WLT Saturday Craft Seminar: “A Long Game” with Elizabeth McCracken
August 8 2026 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM CDT
$35.00 – $45.00
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This Event is for Members only.
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A few times a year, the WLT hosts Saturday Craft Seminars featuring a presentation and conversation with an author who has recently released a book on the craft of writing. Everyone who buys a ticket will receive a copy of the book, access to the live event on Zoom (see below for full details), and access to the event recording to watch (and rewatch) for one month.
NOTE: If you are registered for the 2026 Summer Writing Reboot as part of The Write Away or the Full REBOOT, you are already registered for this event and do not need to purchase a ticket. If you are registered for only the reBOOT Camp, registration for this event is not included. Have questions about whether this applies to you? Reach out to us at wlt@writersleague.org.
Join us for a virtual presentation and conversation featuring award-winning author and writing instructor, Elizabeth McCracken, author of the newly released craft book A Long Game: Notes on Writing Fiction.
Elizabeth will present on descriptive language—metaphor, simile, and some straightforward description—and how it can build character. We will look at some published work, and then write our own sentences, envisioning our characters to bring them close to us, and our readers.
The presentation will be followed by a conversation between Elizabeth McCracken and WLT Program Director Sarah Renee Beach and an audience Q&A session.
About the Book:
Writing can feel like an endless series of decisions. How does one face the blank page? Move a character around a room? Deal with time? Undertake revision? The good and bad news is that in fiction writing, there are no definitive answers to such questions: writers must come up with their own. Elizabeth McCracken, author of bestselling novels, National Book Award long-listed story collections, and a highly praised memoir, has been teaching for more than thirty-five years, guiding her many students to their own answers.
In A Long Game, she shares insights gleaned along the way, offering practical tips and incisive thoughts about her own work as an artist. The book covers:
- Understanding and developing characters
- Plot, and what to do if it eludes you
- Her thoughts on common writing “rules”
- And of course, the Butter Cow Lady of the Iowa State Fair and her work as it relates to revision
Writing “is a long game,” she notes. “What matters is that you learn to get work done in the way that is possible for you, through consistency or panic. Through self-recrimination or self-delusion or self-forgiveness: every life needs all three.”
As much a book about the life of a working artist as it is a guide to thinking about fiction, A Long Game is a revelatory and indispensable resource for any writer.
Additional details regarding receiving the book:
All ticket holders residing within the United States will have the option of receiving a physical copy or ebook. Unfortunately, we’re unable to offer a complimentary book to those outside of the United States unless you can provide a US mailing address.
All information needed to send books to attendees will be collected at check out. Please be sure to answer every question and to fill out your information carefully before confirming your ticket purchase. An email will be sent to all ticket holders when books are available. Depending on available stock and the date a ticket is purchased, some books will be available after the date of the event but every effort will be made to make books available in a timely manner.
Featured Presenter(s)
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Elizabeth McCracken is the author of nine books: Here’s Your Hat What’s Your Hurry, The Giant’s House, Niagara Falls All Over Again, An Exact Replica of a Figment of My Imagination, Thunderstruck & Other Stories, Bowlaway, The Souvenir Museum, The Hero of This Book, and A Long Game: Notes on Writing Fiction. She’s received grants and fellowships from United States Artists, the Guggenheim Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Liguria Study Center, the American Academy in Berlin, the Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown, and the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study. Her stories have won three Pushcart Prizes, two National Magazine Awards, and have appeared in five editions of The Best American Short Stories. She taught at the University of Texas at Austin for more than 16 years. She lives in Bath, England, where she is at work on a novel.
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Anti-Harassment Policy
The Writers’ League of Texas is dedicated to providing harassment-free spaces for everyone, regardless of gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, race, age, or religion. We do not tolerate harassment in any form. Violating these rules may result in expulsion from WLT programs without a refund at the discretion of the WLT staff.
Harassment includes, but is not limited to:
- Comments that reinforce social structures of domination (related to gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, race, age, or religion);
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Participants asked to stop any harassing behavior are expected to comply immediately. If a participant engages in harassing behavior, event organizers retain the right to take any actions to keep the event a welcoming environment for all participants. This includes warning the offender or expulsion from the event with no refund. Event organizers may take action to redress anything designed to, or with the clear impact of, disrupting the event or making the environment hostile for any participants. We expect participants to follow these rules during all events and event-related social activities.
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If someone makes you or anyone else feel unsafe or unwelcome, please report it as soon as possible. Reports can also be made via email at wlt@writersleague.org. We’ll handle any and all reports as respectfully as possible. You won’t be asked to confront anyone, and we won’t tell anyone who you are.
Accessibility Policy
Closed captioning is available for all online classes and special events.
The WLT is committed to making its programs & services accessible to all writers. Please contact us at wlt@writersleague.org or at 512-499-8914 for more information or to discuss accommodations you may need.
Credit Card Transaction Handling Fee Policy
All credit card transactions will incur a 4% handling fee. If you’d prefer to pay by check for membership, a class, or an event, you can use the provided forms on the membership or event pages and mail to: WLT, P.O. Box 14355, Austin, TX, 78704.
Writers’ League of Texas classes and workshops are also funded in part by the Texas Commission on the Arts – Investing in a Creative Texas. For more information, go to www.arts.texas.gov.