paths to publishing

1:00 p.m. - 2:15 p.m. | Thursday, July 30, 2026

The Paths to Publishing panel features writers from the MCWC community who published in the last year and who will share about their publishing journey and the steps that led to their success.

Existential Stakes: What Your Story Is Big-A About

2:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m | Thursday, July 30, 2026

In this seminar, we will consider “existential stakes,” that is, the larger questions your story wants to explore and that inform character, plot, and other aspects of storytelling. Existential stakes deepen stories and make them memorable to readers. What are existential stakes and why is it helpful to be conscious of them as we write? We will attempt to answer these questions while discussing samples from contemporary novels and shorts.

Demystifying the publishing process

2:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. | Thursday, July 30, 2026

This workshop will offer an overview of how literary agents work as well as what writers can expect from traditional publishing, with the aim of demystifying the publishing process and empowering writers as they weigh possible paths to publication. Topics discussed will include how authors might find the right agent for their work, the importance of query letters, and typical timelines involved. There will be dedicated time for a Q&A, so questions are welcomed and encouraged!

FRAME OF MY FRAME: EKPHRASTIC POETRY

2:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. | Thursday, July 30, 2026

An ekphrastic poem is a vivid description of a scene or, more commonly, a work of art. Through the imaginative act of narrating and reflecting on the “action” of a painting or sculpture, the poet may amplify and expand its meaning.
- Poetry Foundation, Glossary of Poetic Terms

In this seminar, we will view visual art, generate fresh writing, and foster interdisciplinary dialogue on the page. Explore means to integrate visual arts into your writing, understand the synergy between narrative and visual art, and apply artistic practices to your craft. Perfect for poets of all levels seeking a creative exploration of interdisciplinary connections.

Pitch Panel

4:15 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. | Thursday, July 30, 2026

Pitch your book in two minutes flat to editor Dan López and agent Anna Ghosh. They’ll give you frank reactions to the concept of your book, and to the way you made your pitch.

Participants will have the opportunity to drop their name in the hat for selection, though we cannot guarantee that all interested participants will get a turn to pitch. Private, one-on-one consultations can also be requested when you register for the conference. Consultations are assigned on a first-come, first-served basis.

faculty Reading

5:30 p.m. | Thursday, July 30, 2026

Enjoy a medley of readings by the MCWC faculty.

This event is free and open to the public from 6:30 p.m. on.

open mic 

1:00 p.m. - 2:15 p.m. | Friday, July 31, 2026

Share a two-minute excerpt of your work—or sit back and enjoy a medley of good writing and entertainment.

This event is free and open to the public.

The Story of Weather

2:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. | Friday, July 31, 2026

Weather touches everything: our bodies, neighboring bodies, land, sky, sea, time. That makes it a powerful framework for understanding real and imaginary worlds—and making them come alive in writing. With sunshine and storms as our guides, we’ll observe how weather operates at different scales and explore how the elements can shape a narrative.

EDiting seminar with Dan López 

2:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. | Friday, July 31, 2026

More details forthcoming!

BOOM! Revision for Pantsers (and everyone else)

2:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. | Friday, July 31, 2026

If you’re what they call a spontaneous writer, revision can be terrifying - where do you even begin? What if the whole thing comes crashing down like a Jenga set? If you didn’t write an outline before, why would you write one now? Can you just move 2-3 words around and call it a day? This seminar will provide five different entry points in search of a revision that feels like an inspired seeing again, and that makes you want to explore. Please bring a notepad or notebook for this seminar if at all possible.

new in 2026 - GUided nature walk

4:15 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. | Friday, July 31, 2026

Join MCWC board and staff for a guided nature walk to help foster inspiration, community, and a light movement break. Stay tuned, more details forthcoming!

faculty Reading

7:00 p.m. | Friday, July 31, 2026

Enjoy a medley of readings by the MCWC faculty.

This event is free and open to the public.

open mic 

1:00 p.m. - 2:15 p.m. | Saturday, August 1, 2026

Share a two-minute excerpt of your work—or sit back and enjoy a medley of good writing and entertainment.

This event is free and open to the public.

Landscape as Collaborator: Writing With the World Around Us

2:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. | Saturday, August 1, 2026

A landscape is not neutral. Writing into or about place demands shrewd, big-hearted observation, yet the resulting text is always a collaboration between the writer and the real or imagined landscape, itself. This seminar will examine place writing through this collaborative lens and call on published texts, films and other artworks for guidance on how to bring place alive–and make it meaningful–on the page.

Writing About Grief with Literary Craft

2:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. | Saturday, August 1, 2026

Memoir writing is often a process of turning something difficult into something beautiful. The only way through overwhelming grief is to focus on the smallest details of your present moment and take one right step at a time. This is also the best way to work through a creative project. 

Maybe the goals of catharsis and literary craft have kinship: in the processing of our grief we can create compelling writing, and through the craft of writing we can find deep meaning in our pain that speaks to others. This seminar is for any writer who is working through grief, whether personal or societal, and who believes that there is a crucial purpose that great writing can serve for themselves and the world.

ANONYMOUS Critique

4:15 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. | Saturday, August 1, 2026

Submit your opening page to see the candid reactions of editor Dan López and agent Anna Ghosh.

Participants will have the opportunity to drop their opening lines in the hat for selection, though we cannot guarantee that all submissions will be read.

Closing Keynote ADdress

5:30 p.m. | Saturday, August 1, 2026

We’ll wrap up the conference with a keynote address by Jeanne Thornton, author of A/S/L, Summer Fun (winner of the Lambda Literary Award for Transgender Fiction), and others. Jeanne Thornton is the senior editor of Feminist Press, copublisher of Instar Books, and cohost of Brooklyn’s World Transsexual Forum open mic. Her writing has appeared in n+1, WIRED, Evergreen Review, and other places; she has taught for Tin House, One Story, Lambda Literary, Sackett Street Writers Workshop, and more. More information is available at jeannethornton.com.