The James River Writers Conference is designed to help you reach your writing goals, whatever they may be. We have included a mix of sessions that cover both the business side of writing as well as craft. Tailor the conference offerings to your needs. While the conference add-ons (Agent One-on-One Meetings and Master Classes) need to be selected at the time of registration, you can decide which regular sessions to attend in the moment. Once you’ve registered, watch this website and your inbox for more conference fun and details, as well as tools to help you make the most of your experience! Schedule and speakers are subject to change.
Last day to register is September 22, 2026
Friday, September 25, 2026 | ONLINE Pre-Conference Master Classes
9:00 am–4:00 pm Eastern | Master Classes (Premium Add-On)
See schedule and pricing for Pre-Conference Master Classes HERE. You must register for these ahead of time to secure your spot. You may choose to register for Master Classes as an add-on to your in-person conference ticket or, if you’re unable to attend the in-person offerings on Saturday and Sunday, you can purchase Master Classes by themselves. We have nine online Master Classes to choose from.
Saturday, September 26, 2026| In-Person at the Greater Richmond Convention Center
8:00 am–8:30 am
Newcomers Welcome
Are you new to the James River Writers conference? Join us for a brief overview of what to expect during the conference weekend.
Room: E10D
8:45 am–9:15 am
Welcome and 2026 Awards Presentation
James River Writers Executive Director, Katharine Herndon, welcomes you to Richmond, Virginia, for the 24th Annual Conference, followed by the presentation of JRW’s 2026 Awards. We will celebrate the Emyl Jenkins Award winner for inspiring a love of writing in others as well as the winner of the 2026 Best Unpublished Novel contest.
Opening Poem
Room: E10AB
9:30 am–10:30 am | Breakout Sessions & Workshop
You’re the Boss: Successful Indie Publishing
One of the major drawbacks to traditional publishing is the ever-increasing length of time it takes to get your work out into the world. But how fast can you self-publish a book if you want to do it well? Our panel of professionals will guide you through their personal experiences and give you advice and sample timelines for navigating ebook formatting, cover art, editing, and more.
Panelists: Lauren Connolly, David Kazzie
Room: E10AB
Growing Your Audience
Whether you’re traditionally published, an indie author, or some combination, it’s essential that you put in the work to grow your audience and keep them coming back. Our panelists will offer a variety of suggestions and approaches, from building reader relationships in person to using social media and newsletters effectively. Come learn marketing tips from the pros.
Panelists: Kristi Tuck Austin, Isabel Klee, Courtney Milan
Room: E10C
Twice as Nice: Dual Timelines and Narrative Structure
It’s hard enough to create one linear plot arc, but some stories work best with a second timeline woven through the narrative. What makes writing dual timelines attractive, and how do you accomplish that without confusing your reader? Get pointers for layering your story for the most impact while maintaining continuity and pacing.
Panelists: Denny Bryce, TBA
Room: E10D
WORKSHOP
More information coming soon!
Room: E11A
10:45 am–11:45 am | Breakout Sessions, Workshop
Honesty & Memory: Writing Truth in Memoir
One of the primary aspects of memoir is that it’s true. But you can’t know every truth you want to include beyond a shadow of a doubt. How can you be as authentic as possible when human memory is faulty and witnesses may not agree on past events? Hear from three accomplished storytellers who will share what truth means to them and how they get it on the page.
Panelists: Wilbert L. Cooper, Isabel Klee
Room: E10AB
We’re All in This Together: The Power of Literary Community
If there’s one piece of advice we’ve repeatedly heard from the JRW stage, it’s that this writing gig is easier with community. Whether it’s finding a critique group, connecting with a mentor, commiserating over rejection, or decoding feedback, your writing challenges will be much easier if you don’t struggle through them by yourself. Our panelists will share their experiences with creating welcoming spaces as well as advice for being good community members.
Panelists: Joey Merlo, Eric Smith
Room: E10C
Lyrical Language: Writing Effective Description
To paraphrase Stephen King, engaging the reader with your descriptions isn’t just about “how-to,” it’s about “how-much.” In the right hands, a little description can go a long way, and an in-depth description can be transportive. Used poorly, descriptions fall flat, slow your pacing, or (horror of horrors) end up being skimmed or skipped. How do you use language to its greatest effect when describing people, places, and things?
Panelists: Robert Gwaltney, Margot Douaihy
Room: E10D
WORKSHOP: Short Stories with April Sopkin
More information coming soon!
Room: E11A
12:00 pm–1:15 pm | Genre Networking Lunch
Are you looking for some like-minded writers and poets to share your successes and challenges? We’ll provide areas for different genres of writers to gather during lunch as well as several friendly, somewhat extroverted individuals to help get the conversation started. Grab your lunch and bring it with you!
Room: E10C Fantasy, Science Fiction, Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Room: E10D Literary Fiction, Historical Fiction, Poetry, Romance
Room: E11A Creative Nonfiction, Memoir, History, Screenwriting
1:30 pm–2:30 pm | Breakout Sessions & Workshop
Query Letter Critiques
Your query letter is your first chance to grab an agent’s interest and encourage them to read your work. In this panel, modeled on our popular first-pages critique, query-writing pros will review pre-submitted, anonymous letters and give their on-the-spot reactions to what works, what doesn’t, and whether they’d pass or read the author’s first pages. To submit your query for consideration, CLICK HERE.
Panelists: Agents Natalie Edwards, Saba Sulaiman, Marin Takikawa
Room: E10AB
Magic & Mechanics: Staying Consistent When (Almost) Anything Goes
While fantasy can incorporate anything, it can’t include everything. Whether you’re digging into an epic tale or building on familiar mythology, you need to ensure your readers effortlessly suspend disbelief. How do you decide the parameters of your magic and fantasy elements so that your readers buy in and stick around?
Panelists: P. Djèlí Clark, Lauren Connolly, Cass Morris
Room: E10C
Free Range: Non-traditional Poetic Forms
Poetic forms can give you a structure to follow, but where do you start if you want to work without the guiderails? Three accomplished poets will walk you through the different ways they’ve gotten creative on the page. Get tips for experimenting with the look and sound of your words, and find out how to edit non-traditional poetry for impact.
Panelists: Nicholas George, Martheaus Perkins, Sullivan Summer
Room: E10D
WORKSHOP: AI with Aggie Prakash
More information coming soon!
Room: E11A
2:45 pm–3:45 pm | Breakout Sessions
Editing for Publication
Few writers manage a publishable draft without extensive editing. What weaknesses should you look for when you embark on your fifth (or fifteenth) revision? How do you keep from over-editing and deleting what’s working. These experts will help you identify strategies for streamlining or expanding and share advice on incorporating feedback.
Panelists: Rachel Kahan, Jon Sealy
Room: E10AB
Built to Play: Crafting Stage-Worthy Stories for Writers of Any Genre
Why is it playwright, not playwrite? Because plays aren’t simply written. They’re built.
This panel explores playwriting as both craft and invitation: a form with unique structural demands that is accessible to writers of all backgrounds and skill levels. Our speakers will unpack what it means to be a builder of plays. We’ll discuss how to construct scenes and create effective, affecting dialogue. At the same time, we’ll make the case for playwriting as a worthy exercise, even if you are not aiming for the bright lights of Broadway. If you’re a novelist, poet, essayist, or screenwriter, this conversation invites you to think of playwriting as a powerful creative laboratory — a place to experiment, develop new skills, and explore the joy of storytelling.
Panelists: Eva DeVirgilis, Alethea McCollin, Joey Merlo
Moderator: Ellen Brown
Room: E10C
Words Matter: Activism & Political Writing
Many writers and poets feel called to use their words to effect positive change in these current times. What are best practices for being true to yourself while choosing an avenue that could have some impact? Our panelists will share their personal experiences with political writing and offer pointers on how you can use your unique voice and audience to make a difference.
Panelists: Wilbert L. Cooper, Annette Marquis, Martheaus Perkins
Room: E10D
Putting the Story in History: Integrating Research into Your Work
What do you do once you’ve immersed yourself in the appropriate research and now have all these amazing details you want to share? How do you organize and record them? Which ones get used, and which get saved for another time? Our savvy panelists will talk you through choosing the most relevant details and weaving them into your work.
Panelists: Denny Bryce, P. Djèlí Clark, Summer Sullivan
Room: E11A
4:00 pm–5:00 pm | Keynote
Keynote with Courtney Milan: The Making and Breaking of Generational Legends
Human beings define ourselves with generational legends: the stories we tell ourselves about ourselves. These can be things that are specific to our family (“in our family, we’re farmers”) or our country (“we are the greatest democracy in the world”) or our species (“humans can achieve the impossible”). Some of these legends are based on facts and evidence, some on hope and perseverance, and others on greed and subjugation. Story-telling is the way that these myths are transmitted from generation to generation. We story-tellers are tasked with a very special purpose: to make (and break) the legends that define who we are, and thus to define (and redefine) ourselves anew.
Room: E10AB
Sunday, October 5, 2025 | In-Person at the Greater Richmond Convention Center
8:45 am–9:00 am
Welcome and Announcements
9:00 am–10:30 am | Plenary Session
First Pages Critique
The lively First Pages Critique has become one of the conference’s best-loved sessions. Agents and editors are swamped with submissions. How can your writing get their attention? Pre-selected first pages will be read aloud anonymously, and our experts will give on-the-spot feedback. Does the action start too early? Can the reader tell what genre or time period they’re in on page one? Find out what a good hook looks like and common errors to avoid.
More on submitting YOUR First Page HERE.
Panelists: Agents Clare Mao, Hannah Teachout
Moderator: Bill Blume
Reader: Phil Hilliker
Room: E10AB
10:45 am–11:45 am | Breakout Sessions, Workshop
Publishing Perspectives
In the changing world of publishing, authors have more choices than ever for getting their work out into the world. Hear from three authors who have published their work in a variety of ways, whether that’s with Big Five houses, small traditional publishers, or their own indie presses. Learn about the pros and cons of each path, and get your questions answered about the best choices for your own work.
Panelists: Lauren Connolly, Virginia Pye, Ran Walker
Room: E10AB
Establish & Engage: Writing Your First Chapter
After you’ve learned all you can from our popular First Pages panel, you may be left wondering how to pull off the rest of that important first impression. How do you keep reader engagement while grounding them in your world? Our experts will help you decide what to focus on and what to leave for later.
Panelists: Eric Smith, P Djèlí Clark, Margot Douaihy
Room: E10C
Harnessing Point of View
Point of View can mean two things: (a) which character is telling the story and (b) what your narrative distance is. How do you balance these aspects to get the best narrator(s) for your particular piece of work? Should your main character be Gatsby or Nick? First person or third? A George R. R. Martin-like panoply or a single voice? Three craft experts will help you figure out who should tell your tale and how they should tell it.
Panelists: Denny Bryce, Robert Gwaltney, Jon Sealy
Room: E10D
WORKSHOP: Using the Hermit Crab form for Flash Fiction & Poetry with Martheaus Perkins
More coming soon!
Room: E11A
12:00 pm–1:15 pm | Lunch with Poetry Showcase
Grab you lunch and join us for poetry from our exciting slate of award-winning poets!
1:15 pm–2:15 pm | Breakout Sessions
AI: What’s It Good For?
We’ve all heard horror stories about agents deluged with AI-written query letters, contests and magazines swamped with AI entries, and would-be-authors who think AI could be the ticket to writing 200 books a year. What do writers really need to know about using AI? Are there ethical ways it can make your writing life easier without sacrificing your creativity or voice? Our panelists will give you the ins and outs, including the legal angles you need to know.
Panelists: Patricia Moore, Aggie Prakash
Room: E10AB
Emotional Payoff: Writing Compelling Character Arcs in Romance & Beyond
Romance novels aren’t just about getting to the Happily Ever After. They’re about characters with emotional wounds and ingrained fears who must grow to deserve their best possible futures. When your protagonists genuinely have something to lose, it’s more satisfying when they eventually win. Get tips from three romance experts for creating complex characters and convincing emotional journeys.
Panelists: Lauren Connolly, Courtney Milan, Saba Sulaiman
Room: E10C
Representing: Getting a Wider Variety of Writing Into the World
With over 60% of people in publishing being white, straight, cis women, it can seem daunting to find a home for work with more diverse How can writers people behind the scenes help to make sure the widest possible range of representation is available for readers? It’s up to us to get more diverse writing into the world. Hear from our three panelists about how to move the needle.
Panelists: Rosa Castellano, Tony Keith Jr, Brynn Markham
Moderator: Dae Newman
Room: E10D
Putting the Com in RomCom: Techniques for Writing Humor 
Lighthearted and laugh-out-loud writing has become more popular than ever, but it’s not easy to land a punch line. A lot of work goes on behind-the-scenes to build to that pay off. Three authors using humor to great effect in their work will share their processes and recommendations for getting the laughs.
Panelists: Gloria Chao, M. K. England, Mia Sosa
Moderator: Julie Valerie
Room: E21A (second floor)
2:30 pm–3:30 pm | Breakout Sessions
Thicker Than Water: Writing Complicated Family Dynamics
With apologies to Tolstoy, all families—happy, sad, or something in between—are both alike and unalike. How do you capture your story’s uniquely tangled family while hooking readers who may have vastly different experiences? Hear our accomplished panelists talk about portraying complex family relationships that feel both specific and universal, and get tips for your own intergenerational sagas, whether you’re writing about nuclear families, chosen families, or blended households in fiction or nonfiction.
Panelists: Etaf Rum, Mia Sosa, Annabelle Tometich
Moderator: Clarissa Bannor
Room: E10AB
AI: What’s It Good For?
We’ve all heard horror stories about agents deluged with AI-written query letters, contests and magazines swamped with AI entries, and would-be-authors who think AI could be the ticket to writing 200 books a year. What do writers really need to know about using AI? Are there ethical ways it can make your writing life easier without sacrificing your creativity or voice? Our panelists will give you the ins and outs, including the legal angles you need to know.
Panelists: Patricia Moore, Aggie Prakash
Room: E10C
Taking Creative Liberties: Fact vs Fiction in Historical Fiction
You can approach writing historical fiction on a spectrum, from faithfully representing the facts to capturing the essential flavor of an era while taking significant liberties with reality. Hear how our panelists navigate this balance, and get insight into when rigorous authenticity serves your story and when your own imaginative interpretation can add important elements.
Panelists: Elizabeth Becker, Gloria Muñoz, Vanessa Riley
Moderator: Patty Smith
Room: E10D
All the World’s a Stage: Performing Your Work for an Audience
How do you transform words on a page into a captivating live experience that connects with your audience? Two accomplished poets and an actor/playwright will share their expertise on bringing the written work to life through voice, movement, and stage presence. Learn techniques for overcoming stage fright, using your body and voice as storytelling tools, adapting different types of writing for live performance, and creating that electric connection between performer and audience.
Panelists: Tony Keith Jr, Steven Leyva, Alethea McCollin
Moderator: Rosa Castellano
Room: E21A (second floor)
3:45 pm–4:45 pm | Breakout Sessions & Workshop
Choosing Your Story: Journalistic Techniques for Getting the Scoop
Do you choose your story, or does your story choose you? Three journalists walk you through the steps they take when deciding what story to tell. Get tips on brainstorming, following leads, and on the questions to ask to get the most out of an interview.
Panelists: Elizabeth Becker, Laurie Gwen Shapiro, Annabelle Tometich
Moderator: Melissa Sinclair
Room: E10AB
Sublime Subplots: Layering Your Story
How do you create compelling subplots that enhance rather than distract from your central story? Learn to identify which character arcs, relationships, and conflicts deserve subplot treatment versus a brief mention, and discover techniques for braiding multiple narrative threads together so they support and amplify your main plot. Determine whether or not your subplots need to resolve satisfyingly or if they only need to contribute to your story’s overall themes and emotional impact.
Panelists: Camille DeAngelis, Harry Szabo, Heather Weidner
Moderator: Phil Hilliker
Room: E10C
Staying the Course: Nurturing Your Creative Spark
This panel addresses the unique challenges writers face during times of personal, political, or global upheaval, exploring strategies for protecting your mental health while honoring your commitment to your craft. Our panelists will share techniques for setting boundaries with news consumption and social media, finding ways to channel anxiety and anger into productive creative energy, and giving yourself permission to write when the world’s problems feel enormous and all-consuming.
Panelists: Dr. Mariel Herbert, Chioke I’Anson, Angele McQuade
Moderator: Terry Menefee Gau
Room: E10D
WORKSHOP: ETHICAL AI TOOLS FOR WRITERS: A PRACTICAL GUIDE with Shannon Layne Lilburn
This session will help you navigate the AI landscape ethically and effectively. Learn to distinguish between conversational AI, specialized writing tools, and research platforms. We’ll cover practical applications for fiction and non-fiction writers, plus time-saving strategies for marketing and administrative tasks. Through live demos and interactive discussions, you’ll leave with a clear action plan for integrating AI into your writing workflow while maintaining your creative integrity.
Room: E21A (second floor)
5:00 pm–5:30 pm | Closing/Weekend Wrap-Up!
Some of our most beloved moderators from the conference will wrap things up for us, sharing their favorite tidbits from the weekend and offering their best advice for next steps as we say goodbye (for now!).
Room: E10AB