems of power, then generate new work through guided prompts designed for online engagement. You’ll leave with fresh material, sharper tools, and a clearer understanding of how your art can speak back.

    Faculty

    • Hillary Leftwich
      Hillary Leftwich is a multi-media writer and the author of Ghosts Are Just Strangers Who Know How to Knock (Agape Editions, 2023), Aura (Future Tense Books, 2022), and Saint Dymphna’s Playbook (Limit Zero/University of Hell Press 2025). She teaches creative writing, business writing, environmental writing and environmental storytelling at several universities, writing organizations, and nonprofits… Read more: Hillary Leftwich

  • 9 – 10AM Saturday Zoom 1: Memoir as Fiction

    In this practical workshop, Laurie Scheer will show you how to thoughtfully transform real-life experiences into compelling fiction. You’ll learn how to identify which moments from your personal story are best suited for adaptation and how to reshape them to serve character, plot, and theme. You’ll leave with clear strategies for crafting a cohesive, engaging narrative based in your own experiences.

    Faculty

    • Laurie Scheer
      Laurie Scheer has worked with writers for decades. As a former vice president of programming for WE: Women’s Entertainment, Laurie analyzed manuscripts and scripts as they entered the competitive media marketplace. Laurie has been an instructor at numerous universities across the U.S. from Yale to UCLA. A seasoned professional speaker, she has appeared at annual… Read more: Laurie Scheer

  • 9 – 10AM Saturday Windsor C: Film Roundtables

    Are you a screenwriter? Here’s a wonderful chance to sit down with an experienced group of producers, directors, and industry professional. You’ll find the support, conversations, and connections you need to take the next steps in your screenwriting career.

    Faculty

    • Dustin Morrow
      Dustin Morrow bridges the worlds of creative practice and scholarly inquiry as an Emmy-winning filmmaker, bestselling author, film festival programmer, optioned screenwriter, podcaster and educator. He is a tenured Professor in the School of Film at Portland State University. More here: https://dustinmorrow.com/biography/. Schedule
    • Randall Jahnson
      Randall Jahnson has been a professional screenwriter since 1985. He’s worked with such amazing filmmaking talent as Stephen Spielberg, Penelope Spheeris, Spike Lee, and the late Jonathan Demme. His credits include the punk rock Western Dudes, The Doors, The Mask of Zorro, Sunset Strip, and episodes of the classic HBO comedy-horror series, Tales from the… Read more: Randall Jahnson

  • 9 – 10AM Saturday Windsor B: LGBTQIA++ Social

    Join us for a fresh cuppa in this LGBTQIA+ friendly space. Bring along your writing wins, losses, and all the stories making up your journey. We’re here for you.

    Note: This is a time for community members to gather and support one another in a safe space.

  • 9 – 10AM Saturday Belmont C: Build Your Legacy: Systems, Discipline, and Creative Structure for Writers Who Want Results

    Building a legacy takes time and devotion, but more than that, it takes a system. Join LeFoster Willams for a practical, no-nonsense workshop that gives writers a proven system to stay disciplined, finish their projects, and build a consistent, results-driven writing life. You’ll walk away with the clear strategies and tools you need to turn inspiration into progress.

    Faculty

    • LeFoster Williams
      LeFoster Williams is a Portland-based author, actor, and transformational speaker whose work blends raw storytelling, personal truth, and practical strategy. He is the author of The Magical Escape (2023) and Bloodlines & Shadows (2025), with his upcoming self‑development book arriving in 2026. As a speaker, LeFoster teaches creatives and entrepreneurs how to own their story,… Read more: LeFoster Williams

  • 9 – 10AM Saturday Belmont B: Publishing Industry Q&A

    Have questions about publishing, querying, or building your writing career? Join literary agent T.S. Ferguson and editor Lara C. Jones for a Q&A focused on you and your goals as a writer. Bring your questions, gain industry insight, and get candid answers to help you navigate your path to publication.

    Faculty

    • Lara C. Jones
      Lara joined Emily Bestler Books in 2015. Prior to joining the imprint, she held an editorial position at Europa Editions, working on a wide range of critically acclaimed and bestselling novels in translation. Raised in Portland, Oregon, Lara is a graduate of the Columbia Publishing Course and Seattle University, where she studied English and Italian.… Read more: Lara C. Jones
    • T.S. Ferguson
      Before joining Azantian Literary Agency, T.S. Ferguson worked for 16 years as an editor for some of the top children’s and teen book publishers in the business, including Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, Harlequin Teen/Inkyard Press, and JIMMY Patterson Books. He has worked with New York Times bestselling and award-winning authors such as Sherman… Read more: T.S. Ferguson