Spring 2026 Classes & Events Catalog
Whether this new year means you’ll be staying the course—finally finishing a draft or taking that next step toward getting your work out into the world—or trying something new—writing in a new style or genre or experimenting with different craft elements, WLT is here to support you.
Now in our 45th year as an organization, we’ll be staying the course by continuing to offer free programming across the state with our Texas Writes program, by offering quality online classes, free write-ins, panel discussions, and member events across genres and categories, and by offering opportunities to gather and meet other writers out in the wild.
We’ll also be trying something new. We loved hearing from you in our 2025 Community Survey, and as a direct result of your suggestions, we have two new offering types in this catalog. Our new “Crash Course” programs will feature shorter, more presentation-style classes designed to give you a quick yet thorough low-down on a craft or business topic while remaining easy on both your schedule and your wallet. Also, both new and a return to form, we’re offering IN-PERSON classes again this year in memoir, poetry, and fiction.
And to cap off this season, we’ll be hosting the 2026 Agents & Editors Conference in Austin, TX, where we will once again bring together literary agents, book editors, and other industry professionals with writers at all stages for a weekend of conversation and community centered around the craft and business of writing. We hope to see you there.
But first, let’s get to writing.
All Spring 2026 online classes will be recorded, and all registered students will have access to their class recordings until July 31, 2026. In-person classes will not be recorded or provided online.
WLT is committed to making our classes and events accessible to all writers, including writers who do not have the financial means to pay for programming. Five (5) seats in each class have been set aside for scholarship recipients to attend free of charge. If you’d like to learn more about applying for available scholarship seats for our Spring 2026 classes, visit the page for the class you’re interested in and scroll down to “Scholarship Information.”
January
Tuesday, January 6
👋 ⭐️ January One Page Salon
In-person (Austin, TX) / 7:30-9:30 PM CST
On Tuesday, January 6, join us for our next edition of the one-of-a-kind One Page Salon! It will be a night of revelry and literary fun.
Thursday, January 15
🤖 ⭐️ January Third Thursday “Writing Toward Hope: Creativity in 2026”
Live on Zoom / 7:00-8:30 PM CST
For our first Third Thursday program of 2026, join us for a conversation about how to foster and prioritize creativity despite all that would have us despair.
Saturday, January 17
🤖 “Write Your Book This Year” with Alex Temblador
Live on Zoom / 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM CST
Achieve your dream of writing a book by taking this in-depth class that will have you prepping, outlining, and writing your book today.
Wednesday, January 21
🤖 “Throw More Stones: Creating Characters Through Conflict” with Samantha M. Clark
Live on Zoom / 6:30-9:30 PM CST
We all learn and grow through conflict, and our characters are no different. Understanding how conflict in our characters’ past have shaped them helps us create real people readers want to follow.
Saturday, January 24
👋 ⭐️ Texas Writes in Wolfforth, TX
In-person (Wolfforth, TX) / 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM CST
*postponed to April 25
Texas Writes is a statewide program that brings accomplished authors to rural libraries for a half day of presentations and panel discussions focused on the craft of writing.
Monday, January 26
👋 ⭐️ Writers’ Happy Hour
In-person (Austin, TX) / 6:00-10:00 PM CST
Show up, socialize, get some writing done.
Wednesday, January 28
🤖 “How to Write About Family Members in Memoir & Personal Essays” with Mallary Tenore Tarpley
Live on Zoom / 6:30-9:30 PM CST
In this class, you’ll learn strategies for deciding which family members to write about; how to interview family members and explore hard truths; how to show loved ones’ full humanity by writing about their flaws and strengths; how to write about strained relationships; how to reckon with conflicting memories from family members; how (and whether) to show your copy to family members prior to publication, and more.
Saturday, January 31
👋 ⭐️ Texas Writes in Goldthwaite, TX
In-person (Goldthwaite, TX) / 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM CST
Texas Writes is a statewide program that brings accomplished authors to rural libraries for a half day of presentations and panel discussions focused on the craft of writing.
February
February 2-28
🤖 ⭐️ Write-ins
Live on Zoom / February 2, 5, 9, 12, 14, 17, 21, 23, 26, 28
Every February, we bring our writing community together for free dedicated writing meet-ups throughout the month. Join us for ten virtual sessions, three hours each, thirty hours total. Sit down, log in, write.
Tuesday, February 3
👋 ⭐️ February One Page Salon
In-person (Austin, TX) / 7:30-9:30 PM CST
On Tuesday, February 3, join us for our next edition of the one-of-a-kind One Page Salon! It will be a night of revelry and literary fun.
Wednesday, February 4
🤖 “Drama in the Details: A Day in the Life in Historical Fiction” with Sherri L. Smith
Live on Zoom / 6:30-9:30 PM CST
It’s the small details of everyday living that really bring historical fiction to life. In this three-hour class, we will talk about historical worldbuilding, pitfalls and assumptions, and how to research the details that will make your story sing.
Saturdays, February 7-21
👋 In-Person Series: “Pathway to the Personal: Writing Essays and Memoir” with Julie Poole
In-person (Austin, TX) / 1:00-4:00 PM CST
Writing about our personal experiences is perhaps some of the most important writing we can do. In this three-week course, you will learn how to trust your story and tell it to the fullest, building self-confidence along the way.
Saturday, February 7
👋⭐️ Texas Writes in Honey Grove, TX
In-person (Honey Grove, TX) / 10:00-1:00 PM CST
Texas Writes is a statewide program that brings accomplished authors to rural libraries for a half day of presentations and panel discussions focused on the craft of writing.
Tuesday, February 10
🤖 ✏️ Ask Us Anything: The Small Press Publishing Experience
Live on Zoom / 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM CST
Our Ask Us Anything program gives writers the chance to ask WLT staff members and special guests any and all of their burning questions on a specific topic, both by submitting questions ahead of time and asking them during the live event.
Wednesday, February 11
🤖 “Submit Your Stories to Literary Journals and Magazines” with Stephanie Macias
Live on Zoom / 6:30-9:30 PM CST
In this class, participants will learn how to submit their short stories to literary journals and magazines. The class will also address cover letters, when and where to submit, and how to know if you’re ready, when to go back in for revision, and when to keep pushing forward.
Wednesday, February 18
🤖 WLT Crash Course “Lessons from Romance: Putting Believable Relationships on the Page in Any Genre” with Elizabeth Hobbs
Live on Zoom / 7:00-8:30 PM CST
Thursday, February 19
👋 ⭐️ February Third Thursday “Ever After: Romantic Plots & Subplots”
In-person (Austin, TX) / 7:00-8:30 PM CST
WLT hosts Third Thursday each month, featuring discussions focusing on specific topics of interest to writers and readers, bringing together distinguished panelists for conversations moderated by a WLT staff member. In February, we’ll be in-person at BookPeople!
Monday, February 23
👋 ⭐️ Writers’ Happy Hour
In-person (Austin, TX) / 6:00-10:00 PM CST
Show up, socialize, get some writing done.
Saturday, February 28
👋 ⭐️ Texas Writes in Giddings, TX
In-person (Giddings, TX) / 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM CST
Texas Writes is a statewide program that brings accomplished authors to rural libraries for a half day of presentations and panel discussions focused on the craft of writing.
March
Tuesday, March 3
👋 ⭐️ March One Page Salon
In-person (Austin, TX) / 7:30-9:30 PM CST
On Tuesday, March 3, join us for our next edition of the one-of-a-kind One Page Salon! It will be a night of revelry and literary fun.
Wednesday, March 4
🤖 “The Art of Pacing: Macro and Micro Methods to Keep Your Story Moving” with Chaitali Sen
Live on Zoom / 6:30-9:30 PM CST
Neither readers nor writers want a story to stall, sputter along, or sprint ahead at breakneck speed. Learn how to achieve the right pacing for your story!
Saturday, March 7
👋 ⭐️ WLT On the Craft & Business of Writing
In-person (Pflugerville, TX) / 10:30 AM – 1:30 PM CST
Join the Writers’ League of Texas for a special WLT On the Craft & Business of Writing program, featuring two presentations and plenty of time to mix and mingle with fellow writers. This in-person event will take place at the Pflugerville Public Library and is free and open to all.
Wednesday, March 11
🤖 “Activating Setting: How Place Can Deepen Your Work” with Charlotte Gullick
Live on Zoom / 6:30-9:30 PM CDT
Setting has the potential to energize plot, deepen tension, and reveal character nuances. Yet, many of us overlook this rich aspect of writing craft. This class will dive into the power of location in your writing.
Saturday, March 14
👋 ⭐️ Texas Writes in Whitney, TX
In-person (Whitney, TX) / 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM CDT
Texas Writes is a statewide program that brings accomplished authors to rural libraries for a half day of presentations and panel discussions focused on the craft of writing.
Wednesday, March 18
🤖 “Our Parables, Ourselves: Weaving Myth, Fable, and Stories in Memoir” with Madeline Vosch
Live on Zoom / 6:30-9:30 PM CDT
In this class, participants will study the use of mythological stories, religious parables, and fables in memoir. Students will learn some of the ethical questions, as well as how the use of parables can illuminate our own lives.
Thursday, March 19
🤖 ⭐️ March Third Thursday “Time Traveling: Flashbacks & Flashforwards in Storytelling”
Live on Zoom / 7:00-8:30 PM CDT
WLT hosts Third Thursday each month, featuring discussions focusing on specific topics of interest to writers and readers, bringing together distinguished panelists for conversations moderated by a WLT staff member.
Saturday, March 21
🤖 “The Art of Experimental Writing” with Mac Crane
Live on Zoom / 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM CDT
We will focus on studying and writing experimental work that breaks boundaries, subverts (Western) literary conventions, and refuses genre. There are infinite ways of telling a story, and we are going to explore those possibilities.
Saturday, March 21
👋 ⭐️ Hill Country Literary Festival
In-person (Bulverde, TX) / 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM CST
WLT is proud to attend the second annual Hill Country Literary Festival, taking place at the beautiful Mammen Family Public Library in Bulverde, TX. Join us for a full day of author panels, book sales, workshops, food trucks, and fun for children and teens as well.
Monday, March 23
👋 ⭐️ Writers’ Happy Hour
In-person (Austin, TX) / 6:00-10:00 PM CDT
Show up, socialize, get some writing done.
Tuesday, March 24
🤖 ✏️ Members Present: “Say Yes! Artistic Boundaries” with Britta Jensen
Live on Zoom / 12:00-1:00 PM CDT
Our Member Presents program features WLT Members sharing their expertise with the community.
Wednesday, March 25
🤖 “Jack of All Platforms (Or Master of One): How to Cultivate an Online Following” with Aaron H. Aceves
Live on Zoom / 6:30-9:30 PM CDT
In this class, author Aaron H. Aceves will share the lessons he’s learned (the hard way) about building an online audience for his writing.
Saturday, March 28
👋 In-Person Class: “Poetic Praise” with Amanda Johnston
In-person (Austin, TX) / 1:00-4:00 PM CDT
This course will examine odes and other forms of praise poems. Participants will leave with a catalog of praise poems and will write their own original poems.
April
Saturday, April 4
🤖 “Playing with Perspective” with Deborah D.E.E.P Mouton (Rescheduled from Saturday, January 24)
Live on Zoom / 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM CST
From allowing yourself to step outside trauma to making space for more unique and nuanced details, shifting perspectives in your writing can unlock new opportunities for the work to grow. In this three-hour generative workshop, participants will craft new pieces that play with the point of view.
Tuesday, April 7
👋 ⭐️ April One Page Salon
In-person (Austin, TX) / 7:30-9:30 PM CDT
On Tuesday, April 7, join us for our next edition of the one-of-a-kind One Page Salon! It will be a night of revelry and literary fun.
Wednesday, April 8
🤖 “Fusing The Protagonist’s Internal and External Journey” with Richard Z. Santos (Rescheduled from Wednesday, April 1)
Live on Zoom / 6:30-9:30 PM CDT
A good story contains both an internal and external journey. But how do you balance creating an interesting protagonist who changes over the course of the story and also a plot that hooks readers?
Saturday, April 11
👋 ⭐️ San Antonio Book Festival
In-person (San Antonio, TX) / 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
WLT is proud to once again participate in this year’s San Antonio Book Festival!
Thursday, April 16
🤖 ⭐️ April Third Thursday “Poets Writing Prose”
Live on Zoom / 7:00-8:30 PM CDT
WLT hosts Third Thursday each month, featuring discussions focusing on specific topics of interest to writers and readers, bringing together distinguished panelists for conversations moderated by a WLT staff member.
Saturdays, April 18-25
👋 In-Person Series: “Unpacking the Fiction Revision Process” with Stacey Swann
In-person (Austin, TX) / 1:00-4:00 PM CST
In this two-week class, writers will explore the different aspects of the revision process through the lens of their own short story or novel excerpt. Through craft readings, discussions, and targeted exercises, students will bring renewed energy and fresh perspectives to their work in progress.
Tuesday, April 21
🤖 ✏️ Off the Beaten Craft: “Contemporary Sonnets”
Live on Zoom / 12:00-1:00 PM CDT
WLT hosts Off the Beaten Craft talks a few times a year, featuring presentations from authors and experts who know their stuff, focused on a genre, form, or topic that we don’t often get to talk about.
Wednesday, April 22
🤖 “Non-Linear Structures from Non-Western Storytelling” with Henry Lien (Rescheduled from Wednesday, April 15)
Live on Zoom / 6:30-9:30 PM CDT
An introduction to non-Western, non-linear storytelling structures using case studies ranging from THE THOUSAND AND ONE NIGHTS to EVERYTHING, EVERYWHERE, ALL AT ONCE.
Monday, April 27
👋 ⭐️ Writers’ Happy Hour
In-person (Austin, TX) / 6:00-10:00 PM CDT
Show up, socialize, get some writing done.
Wednesday, April 29
🤖 WLT Crash Course: “The Art and Strategy of the Nonfiction Book Proposal” with Jan Baumer
Live on Zoom / 7:00-8:30 PM CDT
By the end of this crash course, you’ll understand how to position your idea strategically, articulate its value clearly, and present it in a way that makes decision-makers lean in and say yes.
May
Saturday, May 2
🤖 “Get That Story Out There: Choosing Your Best Publishing Path” with Rachel (R.L.) Toalson
Live on Zoom / 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM CDT
Writers today can choose from multiple publishing models, but how do you know which one is right for you? This workshop provides a comprehensive overview of traditional and indie publishing, examines the pros and cons of both, and includes reflective prompts to help you identify the path that best supports your long-term writing career.
Tuesday, May 5
👋 ⭐️ May One Page Salon
In-person (Austin, TX) / 7:30-9:30 PM CDT
On Tuesday, May 5, join us for our next edition of the one-of-a-kind One Page Salon! It will be a night of revelry and literary fun.
Wednesday, May 6
🤖 “Jump Start Your Novel” with Sara Kocek
Live on Zoom / 6:30-9:30 PM CDT
Now more than ever, a strong opening is vital for a novel’s success. Your manuscript has very little time in an agent’s hands or a reader’s hands before they decide whether or not to keep going. In this class, we’ll cover everything you need to jump start your manuscript with compelling tension and a vivid, distinct, voice.
Saturday, May 9
🤖 “Writing Flash Fiction: How to Tell a Whole Story in One (Breathless) Breath” with John Pipkin
Live on Zoom / 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM CDT
PLEASE NOTE: This class time has changed from 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM to 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM.
This class will help you explore the possibilities of flash fiction for capturing a narrative fragment or slice-of-life anecdote, as well as for telling a complete story. Effective flash fiction achieves its elegance and forcefulness not in spite of its brevity, but because of it.
Saturday, May 16
🤖 “Writing Speculative Fiction” with Erin Roberts
Live on Zoom / 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM CDT
Whether you want to write a story set in a magical land, send your characters across the galaxy, or add a little bit of strangeness to an otherwise ordinary world, speculative fiction gives you the opportunity both to stretch your imagination and bring something new to your craft. Learn the ins and outs of writing science fiction, fantasy, dark fantasy/horror, and the weird, and get a few more tools to add to your writer’s toolbox.
👋 ⭐️ Greater Austin Book Fest
In-person (Austin, TX) / 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM CDT
Join us at the Central Library in Austin, TX, for a vibrant celebration of local authors, illustrators, and readers!
Wednesday, May 20
🤖 “How to Anchor Scenes in Poetry” with Ariana Brown
Live on Zoom / 6:30-9:30 PM CDT
This class explores how to write compelling scenes in poetry using objects as anchors. Participants will study scenes from both novelists and poets, focusing on how each writer uses objects and strong imagery to zoom in or out of an important moment.
Thursday, May 21
🤖 ⭐️ May Third Thursday “Hot Topics: Pop Culture in Fiction”
Live on Zoom / 7:00-8:30 PM CDT
WLT hosts Third Thursday each month, featuring discussions focusing on specific topics of interest to writers and readers, bringing together distinguished panelists for conversations moderated by a WLT staff member.
Saturday, May 23
👋 ✏️ ⭐️ WLT’s BIG Writer Meet-up
In-person (all across Texas!) / 3:00-5:00 PM CDT
We’re so excited to be hosting our third WLT’s Big Writer Meet-up. Save the date of May 23, because we will be joining together in meet-ups across the state of Texas.
Wednesday, May 27
🤖 “Crafting a Compelling Query Letter” with Becka Oliver
Live on Zoom / 6:30-9:30 PM CDT
This class is all about demystifying what is often a very mystifying process. Former literary agent and current publishing professional Becka Oliver will pull back the curtain on the business side of writing and will help writers set themselves up for success.
June
Tuesday, June 2
🤖 ✏️ New Member Orientation
Live on Zoom / 12:00-1:00 PM CDT
Whether you’ve just signed-up or have been a Member for years, the New Member Orientation is a great opportunity to come together with your fellow Members and the WLT staff to hear about the ins and outs of membership, including the many member benefits you can take advantage of, special opportunities for members, and the answer to any questions you have.
👋 ⭐️ June One Page Salon
In-person (Austin, TX) / 7:30-9:30 PM CDT
On Tuesday, June 2, join us for our next edition of the one-of-a-kind One Page Salon! It will be a night of revelry and literary fun.
Thursday, June 18
🤖 ⭐️ June Third Thursday “It’s Never Too Late: Debuting After 50”
Live on Zoom / 7:00-8:30 PM CDT
WLT hosts Third Thursday each month, featuring discussions focusing on specific topics of interest to writers and readers, bringing together distinguished panelists for conversations moderated by a WLT staff member.
June 26-28
👋 2026 Agents & Editors Conference
In-person (Austin, TX)
The 2026 Agents & Editors Conference will take place June 26-28 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel on beautiful Lady Bird Lake in downtown Austin, TX. The event will feature nearly 100 publishing professionals, including agents, editors, published authors, and other industry insiders, who will share their knowledge and expertise during the three days of panels, presentations, and networking events.